Mindfulness Meditation Influences Implicit but Not Explicit Coding of Temporal Simultaneity
Mark A. Elliott, Monika Zalewska, Marc Wittmann
Journal of Cognitive Enhancement October 11, 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s41465-021-00227-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Asynchrony computer programming Simultaneity Moment physics Cognitive psychology Intervention counseling Psychotherapist Asynchronous communication |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | A bias against reporting simultaneity following subthreshold asynchrony, which shortens the psychological moment, was reduced after a mindfulness intervention compared to listening to classical music. |
Abstract
Abstract In the meditative state time appears to slow down and in the present moment it expands. However, to date, there is no investigation of the effect of meditative state on the structure of the “psychological moment”; this is the measurable, minimal duration of the moment “now.” In this study, we examined the effect on the psychological moment of a mindfulness intervention against an intervention in which participants listened to classical music. The psychological moment was measured using a simultaneity-detection paradigm from which the threshold between reports that two targets changed luminance simultaneously or with an asynchrony is normally taken as the duration of the moment. In line with previous research, this paradigm allowed for examination of the effects of the subthreshold synchronized, or asynchronized target onsets, which occurred prior to the luminance change of the targets. While there was no overall difference in the psychological moment pre- and post-, and as a function of the type of intervention, a bias against reporting simultaneity following presentation of a subthreshold asynchrony, which lowered thresholds and so shortened the psychological moment, was reduced after the mindfulness intervention. From this we conclude that even brief mindfulness meditation can encourage a more focalized attentional response, which can in turn be used to normalize psychological time.
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 13
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
- Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. Emotion February 6, 2012
- Psychobiology of Altered States of Consciousness. Psychological Bulletin 2005
- Meditation alters perceptual rivalry in Tibetan Buddhist monks Current Biology June 1, 2005
and 8 more in the library