great summary of promising research at this link.
http://meditation-research.org.uk/20...-key-articles/

pasted two summaries below...perhaps it's not for everyone, but it has been a real help for me and...a way to pass the many, many hours. my fave source of guided meditation is http://www.dharmaseed.org/ best teachers for the brain injured (simple, calm, have suffered themselves) at least in my opinion are Pascal Auclair and Tara Brach.

Article 4: Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density

neuroplasticity and meditation - the hippocampusCompared to a control group participation in an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme resulted in increased grey matter in the left hippocampus, a brain area strongly involved in learning and memory.


Article 5: Mechanisms of white matter changes induced by meditation

Here we have a very exciting study showing the impact of meditation practice on the connections between brain areas using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). After only four weeks of meditation changes in white matter – which is strongly involved in interconnecting brain areas [see myelin] – were present in those participants who meditated but not in the control participants who engaged in relaxation exercises. Interestingly, these changes involved the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain that contributes to self-regulation, an important aspect when people start engaging with meditation practice. (read more about this article in a previous post )