Long-Term Vipassana Meditation Enhances Executive Function in Adult Meditators
Siriraj Medical Journal June 17, 2020 Thawatchai Lukseng, Vorasith Siripornpanich, Nuanchan Chutabhakdikul
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.