Open monitoring meditation reduces the involvement of brain regions related to memory function
Scientific Reports July 2, 2018 Masahiro Fujino, Yoshiyuki Ueda, H. Mizuhara et al.
Both focused attention meditation (FAM) and open monitoring meditation (OMM) reduce functional connectivity between the striatum and the posterior cingulate cortex, a core hub of the default mode network (DMN). OMM specifically reduces connectivity of the ventral striatum with the visual cortex (linked to intentional focused attention) and the retrosplenial cortex (linked to memory in the DMN), while FAM increases connectivity in these regions. The findings suggest that OMM reduces intentional focused attention and increases detachment from autobiographical memory, which may underlie the non-judgmental and non-reactive attitude cultivated during this practice.