Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard is the happiest man known to science Via meditation, Ricard produced brain gamma waves that were never before reported in neuroscience, leading researchers to conclude that Ricard is the world’s happiest man. In 2012, neuroscientists at the University of Wisconsin did a study where they attached 256 sensors to the monk’s skull to quantify his level of happiness. When he meditated on compassion, the researchers were shocked to see that Ricard’s brain produced a level of gamma waves that were off the charts. He also demonstrated excessive activity in his brain’s left prefrontal cortex compared to its right counterpart, meaning that he had an abnormally large capacity for happiness and a reduced propensity towards negativity, the researchers say. During the same study, the neuroscientists also peeked into the minds of other monks. They found that long-term practitioners—those who have engaged in more than 50,000 rounds of meditation—showed significant changes in their brain function, although that those with only three weeks of 20-minute meditation per day also demonstrated some change.