title: Mindfulness meditation and consciousness: An integrative neuroscientific perspective.
abstract: Although mindfulness meditation has been practiced in the East for more than two millennia, Western scientific research and healthcare programs have only recently drawn their attention to it. Basically, the concept of mindfulness hinges on focusing on one's own awareness at the present moment. In this review we analyze different hypotheses about the functioning and the cerebral correlates of mindfulness meditation. Since mindfulness is strictly associated with a particular state of consciousness, we also examine some of the most relevant theories that have been proposed as accounts of consciousness. Finally, we suggest that consciousness and mindfulness meditation can be integrated within a neuroscientific perspective, by identifying the brain areas which seem to play an essential role in both, namely the anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, insula and thalamus.
authors.affiliation: GCS fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Focus Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manuello
authors.affiliation: GCS fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Focus Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vercelli
authors.affiliation: GCS fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Focus Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Michael Trimble Neuropsychiatry Research Group, University of Birmingham and BSMHFT, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nani
authors.affiliation: GCS fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Focus Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: GCS fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Focus Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: franco.cauda@unito.it.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cauda
mesh_terms: D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation; D064866:Mindfulness; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Anterior cingulate cortex; Consciousness; Insula; Mindfulness meditation; Posterior cingulate cortex; Thalamus