We have talked about binaural beats in previous posts, and today we discover that the “happiest” man in the world produces a level of gamma waves never before reported in the field of neuroscience. His name is Matthieu Ricard, and he is a Buddhist monk living in the Himalayan mountains.
Ricard is a former molecular geneticist who left his life and career behind to discover the secrets of Buddhism. He has transformed himself into one of the most celebrated monks in the Himalayas and a trusted adviser of the Dalai Lama.
In 2009, neuroscientist Richard Davidson, from the University of Wisconsin wired up the French monk’s head with 256 sensors as part of a research project on hundreds of advanced practitioners of meditation. When the scan results came back, the scientists discovered something remarkable. When Ricard was meditating on compassion, his brain produced a level of gamma waves linked to consciousness, attention, learning, and memory that were never even reported before in neuroscience literature. The scans also revealed that Ricard’s left prefrontal cortex has an abnormally large capacity for happiness and a reduced propensity towards negativity. Quite amazing!
The results earned Matthieu Ricard the unofficial title of the “happiest man in the world.”
I have discussed meditation in a lot of articles in the past. If you are interested, here are some of the articles that outline the amazing benefits of incorporating a meditation routine into your daily life:
Top 5 Reasons You Don’t Meditate
Top 5 Reasons You Should Meditate