Answer this question to the best of your ability:
Is there a difference in how the brain responds to meditation depending on the type of meditation practiced?
Indeed, different types of meditation can lead to distinct brain responses. For instance, mindfulness meditation, which involves non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, has been associated with increased activity in the insula (a region involved in interoception and self-awareness) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC; implicated in attention and introspection). In contrast, compassion meditation, a practice that focuses on cultivating feelings of warmth and kindness towards oneself and others, has been shown to activate brain regions associated with emotional processing, such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the anterior insula. Thus, the type of meditation practiced can influence which areas of the brain are engaged and the resulting mental states experienced.