Meditation can sharpen attention, strengthen memory and improve other mental abilities. Scientific American editor Ferris Jabr examines the changes in brain structure behind some of these benefits. -- Please visit our website to discover the latest advances in science and technology: http://bit.ly/30Z4ZpZ Discover world-changing science with a subscription to Scientific American. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2RtR1cs -- More to explore: Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities? A systematic review of neuropsychological findings. [Preview] (Clinical Psychology Review) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21183265 Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice (PNAS) http://www.pnas.org/content/101/46/16369.long Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain, UCLA researchers say (UCLA) http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/evidence-builds-that-meditation-230237.aspx The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: Larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter (PMC) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184843/ Age effects on gray matter volume and attentional performance in Zen meditation (Neurobiology of Aging) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458007002436 Age effects on attentional blink performance in meditation [Preview](Conciousness and Cognition) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810009000828 Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources (PLOS Biology) http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0050138 The American Psychological Association on the benefits of mindfulness http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner.aspx -- Credits: Written & presented by Ferris Jabr Line art by Scott Brundage & Eric R. Olson Production assistant: Joss Fong Produced & edted by Eric R. Olson