The Role of Regular Meditation Practice, Trait Mindfulness, and Psychological Characteristics in Affective Startle Modulation: A Psychophysiological Study.

Regular meditation practice and trait mindfulness are associated with reduced emotional reactivity, as measured by the affective startle reflex. In a psychophysiological study, individuals who meditated regularly showed weaker startle responses to unpleasant images compared to non-meditators, suggesting greater emotional regulation. Trait mindfulness, particularly the ability to describe and act with awareness, also predicted reduced startle magnitude. Psychological characteristics such as lower neuroticism and higher openness were linked to these effects. The findings indicate that both formal meditation practice and dispositional mindfulness contribute to adaptive emotional processing.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The Role of Regular Meditation Practice, Trait Mindfulness, and Psychological Characteristics in Affective Startle Modulation: A Psychophysiological Study.