Meditation and BA47

BA47 is the name of a specific area of the brain in the right and left prefrontal areas of the brain’s cerebral cortex. Brain researchers at NTNU have discovered that Acem meditation, in which the practitioner thinks about a simple sound but with free, relaxed attention, can activate this part of the brain. It then sends impulses elsewhere in the brain to trigger a relaxation response.

Researchers are now studying whether other forms of mediation activate BA47 as well, or whether this response is specific to the Acem method.