冥想八週，你的頭腦就能變得更好
For years, many entrepreneurs have been relentlessly touting the benefits of mindfulness meditation, from a younger brain to better decision-making. So why haven't you started yet?
多年來，許多企業家都一直被兜售正念冥想的好處，從不諳世事到更好的決策。所以你爲什麼還不開始呢？
Is it because you think it would be hard to start? If so, science says no.
是不是因爲你覺得很難開始？如果是的話，科學告訴你不是這樣。
If you think you're too busy for a meditation practice, sorry, that doesn't fly either.
如果你覺得自己太忙，沒有時間去做冥想練習，抱歉，這也說不通。
And how about if you think it's just too much of a commitment. Maybe you're under the impression it takes years of disciplined practice to start to see results.
如果你只是覺得需要承擔太多義務。也許你一直有這樣的印象，它需要成年累月的規律練習才能看到結果。
If that's your worry, the latest research should reassure you. According to a new meta-analysis of all the existing studies on the subject, simple mindfulness meditation has profound, physical effects on the brain in only eight short weeks.
如果這些是你擔心的，那麼最新的研究應該能讓你安心。一項建立在現存研究基礎上的全新meta分析顯示，簡單的正念冥想僅在八週內就能對大腦有深入實際的影響。
Just two months to a better brain?
只要兩個月就能有更好的頭腦？
The new analysis, recently published in Brain and Cognition and highlighted on the British Psychological Society Research Digest blog, examined the results of 30 previous studies that used MRI brain scans to measure the physical changes meditation causes in the brain. For those looking for a relatively deep dive into the neuroscience, here's what the researchers uncovered, according to BPS:
這項新的分析最近被髮表在《大腦與認知》，並且在英國社會心理學研究文摘博客中被置頂，它檢測了之前30項研究的結果，這些研究使用核磁共振掃描來測量冥想給大腦帶來的實際變化。對那些在神經科學領域深入研究的人來說，下面是研究人員根據BPS結果發現的：
Associated brain changes, in terms of activity levels and volume and connectivity changes, have been reported in the prefrontal cortex (a region associated with conscious decision making and emotional regulation and other functions), the insula (which represents internal body states among other things), the cingulate cortex (decision making), the hippocampus (memory) and the amygdala (emotion).
根據活動等級以及體積和連通性的變化，相關大腦變化已經傳輸到前額葉皮層（關係到決策能力、情緒調節以及其他功能的區域）、腦島（代表身體內部狀態）、扣帶皮層（做決策）、海馬體（記憶）以及杏仁核（情感）。
All of which is fascinating. But what do those changes boil down to in terms of noticeable shifts in brain performance? "Based on what we know about the function of these brain regions, [lead author Rinske] Gotink's team said these changes appear to be consistent with the idea that mindfulness helps your brain regulate your emotions," sums up the BPS post.
所有這些都是很吸引人的。但是這些變化歸根結底在大腦表現上有什麼顯而易見的改變？“基於我們已知大腦區域的功能，以Rinske Gotink爲首的研究團隊說這些變化與冥想幫助大腦調節情緒似乎是一致的。”總結了BPS的內容。
While the exact interpretation of any particular brain change is always open to scientific debate, these results strongly suggest that just two months of meditation is enough to rewire your brain in ways that could encourage greater focus, emotional control, and thoughtful decision making.
任何對於特定大腦變化的確切解釋都存在引起科學爭論的可能性，這些結果有力地表明瞭只要兩個月的冥想就足夠重啓大腦，可以促進形成更多的關注、情緒控制、以及深思熟慮的決策。
So, in short, no, it doesn't take forever for meditation to make a measurable difference in your brain, and most likely in your behavior either.
所以，簡而言之，不會的。冥想不會在你腦中產生永久的明顯差異，也不會明顯影響你的行爲。
