Meditation's Euphoric Effect: Why Do I Feel High?

Meditation has been shown to have many benefits, including stress relief, increased focus, and improved ability to manage anxiety. When you meditate, you are intentionally cultivating awareness using concentration, which can affect the neurochemicals in your brain. Levels of dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, the neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure, happiness, and calmness, respectively, all increase during meditation. Additionally, meditation can alter electrical impulses in the brain, slowing down high-alert brain waves associated with stress and hypervigilance and replacing them with slower waves associated with calm and deep focus. This combination of neurochemical and electrical changes can result in a feeling of being high, characterized by a sense of relaxation, reduced pain perception, and an overall positive and uplifted mood.

Meditation increases levels of dopamine, serotonin, and GABA

Meditation has been described as giving people a "high" feeling, with some people reporting that they feel “stoned” after meditating. This feeling has been attributed to the reduction of stressful thoughts and the resulting peace of one's natural state.

Neurochemically, this feeling may be due to the increase in certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Angela Lumba-Brown, a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine and co-director of the Stanford Brain Performance Center, states that meditation can increase levels of dopamine, serotonin, and GABA. Dopamine is known as the "neurotransmitter of pleasure", serotonin as the "neurotransmitter of happiness", and GABA as the "neurotransmitter of calmness". Through regular meditation, these neurotransmitters are able to send signals more routinely, leading to overall changes that reflect a more positive, relaxed, and contented mental state.

Meditation can also alter electrical impulses, or brain waves. It can prompt the brain to shift from high-alert waves associated with stress and hypervigilance to slower waves that are linked to calmness, deep focus, and sleep. This shift in brain waves may contribute to the feeling of being "high" after meditation.

The benefits of meditation are well-known and include stress relief, increased ability to focus, improved emotional awareness, and a more positive outlook. Meditation allows people to become more present and attuned to themselves and their surroundings, which can have a positive impact on their daily lives and interactions with others.

It reduces activity in the default mode network

Meditation has been shown to have a profound impact on the brain, altering electrical impulses and affecting neurotransmitters. One of the key areas of the brain that is influenced by meditation is the default mode network (DMN). The DMN is responsible for rumination and the construction of thoughts about the past and future, which are often associated with anxiety.

Research has found that meditation can lead to a decrease in activity within the DMN. This reduction in activity means that individuals become less caught up in their thoughts and are better able to observe their thoughts and emotions without judgement. As a result, they may feel a sense of detachment from their thoughts and a greater sense of presence and calm.

The DMN is typically very active during mind-wandering and self-reflection, which can often lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. By reducing activity in this network, meditation allows individuals to step back from their thoughts and observe them with greater clarity and objectivity. This can lead to a sense of detachment from one's thoughts and a feeling of being 'high'.

Furthermore, the reduction in DMN activity is often accompanied by increased activity in another region of the brain called the insula. The insula is associated with body awareness and emotional regulation. By enhancing activity in this region, meditation practitioners may experience an increased sense of self-awareness and a greater ability to manage their emotions. This heightened awareness of one's bodily sensations and emotions can contribute to the feeling of being 'high' after meditation.

Overall, the reduction in activity within the default mode network, coupled with increased activity in the insula, allows individuals to let go of stressful thoughts, become more present, and experience a sense of peace and bliss. This unique combination of neurological changes contributes to the feeling of being high after meditation, providing a natural and harmless way to alter one's state of consciousness.

It increases activity in the insula

The insula is a vital component of the brain that controls our health and wellness. It is responsible for controlling our mental emotions and the regulation of the body's homeostasis. The anterior insula, in particular, is the seat of our "gut feelings" and is more developed in humans than in other species.

During social interactions, we attempt to understand others' states, such as their sensations, emotions, or thoughts, to predict and react to their behaviour accordingly. One way to understand others is to empathically share their states and feelings.

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce stress, promote health, and well-being, as well as increase compassionate behaviour towards others. It reduces distress to one's own painful experiences by enhancing self-regulatory processes and decreasing emotional reactivity.

A study by Laneri et al. (2017) investigated if mindfulness meditation could similarly reduce distress and neural activations associated with empathy for others' socially painful experiences. The study found that in long-term mindfulness meditation (LTM) practitioners, who meditated just before observing others' social pain, there was lower activation in the left anterior insula (AI) compared to LTM practitioners who did not meditate. The strength of AI activation following meditation was also negatively associated with trait compassion in LTM practitioners.

The findings suggest that mindfulness meditation could provide a mechanism to cope with distress due to the empathic sharing of others' suffering, possibly by cultivating positive feelings of compassion. This may enable individuals to willfully engage in meditation practice to alter their neural activation in response to others' social pain.

It can alter electrical impulses in the brain

Meditation can be a powerful tool for altering electrical impulses in the brain, leading to a sense of feeling "high". This altered state of consciousness is a result of changes in brain wave patterns and neurotransmitter activity.

The brain is an intricate network of billions of neurons that communicate through electrical impulses and neurochemical signals. During meditation, these electrical impulses can shift from high-energy, stress-related waves to slower, more relaxed patterns associated with calmness and deep focus. This shift in brain waves is a key mechanism behind the feeling of being high after meditation.

Neurotransmitters, the body's chemical messengers, also play a crucial role in this process. Meditation has been shown to increase levels of dopamine, serotonin, and GABA—the neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure, happiness, and calmness, respectively. The release of these neurotransmitters contributes to the positive and relaxed state often experienced after meditation.

The combination of altered electrical impulses and increased neurotransmitter activity results in a sense of heightened awareness, relaxation, and even euphoria. This "natural high" is a testament to the power of meditation and its ability to induce a state that goes beyond our normal range of experiences.

Furthermore, the impact of meditation extends beyond the individual. As people become more attuned to themselves through meditation, they may also experience improved interactions with others. This effect is attributed to enhanced self-awareness and a reduced tendency to judge oneself or others, leading to more positive and compassionate behaviours.

In conclusion, meditation's ability to alter electrical impulses in the brain is a fascinating aspect of its overall impact. By shifting brain wave patterns and influencing neurotransmitter activity, meditation can induce a natural high that is both harmless and accessible to anyone willing to give it a try.

It helps you to be more present

Meditation is an intentional practice to cultivate awareness using concentration. When you meditate, you are able to let go of stressful thoughts and return to your natural state of being, which is stillness. In this state, you are not reacting to your thoughts with anger or resistance, and you are able to see pain and sensations for what they are. This can result in a feeling of blissfulness or transcendence, which can be likened to a natural high.

Meditation can also alter electrical impulses, or brain waves. It can prompt the brain to shift from high-alert waves associated with stress and hypervigilance to slower waves associated with calm, deep focus, and sleep. This shift in brain waves can contribute to the feeling of being more present and grounded in the moment.

The practice of meditation affects two main pathway changes in the brain. Firstly, the default mode network, which is involved in rumination and the construction of thoughts about the past and future, becomes less active. Secondly, the insula, which is responsible for body awareness, becomes more active, leading to increased awareness of emotions and bodily sensations. This increased awareness of the present moment can be a powerful tool for managing stress and anxiety.

By becoming more present and aware during meditation, you can learn to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment. This helps to portray negative emotions and hardships as temporary events rather than all-consuming identities. For example, instead of thinking "I am my anxiety", you can view it as "I am observing my anxiety, and it will come and go". This shift in perspective can be liberating and empowering.

Overall, the practice of meditation can help you become more present and aware of the present moment, leading to a sense of calm, focus, and even transcendence. It is a natural and harmless way to experience a high, and it can have lasting benefits for your overall well-being.

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