Lightening the Mind: Comparing Audiovisual Stimulation and Meditation for Mood and Cognition Enhancement
Micah Johnson, Ninette Simonian, Nicco Reggente
Research Square March 14, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3971908/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Double-blind |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 262 |
| Interventions | Audiovisual stimulation Breath-focused meditation |
| Duration | Approximately five minutes, 11 minutes, or 22 minutes |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mood Cognition Cognitive psychology Stimulation Psychotherapist Cognitive science Clinical psychology |
| Key findings | Audiovisual stimulation substantially improves self-reported mood and cognitive performance, with effects comparable to or exceeding those of breath-focused meditation, and a five-minute exposure may be optimal. |
Abstract
Abstract In this randomized, controlled, and double-blind experiment with a relatively large sample (n = 262), a novel technique of audiovisual stimulation (AVS) was demonstrated to substantially improve self-reported mood states by reducing several negative affects, including anxiety and depression, and enhancing performance on mood-sensitive cognitive tasks. Most of the AVS effects were highly similar whether binaural beats were present or not and regardless of the duration of experience. Remarkably, the mood benefits from AVS closely aligned with those achieved through breath-focused meditation with additional evidence that a brief AVS exposure of approximately five minutes may be sufficient or even optimal for improving mood to a comparable or greater degree than meditation sessions of equal or longer durations (11 or 22 minutes). These exciting findings position AVS as a promising avenue for psychological enhancement and a potentially more accessible “plug-and-play” alternative to meditation, which is especially relevant considering the high attrition rates commonly observed in meditation practices.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 21
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Scientific Reports April 19, 2017
- What Geometric Visual Hallucinations Tell Us about the Visual Cortex Neural Computation March 1, 2002
- Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal Cell Reports Medicine 2023
and 16 more in the library