Meditation & Mental Pliancy
Researchers were interested in the impact of meditation on brain function. Typically, meditators focus their attention on their breath, and when their mind wanders, take note and return their attention to their breath. During mind-wandering, our brain’s default mode network is engaged, but while working on tasks, our attention network is active.
In this study, 10 participants who had never meditated, ages 19 or 20 years old, did 8 weeks of meditation. They were trained in how to meditate, and then instructed to meditate 5 times per week for 10 or 15 minutes. The participants had a baseline fMRI brain scan before the meditation training, and they practiced meditating for an average of 66 days before having their post-intervention scan. Taken together, the participants practiced meditating an average of 8.5 minutes per day.
Researchers discovered that 2 months of meditation practice increased functional connectivity within the attention network, and between the attention and the default mode networks. The participants were able to switch between the networks faster after the meditation practice period.
Meditation requires attention regulation and self-monitoring. This study increased the literature that demonstrates that meditation improves the capacity to maintain attention on important tasks, and enhances the ability to switch between the attention and default mode networks, a concept known as mental pliancy.
Takeaway: Meditation practice can enhance attention control, improve concentration, and inhibit distraction. It enables mental pliancy, which is faster switching between our brain’s two states of consciousness, focus and mind-wandering.
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Sources
Zongpai Zhang, et al., Longitudinal effects of meditation on brain resting-state functional connectivity | Scientific Reports, May 31, 2021.
Chris Kocher, 8 Weeks of Meditation Studies Can Make Your Brain Quicker - Neuroscience News, Aug. 12, 2021.
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