Meditation, memory and learning : neurobiological studies.

Abstract

Introduction. The role of meditation on different aspects of human neurobiology has received greater attention from the scientific community in recent years. Objective. This article aims to investigate the impacts of meditative practice on memory and on the teaching-learning process. Methods. A literature review with a defined search strategy was carried out in the PubMed and Scielo databases, using the descriptors of the MeSH and Boolean operators, in the following terms: “Meditation” AND “Memory” and “Meditation” AND “learning”, in English and Portuguese. Studies focusing on the role of meditation in the teaching-learning processes and in the neurobiologist aspects of memory were included. Results and discussion. The information obtained was organized into three sections: (1) basic concepts for the study of memory; (2) neural mechanisms of memory and learning, and (3) the practice of meditation, including the effects on memory and teaching-learning processes. Conclusion. The beneficial effects of meditative practice on the construction of teaching-learning processes were described, with emphasis on improving emotional balance, reducing stress and anxiety, in addition to increasing concentration, factors that promote the consolidation of long-term memory and, thus, help in the construction of learning.