Mindfulness meditation associated with alterations in bottom-up processing: psychophysiological evidence for reduced reactivity.
Mental training by meditation has been related to changes in high-level cognitive functions that involve top-down processing. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the practice of meditation is also related to alterations in low-level, bottom-up processing. Therefore, intersensory facilitation (IF) effects in a group of mindfulness meditators (MM) were compared to IF effects in an age- and gender-matched control group. Smaller and even absent IF effects were found in the MM group, which suggests that changes in bottom-up processing are associated with MM. Furthermore, reduced interference of a visual warning stimulus with the IF effects was found, which suggests an improved allocation of attentional resources in mindfulness meditators, even across modalities.
van den Hurk
Paul A M
PA
Radboud University Nijmegen, Faculty of Science, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands. p.vandenhurk@cs.ru.nl
Janssen
Barbara H
BH
Giommi
Fabio
F
Barendregt
Henk P
HP
Gielen
Stan C
SC
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011603:Psychophysiology / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*