Pupillary Response to Negative Emotional Stimuli Is Differentially Affected in Meditation Practitioners.
Alejandra Vasquez-Rosati, Enzo P Brunetti, Carmen Cordero, Pedro E Maldonado
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2017 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00209 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | 11 mindfulness meditation practitioners and 9 non-meditators |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Autonomic nervous system Emotion Images Mindfulness meditation Pupil size |
| Key findings | Negative images evoked greater pupillary contraction and weaker dilation in mindfulness meditation practitioners than in non-meditators, while responses to positive and neutral images were similar; practitioners also recovered to baseline pupil size faster. The authors suggest these patterns reflect meditation-related modulation of autonomic and emotional processing, and propose pupillometry as a way to assess potential health benefits of meditative practices. |
Abstract
Clinically, meditative practices have become increasingly relevant, decreasing anxiety in patients and increasing antibody production. However, few studies have examined the physiological correlates, or effects of the incorporation of meditative practices. Because pupillary reactivity is a marker for autonomic changes and emotional processing, we hypothesized that the pupillary responses of mindfulness meditation practitioners (MP) and subjects without such practices (non-meditators (NM)) differ, reflecting different emotional processing. In a group of 11 MP and 9 NM, we recorded the pupil diameter using video-oculography while subjects explored images with emotional contents. Although both groups showed a similar pupillary response for positive and neutral images, negative images evoked a greater pupillary contraction and a weaker dilation in the MP group. Also, this group had faster physiological recovery to baseline levels. These results suggest that mindfulness meditation practices modulate the response of the autonomic nervous system, reflected in the pupillary response to negative images and faster physiological recovery to baseline levels, suggesting that pupillometry could be used to assess the potential health benefits of these practices in patients.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Brief Mindfulness Meditation Improves Emotion Processing Frontiers in Neuroscience October 10, 2019
- The Cumulative Effect of a 12-Week Online Mindfulness-Based Meditation Intervention Programme on Autonomic Nerve Functions by Pupillary Light Reflex: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial. Stress and Health August 1, 2025
- How do mindfulness and compassion programs improve mental health and well-being? The role of attentional processing of emotional information. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry December 1, 2023
Cites 11
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Regulation of the Neural Circuitry of Emotion by Compassion Meditation: Effects of Meditative Expertise PLoS One March 25, 2008
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Psychoneuroendocrinology June 1, 2011
and 6 more in the library