冥想的科学力量：英语精读讲义

For thousands of years people have practiced meditation for spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. 短語搭配

数千年来，人们一直通过冥想来增进心灵、情绪和身体健康。

But from a scientific perspective, 表達脈絡

但从科学角度来看，

how exactly does meditating affect your body? 語法

冥想究竟会如何影响你的身体？

Does it really do anything?

它真的有作用吗？

It all starts in the brain.

一切都始于大脑。

During meditation,

在冥想期间，

brain scans see increased activity in regions directly correlated with decreased anxiety and depression 用詞

脑部扫描显示，与焦虑和抑郁减轻直接相关的脑区活动有所增强，

along with increased pain tolerance.

同时，疼痛耐受力也有所提高。

The default mode network in particular

尤其是默认模式网络，

is activated when one's mind is at rest and not focusing on the outside world 短語搭配

会在人处于休息状态、不关注外部世界时被激活，

and has been found to improve memory, self-awareness, and goal setting. 語法

而且研究发现，它还能改善记忆力、自我意识和目标设定能力。

Want to be more caring to your friends and family?

想对亲朋好友更关爱一些吗？

When scientists compared the brains of Buddhist monks to new meditators, 短語搭配

当科学家把佛教僧侣的大脑与冥想新手的大脑进行比较时，

they found the region of the brain associated with empathy

他们发现，与共情相关的脑区

to be much more pronounced in the monks. 用詞

在僧侣的大脑中明显发达得多。

It also literally changes your brain waves

冥想甚至真的会改变你的脑波，

and we can measure these frequencies.

而我们可以测量这些频率。

Meditators have higher levels of alpha waves

冥想者的阿尔法波水平更高，

which have been shown to reduce feelings of negative mood,

研究表明，这种脑波能减少负面情绪，

tension, sadness, and anger.

以及紧张、悲伤和愤怒。

And if that wasn't enough, 表達脈絡

如果这些还不够，

it also physically changes our brain shape and size.

冥想还会从物理层面改变我们大脑的形状和大小。

Studies found that after 8 weeks of a meditation program,

研究发现，参加冥想课程8周后，

gray matter was more dense in areas associated with learning,

与学习相关的脑区中，灰质密度有所增加，

memory processing, and emotion regulation.

在与记忆处理和情绪调节相关的脑区中也是如此。

And yet the amygdala, 表達脈絡

而杏仁核的情况却不同，

which deals with stress, blood pressure, and fear, 用詞

它负责处理压力、血压和恐惧，

had decreased gray matter.

其灰质有所减少。

When we look at the entire body,

当我们观察整个身体时，

not only do we see decreased blood pressure, 語法

我们不仅能看到血压下降，

but it can also increase the variability of your heart rate.

冥想还可能提高心率变异性。

And while this may sound harmful, 語法

虽然这听起来可能有害，

it actually plays a critical role in properly transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide 短語搭配

但心率变异性其实对氧气和二氧化碳的正常运输至关重要，

throughout your body.

能帮助它们送达身体各处。

Think you're getting sick? 語法

觉得自己快生病了吗？

In a study where both meditators and non-meditators were given the flu virus,

一项研究让冥想者和非冥想者都接触流感病毒，

meditators were able to produce a greater number of antibodies

结果冥想者能产生更多抗体，

and had increased immune function.

免疫功能也有所增强。

If we go a little deeper, 習語

如果我们再深入一点，

we can even see changes on a cellular level. 短語搭配

甚至能看到细胞层面的变化。

Your chromosomes have protective protein complexes called telomeres, 語法

你的染色体上有被称为端粒的保护性蛋白质复合体，

which help reduce damage to your DNA

它们有助于减少DNA损伤，

and lower cell death.

并降低细胞死亡率。

And a shortened telomere length

而端粒长度缩短

has been linked to several diseases such as cardiovascular disease,

已被发现与多种疾病有关，例如心血管疾病、

diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cancer.

糖尿病、阿尔茨海默病和癌症。

Amazingly, when cancer survivors completed a meditation program,

令人惊讶的是，癌症幸存者完成冥想课程后，

their bodies showed significant increases in telomere length. 短語搭配

体内的端粒长度显著增加。

It's believed that psychological intervention, 語法

人们认为，心理干预，

particularly decreasing stress,

尤其是减轻压力，

has a direct effect on the enzyme telomerase, 短語搭配

会直接影响端粒酶，

which has been shown to counteract shortening

这种酶已被证明能抵消端粒缩短，

by adding DNA to the shrinking telomeres. 語法

方式是向不断缩短的端粒添加DNA。

Of course, 表達脈絡

当然，

meditation is not a substitute for other medical advice 短語搭配

冥想不能取代其他医疗建议，

or a healthy lifestyle.

也不能取代健康的生活方式。

We don't want you leaving this video thinking it will cure cancer. 語法

我们可不希望你看完这段视频就以为冥想能治愈癌症。

But much like hitting the gym can grow your muscles and increase your overall health, 講解

不过，就像去健身房能锻炼肌肉、提升整体健康水平一样，

it seems that meditation may be a way of working out your brain 習語

冥想似乎也可以成为锻炼大脑的一种方式，

with extra health benefits.

而且还能带来额外的健康益处。

And since your brain controls,

既然你的大脑控制着……

well, all of you, 語氣意圖

呃，你的一切，

why not relax and say om every once in a while. 講解

那何不偶尔放松一下，念一声“Om”呢？

And if you like working out your brain,

如果你喜欢锻炼大脑，

be sure to get our AsapSCIENCE book,

别忘了购买我们的AsapSCIENCE图书，

which is now available for pre-sale at asapscience.com/book.

目前已在asapscience.com/book开放预售。

We've got answers to your most asked burning questions, 習語

书中针对大家最常问、最迫切想知道的问题，

persistent rumors,

长期流传的传言，

and unexplained phenomenon.

以及无法解释的现象，都给出了答案。

Whether you're a huge science fan or just a curious mind, 語法

无论你是资深科学迷，还是单纯有一颗好奇心，

the book has something for everyone 短語搭配

这本书都能让每个人有所收获，

and we're so excited for you to read it

我们非常期待你来阅读，

and show off your new found knowledge to all your friends. 短語動詞

再向所有朋友展示你新学到的知识。

Thanks again for all the support through the years,

再次感谢大家多年来的支持，

helping us share our love of science with the world.

帮助我们与全世界分享对科学的热爱。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

记得订阅，每周观看更多科学视频。