Effect of Brief Meditation Intervention on Attention: An ERP Investigation
arXiv Preprint Archive – September 26, 2022
Source: arXiv
Summary
Just ten minutes of meditation can significantly sharpen your attention and mental focus. Brain activity measurements reveal that brief meditation sessions help people respond faster and more accurately during attention-demanding tasks. The practice enhances positive brain signals while reducing interference patterns, suggesting more efficient mental processing. These neural benefits appear even in complete meditation beginners, highlighting meditation's immediate cognitive advantages.
Abstract
Fast and efficient strategies for modulation of attention have been extensively studied recently. The present study has attempted to observe the effect of brief meditation practices on executive control of the attention system. The study recruits cognitive control by introducing conflict using Stroop task in twenty-six novice participants. Behavioral responses indicate a positive effect on response time and accuracy at Stroop task after ten minutes of meditation intervention. Neurophysiological findings suggest more efficient allocation of attentional resources. An increase in positive ERP components (P200, P300) and expected decrease in the inhibitory or negative component (N200) after intervention shows positive results. The findings suggest a positive impact of meditation intervention on attention even for brief periods in non-meditating population.