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Die neuronale Basis von Meditation und Achtsamkeit im Bildungskontext

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Achtsamkeit in Bildungsprozessen

Zusammenfassung

Neben den in der Literatur vornehmlich psychologischen Deutungen von Achtsamkeit und Meditation werden heute auch physiologische und neurowissenschaftliche Auswirkungen und Wirkmechanismen von Achtsamkeit und Meditation untersucht. Dabei kann zwischen strukturellen und funktionellen Auswirkungen sowie zwischen neuronalen und molekularen Wirkmechanismen unterschieden werden. In diesem Beitrag werden die für Lehre und Lernen relevanten Erkenntnisse dargestellt und in Relation zum Stresserleben und der Beziehungsebene diskutiert. Die Befunde sind für die Medizin, die Psychologie als auch die Pädagogik relevant – da sie als grundlegendes Wissen für (therapeutische) Verhaltens- und Lebensstilmodifikationen sowie für Beziehungsgestaltung herangezogen werden können.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Der Kortex, die Hirnrinde, entspricht als äußerste Schicht dem jüngsten Teil des Gehirns und repräsentiert höhere Funktionen, wie Sinneswahrnehmung oder Steuerung der Motorik.

  2. 2.

    Die Amygdala, auch Mandelkern genannt, ist als Teil des limbischen Systems u. a. für die Emotionen Angst und Wut zuständig und beeinflusst als solche das emotionale Gedächtnis.

  3. 3.

    Die graue Substanz setzt sich aus den Zellkörpern der Neuronen des zentralen Nervensystems (ZNS) zusammen, während die weiße Substanz aus den Axonen (sprich Verbindungen/Vernetzung) der Neuronen des ZNS besteht.

  4. 4.

    Der Temporallappen ist der zweitgrößte Lappen im Großhirn und enthält wichtige Gedächtnisstrukturen, wie das Wernicke-Sprachzentrum sowie den primären auditorischen Cortex. Der temporoparietale Übergang liegt in dem Teil des Gehirns, an dem Temporal- und Parietallappen aufeinandertreffen. Hier ist die wichtige Fähigkeit verankert, Emotionen eines anderen zu „lesen“ (vgl. „Theory of mind“), wozu auch Altruismus und Empathie bzw. selbstloses Verhalten gehören.

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Michaelsen, M.M., Esch, T. (2021). Die neuronale Basis von Meditation und Achtsamkeit im Bildungskontext. In: Iwers, T., Roloff, C. (eds) Achtsamkeit in Bildungsprozessen. Springer, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-30832-2_5

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