Toward a compassionate intersectional neuroscience: Increasing diversity and equity in contemplative neuroscience
Helen Weng, Mushim P. Ikeda, Jarrod Lewis-Peacock et al.
A research framework called Intersectional Neuroscience, which adapts research procedures to be more inclusive of underrepresented groups, was tested in partnership with a diverse U.S. meditation center. The approach used community engagement and individualized multivariate neuroscience methods. With person-centered screening, 15 diverse meditators (80% racial/ethnic minorities, 53% gender and sexual minorities) were recruited and scanned. Machine learning algorithms recognized each meditator's unique brain patterns during breath-focused meditation significantly above chance levels, allowing individual-level attention profiles to be compiled. The study demonstrates feasibility of including diverse participants and developing individualized neural metrics of meditation practice.