Rajyoga meditation induces grey matter volume changes in regions that process reward and happiness
Scientific Reports September 30, 2020 M. G. Ramesh Babu, Rajagopal Kadavigere, K Prakashini et al. 39 citations
Practicing Rajyoga meditation is associated with greater grey matter volume in brain regions involved in reward processing, such as the right superior frontal gyrus, left inferior orbitofrontal cortex, and bilateral precuneus, compared to non-meditators. Practitioners also reported higher happiness scores on the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Among more experienced practitioners, happiness scores trended toward a positive correlation with hours of meditation experience. Multiple regression analysis linked happiness scores to several reward-related areas, including the right superior frontal gyrus, left middle orbitofrontal cortex, right insula, and left anterior cingulate cortex. With increasing practice hours, positive associations appeared in the bilateral ventral pallidum. These findings suggest that Rajyoga meditation may enhance neural plasticity in reward processing regions linked to happiness.