The same brain circuitry that quiets during deep meditation appears to dim on a steep mountain ascent. Imaging and physiological studies suggest that the intense physical load, thin air, and narrowed visual field can push the brain into a state that resembles a temporary sensory lockdown, producing the mental “high” many climbers report.
Neuroscientists point first to changes in the prefrontal cortex, the region linked to self‑referential thought and planning. Under sustained exertion, resources are redirected to motor cortex and autonomic control, and activity in the default mode network drops, much as it does during focused breath meditation. At the same time, stress‑related catecholamines spike and then plateau, while endorphins and endocannabinoids surge, shifting pain perception and reward processing to favor a stripped‑down, present‑focused awareness.
Reduced sensory input also matters. On a narrow ridge or in a whiteout of rock and cloud, visual and auditory complexity collapses into repetitive cues, echoing aspects of controlled sensory deprivation. With less external variability to encode, neural firing patterns in sensory cortices become more stereotyped, and overall cognitive load falls despite muscular effort. The brain, operating under metabolic pressure and partial sensory monotony, effectively reboots its predictive models of the world, leaving climbers and meditators with a similar sense of reset when normal stimulation returns.
