Meditation Without Bullshit
Page 8
I do not want you to believe that meditation is a tool that helps you solve psychological issues, although it can have that effect. To me, those are mere side-effects. Probably, this is all related to you feeling incredibly at ease with the world, which allows you to perceive imaginary problems as what they are — imaginary. Ultimately, this led to a permanent shift of my baseline level of happiness, so much so that meditation eventually turned me into a different person.
The changes I had been experiencing were of a physiological nature. Before I get to the root of this, let me tell you an anecdote. In my 20s, I once had to get an endocrinological screen during which it emerged that my serotonin levels were “disconcertingly high.” The doctor said that they were way outside the regular spectrum. He told me to sit down. While he did not want to speculate, he gravely said that there is the risk that I have a brain tumor. Imagine coming home from the doctor, hearing that kind of statement! I took it quite well and mentally accepted the finiteness of my life. The next morning I got an fMRI scan. My case was seen as having high priority. No issues were found. The radiologist said that there may have been a fluke in the endocrinological screen and dryly added that he hoped his colleague hadn't soured my mood too much.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which regulates your mood. To put it very crudely, it regulates your level of well-being. If your serotonin levels are high, you are in a good mood, if they are low, you are likely depressed. As I later learnt, intensive meditation has the effect of permanently raising your level of serotonin, which was what had happened with me. Through meditation I managed to increase my level of serotonin, which is the reason why I appear so calm and serene.