Buddhists are happier. No, really. Also, they/we are calmer and more serene than most people, at least according to research conducted by several sets of scientists. Using sophisticated brain scanners, neuroscientists showed that certain parts of the brain associated with positive mood states light up constantly in Buddhist meditators. And this happens even when they’re not meditating.

Research at the University of Wisconsin, examining experienced Buddhist meditators, demonstrated an unusual amount of activity in the prefrontal lobes of the brain. These areas are linked to positive mind states as well as self-control.

Paul Ekman of the University of California San Francisco Medical Center suggests that meditation also tames the amygdala, an area of the brain which is the hub of fear memory. Experienced meditators, he found, were less likely to be shocked, flustered, surprised or angry, compared to other people. “There is something about conscientious Buddhist practice that results in the kind of happiness we all seek,” he says.

The studies are published in New Scientist. (via Snow Lion Publications).