Answer this question to the best of your ability:
How does the practice of mindfulness affect the brain's pain processing networks?
The practice of mindfulness can positively affect the brain's pain processing networks by altering their structure and function. For example, mindfulness meditation has been shown to increase the connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the insula, two regions that play crucial roles in pain perception and regulation. The ACC is involved in attention to bodily sensations, error detection, and conflict monitoring, while the insula is associated with interoception – or the perception of internal bodily states, including pain.

Mindfulness practice can also lead to changes in the default mode network (DMN), which is active during mind-wandering and self-referential thinking. By reducing activity in the DMN and increasing connectivity between other brain regions involved in attention and emotion regulation, mindfulness can help individuals develop more adaptive coping strategies for managing pain.