One of these anecdotes is true, the other is false, both are about monks who have mastered meditation:
Monks can sit unblinking for 8-10 hours
Monks can raise the temperature in their fingers and toes by as much as 10 degrees (F)
Both seem nearly impossible. If you know anything about Buddhist monks and meditation, both also seem plausible. In the 80's researchers traveled to the Himalayas and recorded monks who climbed into the mountains and survived a night in little more than their robes. They also discovered that some could dry wet clothes using body heat alone. There are movies and stories showing men and women who can run on water and walk through fire, among other superhuman feats, and are able to do so by using meditation to control their mind and the world around them. The fictional stories would be really cool (who else watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?) but the factual stories are pretty astounding as well.
In order to bring to light some of the wonders of meditation, science has been stepping in and exploring the idea that sitting quietly can cause big change. But, how can those of us who are not dedicating our lives to a monastery benefit? In a lot of ways, actually.
Meditation is a mind and body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well-being. Mind and body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior.
There are many types of meditation, but most have four elements in common: a quiet location with as few distractions as possible; a specific, comfortable posture (sitting, lying down, walking, or in other positions); a focus of attention (a specially chosen word or set of words, an object, or the sensations of the breath); and an open attitude (letting distractions come and go naturally without judging them).
Meditation is about finding a quiet space and sitting with yourself in a state of being. In our modern, busy world this simple act can be profoundly difficult. Our attention is being taken in a million different directions every second of a day, so taking a moment to tune all of that out and just "be" is a challenge. Because of this, meditation falls into that category of things that are really good for us (think exercise, drinking plenty of water) that we do not do. There can also be a stigma attached to meditation that it is weird or religious or full of strange chanting. It is none of those things or, at least, it doesn't have to be.
If you look at the basic definition, meditation is sitting quietly and comfortably and focusing your attention on something. Many practitioners will direct you to watching your breath since doing so is a simple way to stay grounded. But there are other schools of thought that will have you focusing on an object or perhaps a particular mantra. There is a perception that you should not have any thoughts while you are meditating; a perception that can cause quite a bit of frustration. Here's the thing - your mind will always think. The idea behind sitting is not to stop thinking, but to simply watch those thoughts go by. Think of it like watching a road. At first, your thoughts will be like a freeway at rush hour with cars going every speed in multiple directions and your eyes are drawn to every one of them as they go by. As you practice you get better (as with most things) and when you sit down on that overpass, there will be fewer and fewer cars and your eyes will cease following them. Eventually, your mind will be like that same road at dawn when there are only a few passing vehicles, but your eyes are focused on the rising sun.
But this takes time.
The real kicker, and this is a thought process that I find very challenging, is that to achieve that state you must not attempt to achieve that state.
It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts, passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering not even judging, because the moment you judge you have lost the pure witness. The moment you say “this is good, this is bad,” you have already jumped onto the thought process.
-- Osho
For someone with a Western state of mind, setting goals is almost as natural as breathing. Letting that idea go is something that I struggle with in my own practice (mind you, I have been meditating for only a short time). But as you read and practice, you will discover that layers begin to peel away and the thought of any goal simply becomes another car on the road.
Our brains are wired to respond to stimuli. In some cases, this stimuli will result in a fight-or-flight response which releases stress hormones into our system and increases blood pressure, heart rate, quickens our breathing, and tightens our muscles all to ready us for a fight or a flight. When we are bombarded with stress on a daily basis through school, work, rush hour, shopping for food in a crowded market, our body goes into overdrive producing these chemicals. The negatives from this overproduction include heart attacks, cancer, depression, and other things are really not fun. People who meditate regularly (even as little as 10 minutes a day) show the opposite effect. There is also evidence that regular meditation can help alleviate a number of other chronic conditions.
Once again, we see that a mechanism that is implicated in the generation of fear and the risk for anxiety disorders has its basis in a fundamental survival mechanism [breathing]."
-- Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry
All of that is great, like, really great. Meditation does so many little things, as well, that make it worthwhile on a daily basis. A general calmness and sense of well being accompanies a daily practice. You will find that you are less prone to overreact and that you can approach daunting tasks with a steady attitude. The overall health benefits and the general psychological effects have been researched and demonstrated in multiple studies, some of which are sited below.
"Neuroscience confirms what yogis and Buddhists have known for centuries i.e. Breathing and fear are interconnected and deep breathing can reduce or even eliminate the panic response."
Source
With science looking into something that was once mystical and full of myth, we can see that many of the things Buddhists knew can be proven. The brilliant thing is, you don't have to be Buddhist to meditate. The simple act of sitting and breathing does not know denominations or philosophies. It is not that complicated. It is just sitting and breathing, letting go of the thoughts that pass by. After a time, you will find the letting go gets easier and easier. Eventually, you too could be climbing the Himalayas in little more than a robe...but you won't because you are smarter than that.
sources:
(http://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/03/01/harvard-goes-to-the-himalayas-monks-with-superhuman-abilities-show-scientists-what-we-can-all-do/)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_on_meditation)
(https://nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm)
(https://pionic.org/at-the-molecular-level-a-new-study-examines-the-deep-benefits-of-meditation-yoga-and-tai-chi)
