--- title: Mind-Body Matters: Can Meditation Make You Smarter? description: Most of us know that meditating is a great way to reduce stress. But meditative practice goes beyond taking a chill pill. Meditating is also... canonical: https://time.com/archive/7137851/can-meditation-make-you-smarter/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2012-08-10T15:00:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-16T10:19:43.167Z article:section: Health og:title: Mind-Body Matters: Can Meditation Make You Smarter? og:description: Most of us know that meditating is a great way to reduce stress. But meditative practice goes beyond taking a chill pill. Meditating is also... og:url: https://time.com/archive/7137851/can-meditation-make-you-smarter/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda83c83aed79c6de/698a9350457a523cdcd706fe/200556808-001.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4992 og:image:height: 2808 og:image:alt: 200556808-001 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mind-Body Matters: Can Meditation Make You Smarter? twitter:description: Most of us know that meditating is a great way to reduce stress. But meditative practice goes beyond taking a chill pill. Meditating is also... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda83c83aed79c6de/698a9350457a523cdcd706fe/200556808-001.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) # Can Meditation Make You Smarter? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f49ae587-5dc0-460e-8203-19ea97cc9549&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) Aug 10, 2012 3:00 PM UTC  Woman meditating on beach, mid section Woman meditating on beach, mid section Getty Images—(c) Mark Scott by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) Aug 10, 2012 3:00 PM UTC Most of us know that meditating is a great way to [reduce stress](http://greatist.com/happiness/relaxation-tips-5-minutes/). But meditative practice goes beyond taking a chill pill. Meditating is also associated with structural changes in the brain that help sharpen focus and improve memory and multitasking skills. But can this mind-body practice really help you get straight A’s? **Smarty (Yoga) Pants — Why It Matters** It’s not just tree huggers and ultra-yogis who meditate. In 2007, about [9%](http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm) of American adults tried getting into their Zen zones at least once in the past year. Most people say they meditate to [manage stress](http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/minding-the-body/201007/6-other-reasons-meditate), but meditative practice affects the brain in many other ways. While people have been meditating for thousands of years, it wasn’t [until the 1970s](http://www.smblogsites.com/scrc/?p=1) that scientists started focusing on its brainy benefits. Numerous studies suggest that regular meditation (about six hours a week) may actually [change brain structure](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21664467). Scientists have found meditation is associated with a thicker [cerebral cortex](http://www.neuroanatomy.wisc.edu/coursebook/cortex.pdf) and more [gray matter](http://digitaljournal.com/article/320173) — i.e., the [parts of the brain ](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361002/)[linked to](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184843/) memory, attention span, decisionmaking and learning. But a year of silent meditation isn’t always necessary. One study found people who meditated at least once a week for four years showed increased [cortical gyrification](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314170647.htm), the folding of the [cerebral cortex](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2517107/?tool=pubmed) that helps people [process information](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3289949/?tool=pubmed). It’s still unclear how meditation actually changes the brain, but some scientists say devoting [complete attention](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22569185) to one specific object or thought actually [alters](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9530495) our [neural networks](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361002/). And just remember, these studies don’t imply meditating will _cause_ any changes in our brains, just that these cognitive abilities are associated with meditation. Other research skips the brain scans and suggests some practical benefits of meditation. _Om_\-ing is connected to better concentration [and multitasking skills](http://faculty.washington.edu/wobbrock/pubs/gi-12.02.pdf) — things some of us might wish for when [losing focus on the job](http://greatist.com/happiness/focus-work/). Researchers think meditation helps people deal with interruptions and work on multiple assignments more efficiently. Meditation can also help students battle stress on exam day, possibly boosting their [academic performance](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17594225). But before replacing the GCal with breathing exercises, beware of conflicting scientific findings. **Breathe In, Breathe Out — The Answer/Debate** So what’s the real deal? Meditation may be linked to some short-term perks, like acing a memory test, but scientists have yet to figure out how long the potential cognitive benefits of meditation last. Meanwhile, one study failed to find any correlation between [short-term breathing](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22550848) meditation and cognitive abilities like memory, intelligence and academic achievement. And some scientists argue that meditation only has [brain-boosting power](http://greatist.com/happiness/47-ways-to-boost-brain-power-now-021512/) when we _expect_ to see [those kind of results](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14743579). It’s also worth noting that there are many different types of meditation, and certain people may benefit more from one [meditation style](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22742674) over another. So if you’re looking to get some big results from a little inward reflection, choose a type of meditation you like and feel most comfortable doing. From mantra to mindfulness and Zen to qigong, there are plenty of ways to get that [third eye in focus](http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/08/nyregion/when-vision-may-require-a-third-eye.html). _Do you regularly practice meditation? What do you find are its best benefits? Tell us in the comments below._  _Greatist is the fastest-growing fitness, health and happiness start-up. Check out more tips, expert opinion and fun times at_ [_Greatist.com_](http://Greatist.com/)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7137851/can-meditation-make-you-smarter/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7137851/can-meditation-make-you-smarter/"},"headline":"Can Meditation Make You Smarter?","datePublished":"2012-08-10T15:00:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-16T10:19:43.167Z","description":"Most of us know that meditating is a great way to reduce stress. But meditative practice goes beyond taking a chill pill. 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