Final answer:
Functional MRI studies suggest meditation involves voluntary attention regulation and emotional control, engaging the prefrontal cortex and reducing stress. Meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation, is linked to cognitive benefits by focusing attention on the present moment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Imaging studies using functional MRI suggest that meditation represents a voluntary regulation of attention and emotional processes. Functional MRI (fMRI) is a brain imaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. Studies have shown that during meditation, there is activation of the prefrontal cortex, which helps in the voluntary suppression of negative affect and promotes cognitive and emotional flexibility by restraining the stress response and the sympathetic nervous system.
Meditation involves focusing on a single target, like the breath or a repeated sound, to increase present moment awareness. This practice not only enhances the state of relaxed awareness but has also been linked to various cognitive benefits. Mindfulness meditation, a particular form of meditation, directs attention to internal processes or an external object, which can shape cognitive processes.