The processes that the anterior cingulate cortex and mid-cingulate cortex, such as self-control, emotion regulation, and behavioral flexibility; are emphasized in meditation. Behavioral evidence shows improvements in pain regulation , emotional awareness, emotion regulation , and insightful problem solviging in meditation practitioners. Meditation practice may lead to more conscious action selection, greater attention to thoughts and information in the decision-making process, and increased attention to the movement of the body during action execution, which are all processes that the anterior cingulate cortex and mid-cingulate cortex are focused on. Frequent recruitment of the anterior cingulate cortex and mid-cingulate cortex for conscious action control might relate to the consistently observed differences in the structure of these regions.