The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on the Wandering Mind: a Systematic Review.
Susanna Feruglio, Alessio Matiz, Giuseppe Pagnoni, Franco Fabbro, Cristiano Crescentini
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 21, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.032 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Cross-sectional Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Protracted practice of Mindfulness Meditation (at least 2 weeks) reduces mind wandering and its negative effects on cognitive tasks, and expert meditators show less mind wandering and decreased Default Mode Network activity compared to non-meditators. |
Abstract
Through the practice of Mindfulness Meditation (MM), meditators become familiar with the observation of ongoing spontaneous thoughts, while maintaining an attitude of openness and equanimity. The aim of this systematic review is to present a synthesis of available findings of the short and long-term effects of MM on mind wandering (MW). We included studies that considered both first-person and behavioral/physiological measures of MW. The search resulted in 2035 papers, 24 of which were eligible. Reviewed studies revealed a high heterogeneity in designs, outcome measures and interventions. Most of the pre-post intervention studies showed that a protracted practice of MM (at least 2 weeks) reduced MW, limiting its negative effects on different cognitive tasks. Cross-sectional studies highlighted differences between expert meditators and naïve individuals: meditators self-reported less MW and showed decreased Default Mode Network activity, during meditation and resting-state. Further studies are needed to replicate available findings and to more deeply explore how MW is influenced by meditation, also considering its qualitative characteristics that remain largely unexplored.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 39
- Reducing default mode network connectivity with mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback: a pilot study among adolescents with affective disorder history. Molecular Psychiatry June 1, 2023
- Meditation attenuates default-mode activity: A pilot study using ultra-high field 7 Tesla MRI. Brain Research Bulletin October 15, 2023
- Two models of mind blanking European Journal of Neuroscience October 1, 2023
- Educating Through Attentional States of Consciousness, an Effective Way to Develop Creative Potential? Frontiers in Education March 17, 2022
- Modulation of Posterior Default Mode Network Activity During Interoceptive Attention and Relation to Mindfulness. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science November 1, 2024
and 34 more in the library
Cites 49
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse Psychotherapy Research March 1, 2003
and 44 more in the library