The Computational Mechanisms of Detached Mindfulness
arXiv Preprint Archive September 3, 2024 Brendan Conway-Smith, Robert L. West
Detached mindfulness, a therapeutic technique that reduces depression and anxiety, works by altering how the brain monitors its own emotional states. A computational model of metacognitive skill shows that perceiving affect from a detached perspective dampens emotional reactivity. The model articulates the cognitive mechanisms underlying this process, which were previously unexplained. This suggests that the effectiveness of detached mindfulness stems from changes in metacognitive monitoring rather than direct emotional control.