More meditation experience is associated with lasting changes in functional connectivity within brain attentional networks, even when not meditating. Experienced meditators showed increased connectivity within attentional networks and between attentional regions and medial frontal areas compared to less experienced meditators. These neural changes may underlie improved cognitive skills, such as maintaining attention and disengaging from distraction, that are often reported with meditation practice. Because altered connectivity was observed during rest, this suggests a transfer of cognitive abilities into daily life.
Modern mindfulness research draws on both science and Buddhist philosophy, but the Buddhist origins of meditation practices are frequently overlooked. This paper argues that Buddhist concepts remain valuable for studying the mind in contemplative science, discussing their role in the field's development and their current influence on neurophenomenology, subjective experience, attention, self, and prosocial qualities.
The modern mindfulness movement depends on both scientific research and Buddhist philosophy, yet the Buddhist origins of meditation practices are frequently overlooked. This paper argues for the continued relevance of Buddhist concepts in contemplative science, examining their influence on the study of the mind across areas such as neurophenomenology, subjective experience, attention, selfhood, and the development of prosocial qualities. It discusses how Buddhist ideas have shaped the field and remain valuable for understanding mental processes and well-being.
A model of naturalistic cognitive fluctuations between mind wandering and attentional states, derived from focused attention meditation, proposes four intervals in a cognitive cycle: mind wandering, awareness of mind wandering, shifting of attention, and sustained attention. Fourteen meditation practitioners performed breath-focused meditation during fMRI scanning, pressing a button when they realized their mind had wandered. Mind wandering was associated with default mode activity, awareness of mind wandering with salience network regions, and shifting and sustained attention with executive network elements. Activations were modulated by lifetime meditation experience, supporting theories about cognitive correlates of distributed brain networks.