And somebody throw a blanket over the Maharishi. His giggling is getting on my nerves....

From Science Daily 7/14/11:
Is Meditation the Push-Up for the Brain? Study Shows Practice May Have Potential to Change Brain's Physical Structure

....Now, a follow-up study suggests that people who meditate also have stronger connections between brain regions and show less age-related brain atrophy. Having stronger connections influences the ability to rapidly relay electrical signals in the brain. And significantly, these effects are evident throughout the entire brain, not just in specific areas......

...."Our results suggest that long-term meditators have white-matter fibers that are either more numerous, more dense or more insulated throughout the brain," Luders said. "We also found that the normal age-related decline of white-matter tissue is considerably reduced in active meditation practitioners.".....

...."Results showed pronounced structural connectivity in meditators throughout the entire brain's pathways. The greatest differences between the two groups were seen within the corticospinal tract (a collection of axons that travel between the cerebral cortex of the brain and the spinal cord); the superior longitudinal fasciculus (long bi-directional bundles of neurons connecting the front and the back of the cerebrum); and the uncinate fasciculus (white matter that connects parts of the limbic system, such as the hippocampus and amygdala, with the frontal cortex)"....

Despite everything that so many of us have been told, we can change our brain. It may not be obvious just how to do it, but don't let anyone tell you that it can't be done.