Meditation Improves Attention

March 21, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

How to Help Patients Improve Sustained Attention - HappyNeuron Pro - Blog

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “The impact of meditation on sustained attention in nonclinical population: An extensive review” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11925505/ ) Roy and Subramanya review and summarize the published research on the impact of focused and open monitoring meditation on sustained attention. They report that the published research found that both meditation techniques significant improved sustained attention while focused meditation additionally significantly lowering perceived stress.

Improve attention with meditation.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Study Summary

Roy A, Subramanya P. The impact of meditation on sustained attention in nonclinical population: An extensive review. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2025 Mar-Apr;16(2):101057. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2024.101057. Epub 2025 Mar 4. PMCID: PMC11925505.

Abstract

Background

Meditation, encompassing focussed attention (FA) and open monitoring (OM) approaches, is recognised for its potential to enhance cognitive functions. Sustained attention, a critical component of attentional processes, influences cognitive capacity and is linked to meditation benefits. However, a robust and extensive review analysis needs to address the specific relationship between meditation and sustained attention in nonclinical populations.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, the authors reviewed English articles published from 2013 to 2023 in Q1 SCOPUS-indexed journals. Inclusion criteria comprised original research studies exploring the impact of meditation on sustained attention in healthy individuals. The modified Jadad Scale assessed methodological quality.

Results

12 studies (four RCTs, eight non-RCTs) with 1447 participants were included. Concentrative or FA meditation demonstrated consistent positive effects on sustained attention, including reduced perceived stress and increased focussed attention. OM meditation significantly improved sustained attention, as evidenced by reduced mind wandering and enhanced N2 responses. Meditators consistently outperformed non-meditators in sustained attention tasks, demonstrating faster reactions and lower error rates.

Discussion

This review explored the impact of meditation on sustained attention across diverse non-clinical populations through 12 investigations involving 1447 subjects with meditation interventions spanning from 21 days to 3 months. The study revealed that both FA and OM meditation approaches positively impact sustained attention, highlighting their potential role in enhancing cognitive function. Meditators consistently exhibited superior sustained attention abilities, suggesting the cognitive benefits of regular meditation practice. The findings of this study are consistent with prior research, contributing to the growing body of knowledge on the advantageous impacts of meditation on sustained attention. However, caution is needed in generalizing findings due to study limitations. Future research should use standardized methodologies and conduct longer-term follow-ups to better elucidate the effects of meditation interventions on sustained attention across diverse populations.

Change the Brain to Improve Personal Qualities with Loving Kindness Meditation

March 16, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “Loving-Kindness Meditation: Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Correlates in Long-Term Practitioners and Clinical Implications.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11870839/ ) Bashir and colleagues review and summarize the published research studies on changes in the brain resulting from long-term practice of Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM). They report that the brains of LKM practitioners have changes in the superior parietal lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal lobe, and insular cortex. These areas are associated with self‐compassion, cognitive and affective empathy, and prosociality.

Long-term Loving Kindness Meditation changes brain structures responsible for the personal qualities produced by the practice.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Study Summary

Bashir K, Edstrom SB, Barlow SJ, Gainer D, Lewis JD. Loving-Kindness Meditation: Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Correlates in Long-Term Practitioners and Clinical Implications. Brain Behav. 2025 Mar;15(3):e70372. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70372. PMID: 40022190; PMCID: PMC11870839.

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Loving‐kindness meditation (LKM), a meditation type focused on nurturing love and compassion for oneself and others, has been shown to provide mental health benefits, and LKM interventions are being investigated for mental disorders. The benefits of long‐term practice, such as increased self‐compassion, greater cognitive and affective empathy, and prosocial behavior, are proposed to be due to neuroplastic changes that support well‐being. This systematic review aims to summarize the differences in brain structure and function in long‐term practitioners (LTPs) of LKM versus controls to identify possible underlying mechanisms that support mental health and drive treatment effect.

Methods

The literature search included Google Scholar, PubMed, and APA PsycINFO from inception through November 13, 2023.

Results

After review, five studies (64 LTPs and 67 controls total) were included. Brain regions with between‐group differences reported in at least two studies include the superior parietal lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal lobe, and insular cortex.

Conclusion

These areas are responsible for self‐compassion, cognitive and affective empathy, and prosociality—personal qualities believed to be fostered through LKM practice. Longitudinal neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies incorporating LKM interventions for specific mental disorders are needed to further inform the biological basis of these treatments and may provide surrogate outcome measures for future clinical trials to refine this promising treatment modality.

Mindfulness Meditation Alters the Brain to Accentuate Sensory Information Processing

February 26, 2025February 26, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “Long-term mindfulness meditation increases occurrence of sensory and attention brain states” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11743700/ ) Panitz and colleagues examined the activity of brain systems in experienced mindfulness meditators in comparison to non-meditators and found that experienced meditators had greater activity in brain systems associated with sensory processing and lower activity in systems associated with cognitive processing, This suggests that mindfulness meditation practice alters brain activity to accentuate immediate sensations.

Mindfulness meditation increases brain sensory processing while decreasing brain cognitive processing.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Study Summary

Panitz DY, Mendelsohn A, Cabral J, Berkovich-Ohana A. Long-term mindfulness meditation increases occurrence of sensory and attention brain states. Front Hum Neurosci. 2025 Jan 6;18:1482353. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1482353. PMID: 39834400; PMCID: PMC11743700.

Abstract

Interest has been growing in the use of mindfulness meditation (MM) as a therapeutic practice, as accumulating evidence highlights its potential to effectively address a range of mental conditions. While many fMRI studies focused on neural activation and functional connectivity during meditation, the impact of long-term MM practice on spontaneous brain activity, and on the expression of resting state networks over time, remains unclear. Here, intrinsic functional network dynamics were compared between experienced meditators and meditation-naïve participants during rest. Our analysis revealed that meditators tend to spend more time in two brain states that involve synchrony among cortical regions associated with sensory perception. Conversely, a brain state involving frontal areas associated with higher cognitive functions was detected less frequently in experienced meditators. These findings suggest that, by shifting attention toward enhanced sensory and embodied processing, MM effectively modulates the expression of functional network states at rest. These results support the suggested lasting effect of long-term MM on the modulation of resting-state networks, reinforcing its therapeutic potential for disorders characterized by imbalanced network dynamics. Moreover, this study reinforces the utility of analytic approaches from dynamical systems theory to extend current knowledge regarding brain activity and evaluate its response to interventions.

Meditation is Associated with a Reduction in Brain Aging Indicators

February 20, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “Meditation Linked to Enhanced MRI Signal Intensity in the Pineal Gland and Reduced Predicted Brain Age” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11822093/ ) Plini and colleagues examined the brains of long-term meditators and found that the activity of their Pineal Glands was enhanced and an indicator of brain aging was reduced. This suggests that meditation leads to less aging of the brain. This could be a mechanism whereby meditation reduces cognitive decline with aging.

Reduce brain aging with meditation.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Study Summary

Plini ERG, Melnychuk MC, Dockree PM. Meditation Linked to Enhanced MRI Signal Intensity in the Pineal Gland and Reduced Predicted Brain Age. J Pineal Res. 2025 Mar;77(2):e70033. doi: 10.1111/jpi.70033. PMID: 39940075; PMCID: PMC11822093.

ABSTRACT

Growing evidence demonstrates that meditation practice supports cognitive functions, including attention and interoceptive processing, and is associated with structural changes across cortical networks, including prefrontal regions and the insula. However, the extent of subcortical morphometric changes linked to meditation practice is less appreciated. A noteworthy candidate is the pineal gland, a key producer of melatonin, which regulates circadian rhythms that augment sleep‐wake patterns and may also provide neuroprotective benefits to offset cognitive decline. Increased melatonin levels, as well as increased fMRI BOLD signal in the pineal gland, have been observed in meditators versus controls. However, it is not known if long‐term meditators exhibit structural changes in the pineal gland linked to the lifetime duration of practice. In the current study, we performed voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) analysis to investigate: (1) whether long‐term meditators (LTMs) (n = 14) exhibited greater pineal gland MRI‐derived signal intensity compared to a control group (n = 969), (2) a potential association between the estimated lifetime hours of meditation (ELHOM) and pineal gland signal intensity, and (3) whether LTMs show greater grey matter (GM) maintenance (BrainPAD) that is associated with pineal gland signal intensity. The results revealed greater pineal gland signal intensity and lower BrainPAD scores (younger brain age) in LTMs compared to controls. Exploratory analysis revealed a positive association between ELHOM and greater signal intensity in the pineal gland but not with GM maintenance as measured by BrainPAD score. However, greater pineal signal intensity and lower BrainPAD scores were correlated in LTMs. The potential mechanisms by which meditation influences pineal gland function, hormonal metabolism, and GM maintenance are discussed – in particular, melatonin’s roles in sleep, immune response, inflammation modulation, and stem cell and neural regeneration.

Deep Meditative States are Associated with Disruption of Brain Cortical Circuits

February 7, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

Discover the Secret to How to Get Into Deep Meditation

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “Multimodal neurophenomenology of advanced concentration absorption meditation: An intensively sampled case study of Jhana” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11770875/ ) Chowdhury and colleagues studied brain activity during deep absorptive meditative states. These states are associated with intense concentration and feelings of bliss, peace, and clarity. They report that during these meditative states the activity of primary neural circuits in the brain are dysregulated (disrupted). This suggests that deep meditation practice deconstructs the brain’s cortical hierarchy, likely inhibiting thoughts and imagery.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Study Summary

Chowdhury A, Bianciardi M, Chapdelaine E, Riaz OS, Timmermann C, van Lutterveld R, Sparby T, Sacchet MD. Multimodal neurophenomenology of advanced concentration absorption meditation: An intensively sampled case study of Jhana. Neuroimage. 2025 Jan;305:120973. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120973. Epub 2024 Dec 14. PMID: 39681243; PMCID: PMC11770875.

Abstract

Using a combination of fMRI, EEG, and phenomenology ratings, we examined the neurophenomenology of advanced concentrative absorption meditation, namely jhanas (ACAM-J), in a practitioner with over 23,000 h of meditation practice. Our study shows that ACAM-J states induce reliable changes in conscious experience and that these experiences are related to neural activity. Using resting-state fMRI functional connectivity, we found that ACAM-J is associated with decreased within-network modularity, increased global functional connectivity (GFC), and desegregation of the default mode and visual networks. Compared to control tasks, the ACAM-J were also related to widespread decreases in broadband EEG oscillatory power and increases in Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZ, a measure of brain entropy). Some fMRI findings varied by the control task used, while EEG results remained consistent, emphasizing both shared and unique neural features of ACAM-J. These differences in fMRI and EEG-measured neurophysiological properties correlated with specific changes in phenomenology – and especially with ACAM-J-induced states of bliss – enriching our understanding of these advanced meditative states. Our results show that advanced meditation practices markedly dysregulate high-level brain systems via practices of enhanced attention to sensations, corroborating recent neurocognitive theories of meditation as the deconstruction of the brain’s cortical hierarchy. Overall, our results suggest that ACAM-J is associated with the modulation of large-scale brain networks in both fMRI and EEG, with potential implications for understanding the mechanisms of deep concentration practices and their effects on subjective experience.

Mindful Meditators are More Environmentally Friendly

January 27, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

May be an image of grass
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “How does meditation relate to quality of life, positive lifestyle habits and carbon footprint?” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11730546/) Somarathne and colleagues examined the environmentally friendly behaviors of skilled meditators. They found that meditator’s mindfulness was associated with higher levels of environmentally friendly behaviors.

Hence, mindfulness is associated with environmentally friendly behaviors.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Study Summary

Somarathne EASK, Gunathunga MW, Lokupitiya E. How does meditation relate to quality of life, positive lifestyle habits and carbon footprint? Heliyon. 2024 Dec 12;11(1):e41144. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41144. PMID: 39811348; PMCID: PMC11730546.

Abstract
There is increasing scientific interest in the potential links between meditation practice and pro-environmental behaviours. The present research investigates relationships between Vipassana meditation experience (temporal variables of meditation, five facets of trait mindfulness), positive lifestyle habits (PLH), quality of life (QoL) and per-head carbon footprint (CF) among 25 skilled meditators. Self-reported validated questionnaires were given to a group of native speakers of Sri Lanka to collect data on meditation experience, PLH, and perceived QoL. In estimating CF four domains (food and beverage consumption, electricity consumption, traveling and solid waste disposal) were considered. Correlation analyses revealed that trait mindfulness showed strong associations (r > 0.4) with PLH. None of the temporal variables of meditation experience was significantly correlated with any domain of CF. Two facets of mindfulness (observing and non-reactivity to present-moment experience) demonstrated statistically strong associations (p < 0.05) with perceived QoL. It was found that the PLH significantly mediates the relationship between the observing facet of trait mindfulness and CF associated with food and beverage consumption (indirect effect – 0.002, SE = 0.001 95 % CI [0.010, 0.417]). Further, the relationship between acting with awareness and CF associated with solid waste disposal at landfill sites was significantly mediated by the PLH (indirect effect – (−0.003), SE = 0.003 95 % CI [-0.012, −0.0001]). The current study will serve as a foundation for future longitudinal studies on the same subject by providing evidence for the relationships between meditation experience and PLH, perceived QoL and CF

Meditation Reduces Worker Stress

January 20, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

Study finds meditation with Headspace app reduces stress in pregnancy By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “Digital Meditation to Target Employee Stress” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/articlepdf/2829186/radin_2025_oi_241525_1736185782.29032.pdf) Radin and colleagues performed a controlled clinical trial and found that 10 minutes of daily meditation significantly reduced stress levels in employees of a university health system.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

Radin RM, Vacarro J, Fromer E, Ahmadi SE, Guan JY, Fisher SM, Pressman SD, Hunter JF, Sweeny K, Tomiyama AJ, Hofschneider LT, Zawadzki MJ, Gavrilova L, Epel ES, Prather AA. Digital Meditation to Target Employee Stress: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 2;8(1):e2454435. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.54435. PMID: 39808431; PMCID: PMC11733700.

Study Summary

This randomized clinical trial investigates whether a digital mindfulness meditation application reduces perceptions of global and job-related stress among adults employed at a large academic medical center.

Key Points

Question

Can digital mindfulness meditation improve general stress and work-related stress among employees at a large academic medical center?

Findings

In this randomized clinical trial of 1458 employees, those who received mindfulness meditation (vs waiting list control) had significant reductions in perceived stress at 8 weeks.

Meaning

The findings suggest that participating in a brief digital mindfulness-based program is an effective method for reducing general and work-related stress in employees.

Abstract

Importance

Mindfulness meditation may improve well-being among employees; however, effects of digital meditation programs are poorly understood.

Objective

To evaluate the effects of digital meditation vs a waiting list condition on general and work-specific stress and whether greater engagement in the intervention moderates these effects.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This randomized clinical trial included a volunteer sample of adults (aged ≥18 years) employed at a large academic medical center who reported mild to moderate stress, had regular access to a web-connected device, and were fluent in English. Exclusion criteria included being a regular meditator. Participants were recruited from May 16, 2018, through September 28, 2019, and completed baseline, 8-week, and 4-month measures assessing stress, job strain, burnout, work engagement, mindfulness, depression, and anxiety. Data were analyzed from March 2023 to October 2024.

Intervention

Participants were randomized 1:1 to a digital meditation program or the waiting list control condition. Participants in the intervention group were instructed to complete 10 minutes of meditation per day for 8 weeks. The control group was instructed to continue their normal activities and not add any meditation during the study period.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome measure was change in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score at 8 weeks. Secondary outcome measures included changes in job strain, measured as work effort-reward imbalance.

Results

A total of 1458 participants (mean [SD] age, 35.54 [10.30] years; 1178 [80.80%] female) were included. Those randomized to meditation (n = 728) vs waiting list (n = 730) showed improvements in PSS (Cohen d, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73-0.96) and in all secondary outcome measures (eg, job strain: Cohen d, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.23-0.46) at 8 weeks. These improvements were maintained at 4 months after randomization (PSS: Cohen d, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59-0.84; job strain: Cohen d, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.25-0.50). Those using the app from 5 to 9.9 min/d vs less than 5 min/d showed greater reduction in stress (mean PSS score difference, −6.58; 95% CI, −7.44 to −5.73).

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings suggest that a brief, digital mindfulness-based program is an easily accessible and scalable method for reducing perceptions of stress. Future work should seek to clarify mechanisms by which such interventions contribute to improvements in work-specific well-being

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Meditation is an Effective Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

January 16, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

Meditation is an Effective Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “Effectiveness of Meditation Techniques in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” (See summary below) Orme-Johnson summarized the published controlled research on the effectiveness of various meditation techniques on Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They found that the published controlled research demonstrated significant reductions in PTSD symptoms regardless of the meditation technique in veterans, refugees, earthquake victims, prisoners, and civilians.

Hence, mindfulness meditation is an effective treatment for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Study Summary

Orme-Johnson DW, Barnes VA, Rees B, Tobin J, Walton KG. Effectiveness of Meditation Techniques in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Dec 12;60(12):2050. doi: 10.3390/medicina60122050. PMID: 39768929; PMCID: PMC11678240.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11678240/pdf/medicina-60-02050.pdf

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition worldwide. The limited effectiveness of current psychological and pharmacological treatments has motivated studies on meditation techniques. This study is a comprehensive, multiple-treatments meta-analysis comparing the effectiveness of different categories of meditation in treating PTSD. Methods and Materials: We followed Prisma guidelines in our published protocol to search major databases and to conduct a meta-analysis of the studies. Results: We located 61 studies with 3440 subjects and divided them logically into four treatment groups: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, 13 studies); Mindfulness-Based Other techniques (MBO, 16 studies), Transcendental Meditation (TM, 18 studies), and Other Meditations that were neither mindfulness nor TM (OM, 14 studies). Trauma populations included war veterans, war refugees, earthquake and tsunami victims, female survivors of interpersonal violence, clinical nurses, male and female prison inmates, and traumatized students. Of those offered, 86% were willing to try meditation. The baseline characteristics of subjects were similar across meditation categories: mean age = 52.2 years, range 29–75; sample size = 55.4, range 5–249; % males = 65.1%, range 0–100; and maximum study duration = 13.2 weeks, range 1–48. There were no significant differences between treatment categories on strength of research design nor evidence of publication bias. The pooled mean effect sizes in Hedges’s g for the four categories were MBSR = −0.52, MBO = −0.66, OM = −0.63, and TM = −1.13. There were no appreciable differences in the study characteristics of research conducted on different meditations in terms of the types of study populations included, outcome measures, control conditions, gender, or length of time between the intervention and assessment of PTSD. TM’s effect was significantly larger than for each of the other categories, which did not differ from each other. No study reported serious side effects. Conclusions: All categories of meditation studied were helpful in mitigating symptoms of PTSD. TM produced clinically significant reductions in PTSD in all trauma groups. We recommend a multisite Phase 3 clinical trial to test TM’s efficacy compared with standard treatment.

January 3, 2025 psyjdc Leave a comment

May be an image of 1 person and sleepwear Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Pain.

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

In today’s Research News article “Mindfulness Meditation and Placebo Modulate Distinct Multivariate Neural Signatures to Reduce Pain” (See summary below) Riegner and colleagues demonstrate that mindfulness meditation reduces both subjective pain and the brain responses to pain to a greater extent than a placebo.

Hence, mindfulness meditation is an effective treatment for pain.

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org

Study Summary

Riegner G, Dean J, Wager TD, Zeidan F. Mindfulness Meditation and Placebo Modulate Distinct Multivariate Neural Signatures to Reduce Pain. Biol Psychiatry. 2025 Jan 1;97(1):81-88. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.08.023. Epub 2024 Aug 30. PMID: 39216636; PMCID: PMC11608143.

Abstract

Background: Rather than a passive reflection of nociception, pain is shaped by the interplay between one’s experiences, current cognitive-affective states, and expectations. The placebo response, a paradoxical yet reliable phenomenon, is postulated to reduce pain by engaging mechanisms shared with active therapies. It has been assumed that mindfulness meditation, practiced by sustaining nonjudgmental awareness of arising sensory events, merely reflects mechanisms evoked by placebo. Recently, brain-based multivariate pattern analysis has been validated to successfully disentangle nociceptive-specific, negative affective, and placebo-based dimensions of the subjective pain experience.

Methods: To determine whether mindfulness meditation engages distinct brain mechanisms from placebo and sham mindfulness to reduce pain, multivariate pattern analysis pain signatures were applied across 2 randomized clinical trials that employed overlapping psychophysical pain testing procedures (49 °C noxious heat; visual analog pain scales) and distinct functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques (blood oxygen level-dependent; perfusion based). After baseline pain testing, 115 healthy participants were randomized into a 4-session mindfulness meditation (n = 37), placebo-cream conditioning (n = 19), sham mindfulness meditation (n = 20), or book-listening control (n = 39) intervention. After each intervention, noxious heat was administered during functional magnetic resonance imaging and each manipulation.

Results: A double dissociation in the multivariate pattern analysis signatures supporting pain regulation was revealed by mindfulness meditation compared with placebo cream. Mindfulness meditation produced significantly greater reductions in pain intensity and pain unpleasantness ratings and nociceptive-specific and negative affective pain signatures than placebo cream, sham mindfulness meditation, and control interventions. The placebo-cream group significantly lowered the placebo-based signature.

Conclusions: Mindfulness meditation and placebo engaged distinct and granular neural pain signatures to reduce pain.

Meditation Practice is Perfect

August 20, 2024 psyjdc Leave a comment

Today's Meditation: Stay in Your Own Lane - Bare Bones Yoga

Meditation Practice is Perfect

John M. de Castro

“Sometimes we get the idea that there’s a best practice, a right practice, a most powerful practice. But different practices and different qualities or nuances of practice might be most appropriate for us at different times as our practice, understanding, and recognition of what’s helpful, needed, or skillful evolves.” – Martin Aylward

The human mind is always judgmental and critical. This has been a very good thing for our adaptation to the environment. It causes us to constantly analyze our experience and the results of our activities producing adjustments that improve the outcomes. This process is one of the key reasons why humans have learned to control and dominate our environment. But when applied to meditation practice it is counterproductive.

Being judgmental and critical regarding meditation practice is contrary to the nature of practice. The core practice of meditation involves seeing and accepting everything just as it is in the present moment. There is no need to analyze it. There is no need to criticize it. Indeed, there is no need to change it in any way. This includes the practice itself. It just is as it is. It just needs to be experienced and accepted. There is no such thing as good practice or bad practice. There is only practice as it is. There is no need to change it or try to improve it.

In meditation, if the mind wanders, there is no need to feel bad. It is just what experience is in that moment. There is no need to try to make the mind wander less. Just observe that the mind is wandering letting go of all judgment. If the mind is focused and calm, there is no need to feel good about it. There is no need to try to keep it up or stay focused. Just observe that the mind is focused and let go of all judgment.

In meditation no matter what transpires, the experience arises in awareness. Simply being aware of it is all that is needed. In fact, awareness in the present moment is all there is. There is nothing more to existence. In meditation, we amplify that experience of awareness allowing the mind to better see and accept it. But what the mind does and doesn’t do is irrelevant. Awareness simply is, regardless of the mind’s appreciation of it. So, there is no need to do things to make the mind better see it. That makes no difference. Awareness simply is. In fact, the mind’s activity is simply a part of what we’re aware of.

Awareness and the objects of awareness are not separate processes. Without objects of awareness there is no awareness. Conversely, without awareness there are no objects of awareness. They are one and the same thing. During meditation there is seeing, there is hearing, there is feeling, there are many sensory experiences. They do not just occur in awareness they are awareness itself. It is all one. Meditation is simply observing the co-arising of awareness and experience.

I often repeat during meditation “just be.” This is a reminder to not try to do or be anything, to not judge what is going on, to not criticize or analyze it, and to not try to alter it. Just be. In fact, the implicit speech of “just be” is also simply an object in awareness. It is not something to be acted upon. It is a means to keep the mind from interfering with experience.

So, relax and enjoy meditation, regardless of its nature. Just be.