Meditation and Metacontrol.
Bernhard Hommel, Lorenza S. Colzato
Journal of Cognitive Enhancement 2017 DOI: 10.1007/s41465-017-0017-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Focused-attention meditation Open-monitoring meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognitive control Decision making Flexibility Focused-attention meditation Open-monitoring meditation Persistence |
| Key points | Argues that focused-attention meditation and open-monitoring meditation have different, to some degree opposite effects on cognitive control, with single bouts of FAM biasing control toward more top-down control and OMM toward less top-down control; concludes that meditation techniques are not equal and interventions should select techniques on theoretical grounds. |
Abstract
In addition to longer-term engagement in meditation, the past years have seen an increasing interest in the impact of single bouts of meditation on cognition. In this hypothesis and theory article, we adopt the distinction between focused-attention meditation (FAM) and open-monitoring meditation (OMM) and argue that these different types of meditation have different, to some degree, opposite impact on cognitive processes. We discuss evidence suggesting that single bouts of FAM and OMM are sufficient to bias cognitive control styles towards more versus less top-down control, respectively. We conclude that all meditation techniques are not equal and that successful meditation-based intervention requires the theoretically guided selection of the best-suited technique.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity Frontiers in Human Neuroscience October 9, 2018
- Representing Oneself and Others. Experimental psychology November 1, 2018
- Short-term Focused Attention Meditation Restricts the Retrieval of Stimulus-Response Bindings to Relevant Information Mindfulness March 9, 2021
- Instantaneous effects of mindfulness meditation on tennis return performance in elite junior athletes completing an implicitly sequenced serve return task Frontiers in Sports and Active Living August 23, 2022
- Individual Differences in the Change of Attentional Functions With Brief One-Time Focused Attention and Open Monitoring Meditations Frontiers in Psychology October 29, 2021
and 12 more in the library
Cites 6
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Focused attention, open monitoring and loving kindness meditation: effects on attention, conflict monitoring, and creativity – A review Frontiers in Psychology September 23, 2014
- Attentional routes to conscious perception. Frontiers in Psychology January 18, 2012
and 1 more in the library