When we hear the word meditation, certain images come to mind. For some, it’s that neighbor chanting “Om” at the top of their lungs. For others, it’s an immediate sense of calm, connecting yourself to the spiritual world while keeping yourself grounded in the physical one.
It’s easy to joke about these eccentrics, but there’s a reason the practice has endured for thousands of years.
Director and
Twin Peaks
creator David Lynch says, “Meditation is to dive all the way within. To go beyond thought and to the source of pure consciousness. When you come out, you come out refreshed, filled with energy and enthusiasm for life.”
We spend so much time focusing on the health of our bodies that we often neglect the health of the mind. Meditation has been a longstanding symbol of calm and concentration, but can this technique be useful in the complex world of acting jobs and auditions? Can meditation be a type of acting coach?
Here’s how meditation benefits an actor at all stages of their career.
The Science Behind Meditation
Through scientific research, the activity does a lot more than keep a person at ease.
Under meditation, activity within the human nervous system slows down. As the processing of information decreases, the production of gray matter increases. Gray matter is neural tissue that aids in the distribution of information. The more gray matter you have, the more powerful your brain is.
Recent studies have shown that during meditation gray matter accumulates in the frontal lobe area of the brain. The frontal lobe is responsible for strategy and problem-solving. Strengthening this area benefits several cognitive functions and changes the entire structure of the brain.
This is known as neuroplasticity.
Meditation Reduces Fear
Fear is one of the most common emotions that affect actors. Whether attending casting calls or preparing for acting jobs, thoughts of making a mistake can hinder a performance.
Fear begins in the almond-shaped area of the brain known as the amygdala. Once an emotional stimulus is detected, the amygdala signals whether a person should stay or flee. This tug-of-war between fight or flight is all too common for actors, but meditation can help prevent it.
In a Harvard University study, researchers conducted an eight-week meditation trial. Participants were asked to meditate for 30 to 40 minutes a day. At the end of the trial, researchers discovered a reduction in brain volume, with the amygdala area growing smaller.
Participants felt more at ease and less fearful of upcoming responsibilities.
For actors, it’s important to balance preparation with spontaneity. If you’re constantly afraid of making an error, you can’t concentrate on acting roles or casting calls.
Improve Memory With Meditation
Every actor must master memorization, but with so much to process during auditions and acting jobs, sometimes you just draw a blank.
This is where meditation comes in handy. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, had 48 undergraduate students take a meditation class four times a week. Results showed that the cortical walls of the brain grew thicker. Cortical thickness is associated with decreased aging and improved memory.
Students confirmed improved memorization abilities. During two weeks, their Graduate Record Examination scores —a standardized exam that is required by many schools for graduate admission— went from 460 to 520.
Meditation Eases Stress
It’s the night before an audition. You have to research the casting director, decide on an outfit and find someone to watch your cat. It’s going to be stressful.
The culprit behind stress is cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Cortisol is released from the adrenal glands during times of conflict. When released, the hormone causes increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration —three things a performer doesn’t need when pursuing acting jobs.
In this situation, meditation once again comes to the rescue.
A study in the Journal of Health Psychology shows that increased meditation slows down cortisol production.
During the trial, 57 people spent three months at a meditation retreat. At the end of the study, researchers measured a clear reduction in cortisol levels. Participants reported feeling less anxious and more energetic.
Focus on Acting Jobs
Whether it’s casting calls or acting workshops, focus is everything. With everything actors need to remember and accomplish, it’s easy to get distracted.
Meditation has long been associated with focusing one’s thoughts. Through breathing exercises, the practice helps regulate emotion and attention. However, recent research shows it’s more than breathwork that helps meditators focus.
A study by the Journal of Neuroscience examined 12 zen meditators who had been practicing for at least three years.
Researchers compared the meditators to a control group of 12 individuals who had never meditated. An MRI showed the meditators had more stability in their ventral posteromedial cortex (VPMC). The VPMC region of the brain is linked to spontaneous thoughts and mind-wandering.
As researchers tested the subjects with logic games, they found the mental focus of the meditators to be stronger and more reliable.
Getting distracted can sabotage acting roles. With its ability to stabilize wandering thoughts, meditation again proves to be a valuable resource for actors.
Sleep Better With Meditation
For some actors, sleep is a luxury. With auditions, acting jobs and a day job, it’s easy to neglect this important function. As we know, sleep deprivation causes major health problems. If not attended to, the personal and professional consequences can be dire.
Meditation is a powerful tool in promoting healthy sleep.
In a Harvard Medical School study, researchers examined 49 individuals suffering from sleeplessness. After practicing mindfulness meditation for six weeks, the subjects experienced less fatigue, insomnia and depression.
Sleep influences every aspect of our being. With the physical and emotional demands of casting calls and acting roles, regular, healthy sleep is essential.
Meditation Combats Pain
Actors are used to conjuring emotional pain, but a performance can be physically taxing as well. Long days with repetitive tasks can take their toll on a body.
Researchers at Wake Forest University suggest meditation.
The study found that mindfulness meditation reduced pain intensity in their subjects by more than 40%. This is impressive considering most pain-relieving medications, including morphine, only reduce discomfort by 25%.
Although meditation won’t cure diseases, its ability to reduce pain can help actors tolerate demanding situations.
Wrapping Up Meditation for Acting
It’s been said that frustration makes you more creative. That’s easy to say, but it’s another thing when you’re standing nervously in front of a casting director or acting workshop.
Although meditation may not work for everything, science has shown that it can have a significant impact on the human mind and body.
Think of meditation as another type of acting coach or a tool, then use it to ease your fears and help you find balance in uncertain situations.
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