The effect of mindfulness meditation on time perception.
Robin S. S. Kramer, Ulrich Weger, D. Sharma
Consciousness and Cognition September 1, 2013 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2013.05.008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Measures | temporal bisection task |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation led to a relative overestimation of durations on a temporal bisection task, while the audiobook control condition produced no change. The authors suggest that a change in attentional resources, within an internal clock framework, can produce longer perceived durations, and note implications for mindfulness practice and clinical treatment. |
Abstract
Research has increasingly focussed on the benefits of meditation in everyday life and performance. Mindfulness in particular improves attention, working memory capacity, and reading comprehension. Given its emphasis on moment-to-moment awareness, we hypothesised that mindfulness meditation would alter time perception. Using a within-subjects design, participants carried out a temporal bisection task, where several probe durations are compared to "short" and "long" standards. Following this, participants either listened to an audiobook or a meditation that focussed on the movement of breath in the body. Finally, participants completed the temporal bisection task for a second time. The control group showed no change after the listening task. However, meditation led to a relative overestimation of durations. Within an internal clock framework, a change in attentional resources can produce longer perceived durations. This meditative effect has wider implications for the use of mindfulness as an everyday practice and a basis for clinical treatment.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 45
- Awareness of the passage of time and self-consciousness: What do meditators report? PsyCh Journal March 1, 2019
- The consciousness state space (CSS)-a unifying model for consciousness and self. Frontiers in Psychology 2014
- Time Perception and the Experience of Time When Immersed in an Altered Sensory Environment Frontiers in Human Neuroscience October 6, 2017
- Effects of a Focused Breathing Mindfulness Exercise on Attention, Memory, and Mood: The Importance of Task Characteristics Behaviour Change April 1, 2018
- Mindfulness meditation, time judgment and time experience: Importance of the time scale considered (seconds or minutes) PLoS One October 18, 2019
and 40 more in the library
Cites 18
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
and 13 more in the library