Taking Your Mind Off Pain

Struggling with pain? Meditation may help take the edge off.

Researchers at the University of Montreal have discovered that Zen meditation thickens the region of the brain that regulates pain.

“We found a relationship between cortical thickness and pain sensitivity,” says University of Montreal researcher Joshua A. Grant.

For the study, researchers applied a heated plate to the legs of volunteers, half of whom meditated, half who didn’t. There was a difference of about 50 per cent in pain perception between the two. The meditators tolerated more heat before feeling moderate pain.