Have you noticed how things become more believable when a scientist says they’re true? Like mindfulness for example. For centuries, the benefits of contemplation, compassion and kindness have been promoted. The tendency has been to categorise such activities as “religious”, wishy-washy, or even whacky.

Which is interesting. Do you only believe something if science can prove that it’s true? What about love? How do you prove to yourself that you feel love for someone? Ultimately it’s down to your experience and whether you trust that or not.

The Holy Grail of science is objectivity. And the systematic acquisition of knowledge from which to either prove or disprove a hypothesis. Yet, quantum physics has shown us that the very act of observing something alters its behaviour. So where does that leave us in relation to objectivity?

Do we need science to be able to validate our experience before we can trust it?
What’s so fascinating these days is that, now science can show us how contemplative practices change the brain, it becomes ok to meditate. We can demonstrate the beneficial chemical changes in the body that accompany forgiveness and generosity. So it’s not whacky any more.

The net result is that more and more people are taking up these practices, and rightly so. Given that most of the ill health people experience today, be that physical, emotional or mental , is stress-related, it’s a matter of public heath concern that we learn techniques to shift the rudder of society. To alter the direction we are headed.

Stress, anxiety and depression and predicted by the World Health Organisations to be the second biggest causes of illness by 2020. That’s five years away.

And yet we have the tools to avert this. To have the ship sail in a different direction. And science is backing this up, now, so you better believe it!

Let’s take one bit of the evidence of how mindfulness alters the brain.  Larger amounts of grey matter (brain substance) in the hippocampus and left prefrontal cortex. Result? More emotional stability, more positive affect and better ability to focus. Greater emotional intelligence. Great! As it’s our feelings that cause all the upset.

I predict that in ten years time it will be as normal to meditate as it is to go to the gym. It has to be. To avert a major public health crisis.

More than that, mindfulness and emotional intelligence are the bedrock of a life well lived. A life of wellness and fulfilment. A society that is connected, calm, compassionate. A world that works.

Thank you scientists, for making it okay to be kind. For proving that taking time out every day to sit in quiet contemplation with yourself is the the best  thing you can do for your health. For validating age old practices and putting spirituality back on the map. In a good way.

(More on that word “Spirituality” in the next post!)