An 8-week school-based meditation program that included chanting and meditation improved executive functions in school-age children. Twenty-five children who participated in the program showed greater gains than 25 children in a control group on tests of working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. Specifically, the meditation group had faster reaction times on a working memory task, more correct responses on an inhibition task, and better performance on multiple measures of cognitive flexibility. The findings suggest that a school-based meditation program incorporating chanting can enhance executive functions in children.
Long-term Vipassana meditation practice improves executive functions—working memory, planning, and cognitive flexibility—in healthy adults, beyond its known benefits of reducing anxiety and increasing mindfulness. In a study comparing non-meditators with short-term and long-term practitioners, only the long-term group showed significantly better performance on tasks measuring these cognitive abilities. Short-term practice yielded some benefits but did not reach statistical significance. The findings suggest that sustained meditation practice enhances higher-level cognitive processes that support goal-directed behavior.