Neuropsychologia
July 21, 2018
Enrico Fucci, Oussama Abdoun, Anne Caclin et al.
58 citations
Non-dual meditation, which aims to reduce maladaptive patterns by recognizing their transient nature, can downregulate automatic perceptual habits. EEG recordings from expert Buddhist practitioners and novices during Open Presence (OP) and Focused Attention (FA) meditation, plus a control state, showed increased gamma oscillatory power during both meditation states in experts. An interaction between states and groups emerged in the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) amplitude, with the MMN increasing during FA compared to OP in experts, while the opposite pattern occurred at the Late Frontal Negativity (LFN) latency. This suggests OP involves increased sensory monitoring and reduced perceptual inferences relative to FA.
Consciousness and cognition
February 1, 2019
Oussama Abdoun, Jelle Zorn, Stefano Poletti et al.
44 citations
A meditation training protocol helped novices accurately describe their mental states during two types of meditation: focused attention and open monitoring. After several weeks of daily practice, participants' self-reported ratings of their experience (i) differed between the two meditation states, (ii) reflected how much they had practiced and how tired they felt, and (iii) matched changes in their reaction times during a task. These patterns were better explained by features of daily practice than by a tendency to give socially desirable answers. The results suggest that novice practitioners can reliably report their inner experience, supporting further study of this training approach.
Journal of Experimental Psychology General
February 22, 2024
Enrico Fucci, Oussama Abdoun, Constanza Baquedano et al.
5 citations
Compassion in Western psychology is described as being conditioned by cost-benefit appraisals, such as attributing responsibility for suffering, whereas Buddhist traditions maintain that compassion can become unconditioned and universal. This study tested whether expert Buddhist practitioners show compassion that is less influenced by moral judgments about the causes of suffering. Using self-report and behavioral data from both expert practitioners and trained novices, the researchers found that contextual information affected responsibility and blame attribution in both groups. However, experts reported higher willingness to help that was less influenced by context compared to novices.
December 9, 2022
Enrico Fucci, Oussama Abdoun, Constanza Baquedano et al.
3 citations
preprint
Compassion in Western psychology is thought to depend on cost-benefit appraisals, such as whether a person is blamed for their suffering. Buddhist traditions claim compassion can become unconditioned, free from moral judgment. This study tested expert Buddhist practitioners and trained novices using an experiment that manipulated contextual information to influence moral judgments about suffering scenarios. Context manipulation affected responsibility and blame attribution in both groups, but experts reported a higher willingness to help that was less influenced by context. Blame was negatively linked to willingness to help in novices but not in experts. The findings challenge the view that compassion is always conditioned by moral appraisals.
December 5, 2018
Enrico Fucci
1 citation
A non-dual meditation style increases sensory vigilance and reduces perceptual learning compared to focused-attention practice. Auditory perceptual learning is not influenced by unpredictable threat except in naturally more anxious individuals, an effect that may be diminished by mindfulness meditation. Components of the auditory evoked response were identified as potential neural correlates of vigilance processes during mindfulness states. Among expert practitioners, a direct link was found between emotional regulation and changes in subjective experience. The work enriches the dialogue between cognitive neuroscience and phenomenological models of meditation by providing evidence on possible neurocognitive mechanisms underlying meditative practices and expertise.
September 15, 2021
Enrico Fucci, Arnaud Poublan-Couzardot, Oussama Abdoun et al.
preprint
Auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) is a brain response linked to attention and perception, and recent theories suggest mindfulness meditation may alter it. This study attempted to replicate earlier findings that meditation states and expertise modulate MMN amplitude, using a larger sample for greater statistical power. Traditional analysis found no effects of meditation states or expertise on MMN amplitude, failing to replicate prior work. Bayesian analysis provided strong evidence against an interaction between expertise and meditation states, and only moderate evidence for a weak expertise effect during focused attention. However, increased alpha brainwave power during meditation was replicated. The null findings are discussed in light of low statistical power, flexible analysis methods, and possible publication bias in previous research.