Researchers have shown that meditation produces a 40 percent reduction in pain intensity and a 57 percent reduction in pain unpleasantness -- more than is provided by morphine. Before and after meditation training, study participants’ brain activity was examined using arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging while a device heated a small area of their skin to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Scans taken after meditation training showed that the pain ratings for every participant were reduced. Meditation was shown to significantly reduce brain activity in the primary somatosensory cortex, an area that helps create the feeling of where and how intense a painful stimulus is.
However, according to the Los Angeles Times:
“Now for the caveats. Every subject had some pain relief by meditating, but there was wide variability among participants ... And the pain the researchers inflicted -- a burning sensation for a few minutes -- doesn’t compare to what many people, such as cancer patients, must endure.”