PLOS ONE
May 15, 2012
A Chiesa, A Chiesa, A Chiesa et al.
217 citations
Two experiments tested whether mindfulness practice reduces cognitive rigidity using a water jar task where initial problems required a complex formula, but later problems also allowed a simpler solution. Experienced meditators showed significantly less persistence with the complex formula compared to non-meditators in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, non-meditators who completed an eight-session mindfulness program also had lower rigidity scores than a waiting list group. The authors conclude that mindfulness meditation reduces the tendency to be blinded by past experience, promoting more adaptive and flexible problem-solving.
Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ)
January 24, 2018
Benjamin G. Shapero, Jonathan Greenberg, Paola Pedrelli et al.
165 citations
Mindfulness meditation, a practice with deep roots in eastern traditions, has gained widespread public and scientific interest. Mindfulness is a natural state of present-moment awareness, and interventions have been developed to train this skill. This review discusses the concept of mindfulness and its use in treating psychiatric disorders. It identifies which patients benefit from mindfulness-based interventions and summarizes how they work, including cognitive, psychological, and neural mechanisms that drive clinical improvements. The review offers a foundation for incorporating these interventions into clinical practice.
Brain and Behavior
September 18, 2020
Gunes Sevinc, Jonathan Greenberg, Britta K. Hölzel et al.
24 citations
Mindfulness meditation training is linked to structural changes in the hippocampus, specifically the subiculum, which are associated with reduced connectivity between the hippocampus and lateral occipital regions during the retrieval of extinguished fear memories. This reduced connectivity correlates with decreases in self-reported anxiety after mindfulness training. The findings suggest that the subiculum plays a key role in regulating interactions with contextual cues during memory retrieval, and that mindfulness training may foster resilience by altering these brain circuits.
Behavioral sleep medicine
January 1, 2025
Nathaniel R Choukas, Emily C Woodworth, Heena R Manglani et al.
2 citations
Mindfulness-based interventions improve sleep disturbance across healthy and clinical populations. A meta-regression of 40 randomized controlled trials found that these interventions produced significant reductions in sleep disturbance (standardized mean difference = -0.523) and in psychosocial factors such as stress and depression. Reductions in sleep disturbance were linked to reductions in stress and depression, suggesting these psychosocial factors may be important mechanisms. The analysis also indicates that participant and methodological factors play a role. Future research should include additional measures and examine longitudinal associations to identify the active ingredients of mindfulness-based interventions.