April 6. 2011 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience published the recent results of research that shows an hour of meditation instruction on focused attention reduced pain intensity by about 40% and reduced how the person experienced that pain by 57%. It should be noted that the effect of morphine and other pain-relieving drugs typically reduce patients’ pain rating by approximately 25%. Before and after 20 minute sessions participants were examines by arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging (ASL MRI) and were found to have increased brain activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula and the orbito-frontal cortex – all areas involved in how the brain experiences pain from nerve signals coming from the body. www.sciencedaily.com
