International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis
2021
Elizabeth E. Slonena, Gary R Elkins
A novel, audio-based brief mindful hypnosis (BMH) intervention for reducing stress-reactivity during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was investigated. Fifty-five college-aged participants with elevated stress were randomized to BMH or a cognitive training (CT) active-control condition. Participants received a BMH or CT session and downloaded the audio-recorded intervention for daily home...
Palgrave studies in literature, science and medicine
2021
Marco Bernini
3 citations
Abstract Booming Western interest in mindfulness and meditation has significantly mainstreamed breath and breathing practices, where focussed breathing is taken to be conducive to novel psychological states. Thanks to the regulation of breathing patterns, patterns in our thinking are not just affected but revealed, together with their entanglement with respiration (in a variety of looping...
Being and becoming
2021
Jose Luis Perez Velazquez, Vera Nenadovic
The philosophy of the Buddhist tradition resonates prominently with what we have seen about self-awareness in Part I and about the nature of life in Part II. It is also very much in line with our title. Being and becoming is the kernel of these Buddhist teachings. We will point out the similarities with the findings of science in the aspects that can help endure life and simplify our lives so...
Frontiers in Psychology
2021
Christine D Wilson-Mendenhall, John D. Dunne
An emerging focus in affective science is the expertise that underlies healthy emotionality. A growing literature highlights emotional granularity - the ability to make fine-grained distinctions in one's affective feelings - as an important skill. Cross-sectional evidence indicating the benefits of emotional granularity raises the question of how emotional granularity might be intentionally...
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
2021
Malik Galijašević, Ruth Steiger, Milovan Regodić et al.
Introduction: Various functional neuroimaging studies help to better understand the changes in brain activity during meditation. The purpose of this study was to investigate how brain energy metabolism changes during focused attention meditation (FAM) state, measured by phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS). Methods: 31P-MRS imaging was carried out in 27 participants after 7...
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
2021
Jacob Young, Martha E Arterberry, Joshua P Martin
Meditation is an umbrella term for a number of mental training practices designed to improve the monitoring and regulation of attention and emotion. Some forms of meditation are now being used for clinical intervention. To accompany the increased clinical interest in meditation, research investigating the neural basis of these practices is needed. A central hypothesis of contemplative...
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
2021
Andrea Zaccaro, André Riehl, Andrea Piarulli et al.
13 citations
Nidrâ yoga is an ancient yogic practice capable of inducing altered states of consciousness characterized by deep relaxation, strong concentration, acute self-awareness, and joy. In modern contemplative neuroscience language, it is known by the name yoga nidra, and few studies have investigated its phenomenological and psychophysiological effects. Six healthy volunteers (four females aged...
Neuroscience of Consciousness
2021
Lars Sandved-Smith, Casper Hesp, Jérémie Mattout et al.
116 citations
Meta-awareness refers to the capacity to explicitly notice the current content of consciousness and has been identified as a key component for the successful control of cognitive states, such as the deliberate direction of attention. This paper proposes a formal model of meta-awareness and attentional control using hierarchical active inference. To do so, we cast mental action as policy...
Frontiers in Psychology
2021
Felicity Maria Simpson, Gemma Perry, William Forde Thompson
26 citations
The ancient practice of chanting typically takes place within a community as a part of a live ceremony or ritual. Research suggests that chanting leads to improved mood, reduced stress, and increased wellbeing. During the global pandemic, many chanting practices were moved online in order to adhere to social distancing recommendations. However, it is unclear whether the benefits of live...
Explore
2021
Marjorie Woollacott, Yvonne Kason, Russell D Park
33 citations
There is a paucity of research examining the phenomenology and energetic effects of spiritually transformative experiences with an energetic component, often referred to as kundalini awakenings (KAs). This limits our ability to understand and support individuals who have these often unexpected and powerful experiences. This study aimed to explore not only the nature of these experiences but...