A growing body of research implicates meditation and mindfulness training for the adaptive training of executive and affective function. While these findings are exciting, it is surprising that far less attention has been paid to the neurophenomenological aspects of meditation practice. We set out to investigate the role of meta-cognitive awareness in mediating affective and …
Grant Type Archives:
Neural and physiological correlates of Tibetan energy-channel meditation in highly trained practitioners
The goal of this grant is to investigate how advanced practitioners of gTum-mo (inner heat) meditation are able to tap into and manipulate the body’s homeostasis mechanisms―classically considered to be beyond voluntary control. In particular, we are interested in how this practice relates to the central and autonomic nervous systems. We propose to measure brain …
Effects of training in loving‐kindness meditation on underlying approach and avoidance motivations
The goal of this study is to examine the multi-modal effect of loving-kindness meditation (LKM) training on the motivational system evidenced by amygdala responding and behavioral tendencies to approach the world. We will also examine the extent to which LKM training can reduce levels of anxious and depressive symptomatology. We predict that LKM training will …
The effects of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy on depression, pain, body awareness and brain structure and connectivity in patients with chronic pain and comorbid depression
Chronic pain and depression are common diseases and result in intense suffering and form a huge burden for society. They are difficult to treat, especially when occurring together. We studied the effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to alleviate pain and depressions in patients suffering from both chronic pain and active depression. Furthermore, we …
Differential effects of mindfulness and yogic breathing on cognitive and emotional processes
Skill and competency in emotion regulation are crucial to well-being and mental health. Research has shown that contemplative practices like meditation may help people decrease stress and increase well-being. However, few studies have examined the impact of such practices on the ability to regulate emotion. Moreover, certain practices may be more suited for some people …
Do white matter changes contribute to improved fear extinction following mindfulness training?
It is well-established that the practice of mindfulness meditation leads to improved emotion regulation as well as to changes in brain structure, but relatively little is known about the relationship between these changes. Brain regions found to be impacted by mindfulness training include the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala. Interestingly, there is …
Breath counting: Developing a behavioral measure of mindfulness
Mindfulness shows promise for improving health, but unbiased measurement of mindfulness is lacking. Currently, the only way to measure how mindful someone is is to ask, and answers may be biased. In contrast, breath counting, a longtime adjunct of mindfulness training, offers an objective measure of accuracy resistant to bias. Here, we show breath counting …
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The effects of mindfulness meditation training in early childhood
This project is investigating the effects of mindfulness training during early childhood. Because the neural networks supporting cognitive control and executive function are undergoing major developmental change during this period, implementing mindfulness training during the preschool years may be especially beneficial. However, given that young children have a very limited ability to focus for extended …
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EEG spectral signatures of the impact of mindfulness meditation on perceptual-motor awareness and self-agency
We have previously studied the positive impact of mindfulness meditation (MBSR) on perceptual-motor awareness and self-agency. In this present project we aim to study the neural mechanisms underlying these meditation-related positive changes. We specifically aim to study the EEG spectral power and coherence signatures related to visuomotor performance and perceptual-motor awareness before and after an …
Mindfulness-based education in the elementary school classroom: Individual and joint effects of a teacher and student program on children’s classroom behaviors, peer relations, classroom hierarchy, and stress reactivity
The purpose of my study is to investigate the single and joint effects of a mindfulness education program for children (MIndUp) and a mindfulness-based stress reduction program for teachers (SMART-in-Education) on elementary school children’s social and emotional well-being, classroom behaviors, and stress reactivity, and academic achievement. This study will contribute to the question of whether …
