The Neuroscience of Meditation: Understanding Individual Differences explores the individual differences in learning and practicing meditation, while also providing insights on how to learn and practice effectively. The book comprehensively covers the research in brain areas and networks that mediate the positive effects of meditation upon physical and mental health. Though it examines how people differ in how they learn and practice meditation, it underscores how underlying mechanisms differ in learning and practicing meditation and how they remain unclear to researchers. This book addresses the research gap and explores the brain science behind meditation. - Examines the biological mechanisms that give rise to individual differences - Incorporates brain imaging and physiological recordings for further measurement of individual differences - Covers the genetic association between meditation learning and practice - Explores how meditation changes over the lifespan-from children to seniors

Dr. Yi-Yuan Tang is a Professor of Psychological Sciences, Presidential Endowed Chair in Neuroscience at Texas Tech University and founding Director of Texas Tech Neuroimaging Institute. He is also Professor of Internal Medicine at TTU Health Science Center, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon. He is Fellow of Association for Psychological Sciences (APS), Fellow of American Psychological Association (APA) and Associate Editor, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Dr. Tang's basic research covers cognitive, social and affective neuroscience/psychology, for example, brain mechanisms of attention, mathematics, language, decision-making and creativity, learning or training related neuroplasticity. He applies behavioral, multimodal neuroimaging, psychophysiology and genetic analyses in his research. In his translational work, he develop a novel mindfulness based preventive intervention (Integrative Body-Mind Training, IBMT) and have studied its effects in large randomized clinical trials in healthy and patient populations in China and the U.S. since 1990's. Research indicate that IBMT intervention reduces stress, improves attention and cognitive performance, emotion regulation and immune function, social behavior and neuroplasticity over the life span. He has applied IBMT in addiction, mood disorders, ADHD, MCI and TBI.

The Neuroscience of Meditation: Understanding Individual Differences explores the individual differences in learning and practicing meditation, while also providing insights on how to learn and practice effectively. The book comprehensively covers the research in brain areas and networks that mediate the positive effects of meditation upon physical and mental health. Though it examines how people differ in how they learn and practice meditation, it underscores how underlying mechanisms differ in learning and practicing meditation and how they remain unclear to researchers. This book addresses the research gap and explores the brain science behind meditation.

• Examines the biological mechanisms that give rise to individual differences
• Incorporates brain imaging and physiological recordings for further measurement of individual differences
• Covers the genetic association between meditation learning and practice
• Explores how meditation changes over the lifespan-from children to seniors

1. Introduction
2. Key Brain Areas/Networks in Meditation
3. Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Networks in Meditation
4. How to Measure Individual Differences in Meditation
5. Does Personality Contribute to Meditation
6. Cultural Differences in Meditation
7. Genetic Association with Meditation Learning and Practice
8. Meditation over the Lifespan
9. Personalized Meditation
10. Staying Human in the Digital Age
11. Common Questions and Answers in Meditation