Time Magazine does an article about the recent flurry of meditation-related research.

Some great stuff here - bullet points -

a. One recent study found evidence that the daily practice of meditation thickened the parts of the brain's cerebral cortex responsible for decision making, attention and memory.  (I've blogged on this before).
b. Using caps with electrical sensors placed on the (tibetan) monks' heads, Davidson has picked up unusually powerful gamma waves that are better synchronized in the Tibetans than they are in novice meditators. Studies have linked this gamma-wave synchrony to increased awareness.
c. Meditation restores energy better than sleep or rest.
d. Meditation benefits emotional intelligence.

Thanks to Mind Hacks.