Abstract
Prior studies have reported that meditation may improve cognitive functions and those related to attention in particular. Here, the dynamic process of attentional control, which allows subjects to focus attention on their current interests, was investigated. Concentrative meditation aims to cultivate the abilities of continuous focus and redirecting attention from distractions to the object of focus during meditation. However, it remains unclear how meditation may influence attentional reorientation, which involves interaction between both top-down and bottom-up processes. We aimed to investigate the modulating effect of meditation on the mechanisms of contingent reorienting by employing a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task in conjunction with electrophysiological recording. We recruited 26 meditators who had an average of 2.9 years of meditation experience and a control group comprising 26 individuals without any prior experience of meditation. All subjects performed a 30-min meditation and a rest condition with data collected pre- and post-intervention, with each intervention given on different days. The state effect of meditation improved overall accuracy for all subjects irrespective of their group. A group difference was observed across interventions, showing that meditators were more accurate and more efficient at attentional suppression, represented by a larger Pd (distractor positive) amplitude of event related modes (ERMs), for target-like distractors than the control group. The findings suggested that better attentional control with respect to distractors might be facilitated by acquiring experience of and skills related to meditation training.
Highlights
In recent years research interest in meditation effects on brain function has increased exponentially (Hölzel et al, 2011; Tang et al, 2015)
The mindfulness trait, reflected by Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) scores, showed no significant difference between the two groups
The present study investigated differences between meditators and non-meditators, as well as state effects of meditation, on attentional control and contingent reorienting by use of different distractors in an rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm in conjunction with electrophysiological recording
Summary
In recent years research interest in meditation effects on brain function has increased exponentially (Hölzel et al, 2011; Tang et al, 2015). Contingent reorienting can be defined as attention being captured by a salient stimulus that shares a defined characteristic with the target (Folk et al, 1992, 2002; Corbetta et al, 2008; Theeuwes, 2010) This process is linked with the limit to human cognitive resources, and the fact that we cannot process all stimuli around us. Meditation effects may be potentially linked to two forms of control: (1) control over the ability to prevent a stimulus from capturing attention; and (2) control over the ability to disengage attention from stimuli that do capture attention It is unclear whether meditation increases the efficiency of shifting attention back from a distractor to a target or whether it affects the disengagement of attention from such a distractor. Shifting attention back from distractors might be related to enhancing attention to relevant items, suppressing attention to irrelevant items, or both
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