Indian Journal of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy-An International Journal

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Effectiveness of Mindful Meditation on Attention, Short Term Memory and Visual Reaction Time on Normal Individual


Affiliations
1 Department of Physiotherapy, College of Applied Education and Health Science, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Background of the study: People who have undergone extensive meditation have shown improvement on cognitive performance .It does this by training and bringing mental processes under greater voluntary control and direction them in beneficial ways. This study was designed with the purpose to observe the effectiveness of mindful meditation on attention, short term memory and visual reaction time on normal individual. We examined whether brief mindfulness training affects on cognition. Our findings suggest that two weeks of meditation training can enhance the ability to sustain attention, short term memory and visual reaction time on normal individual. Purpose of the study: To examine whether brief mindful training affects on attention.short term memory and visual reaction time on normal indivisual. Procedure: A total no. of 230 subjects age group(15-25) were taken for the study. Pre evaluation has been done by using Trail making test, Digit span test and Human Benchmark test. Trail making test for attention, Digit span test for short term memory and Human Benchmark test for visual reaction time. These test were carried out to the subjects for pre and post Evaluation. Mindful meditation was provided to subjects for 15 minutes once a day for two weeks. Subject were made to sit comfortably on a mat and asked them to take a deep breath before meditation. Each subject is given a mantra (OM) and is instructed to concentrate through this mantra(OM). Results: The data was statically analyzed by using SPSS software. There is overall increased attention, increase short term memory and decrease reaction time were shown. The P- Value of TMTA1-TMTA2- .000 , TMTB1-TMTB2- .000 , RT1-RT2 - .007 , DTI-DT2 -.000 . The value is < .05 as seen in table-3 so this study accepts the alternate hypothesis. Conclusion: Our findings suggests that two weeks of meditation training can enhance the ability to sustain Attention ,Short term Memory and visual reaction time on normal individual.

Keywords

Meditation, Attention, Memory, Reaction Time
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Goldstein and Kornfield” Seeking the heart of wisdom:The path of insight meditation” Boston: Shambhala (1987) page.62

  • Stefan G.Hofmann, Paul Grossman, Devon E. Hinton, “Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: potential for psychological interventions”. Cognitive therapy and Research, 433-455(2010)

  • Antoine Lutz1, Heleen A. Slagter1, John D. Dunne2, and Richard J. Davidson1-”Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation” in( 2008)

  • Steele R., “An introduction to vipassana meditation”(1995).

  • Lutz, Shigang Feng, Qilin Lu, Qingbao Yu, Danni Sui, attention”, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy (2008).

  • Paula E Carmona,R Mc quaid”Mindfulness training affects attention—Or is it attentional effort” Journal of Concious Cognition(2010)

  • N.V.V.S.Narayana, “The effect of yoga on visual reaction time” Indian Journal of Social Science Researches (2009) vol 6 page 63-70.

  • Sogyal,”The Tibetan book of living & Dying”,New York: Harper &Row page.123(1992)

  • Moss & Scholey,”Oxygen administration selectively enhances cognitive performance in healthy young adults : A placebo controlled double blind crossover syudy Psychopharmacology (Berlin) page 138, 27-33 (1996)

  • Brown and Ryan,”The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well being”, Journal of Personality and social psychology page 84, 822-848 ( 2003)

  • Michael I.posner,Marieke K. Vugt. Amishi P Jha,; “Short term memory improves attention and self regulation”.Cognition affect behave neuroscience vol(11) page344-353 (2011)

  • Wiveka Ramel, John R. McQuaid, Paula E.Carmona, “The effect of mindfulness meditation on cognitive processes and affect in patient with past depression” Indian Journal of Social Science Researchers.(2001).

  • Miller W. R. “Integrating spirituality into treatment”. Washington D.C. American psychological Association(1999)

  • Eric L. Garland, MSW, LCSW “The Meaning of Mindfulness: A Second-Order Cybernetics of Stress, Metacognition, and Coping”(1989)

  • Paul E Goldin, PhD “In Efficacy of Mindfulness meditation training in improving the attention”. (2009)

  • Fadel Zeidan, Susan K. Johnson, Bruce j. Diamond, Zhanna David, “Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: Evidence of brief mental training”. Journal of Conscious and Cognition(2010)

  • Stelter R.”Experiencing mindfulness meditation- A client narrative perspective” International gournal of qualitative studies on health and well being , vol(4) page145- 158.(2009)

  • Antoine Lutz, Heleen A. Slagter, John D. Dunne, and Richard J. Davidson; “Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation” Trends cognition science vol(4) page163-169(2008)

  • Philippe Goldin, Wiveka Ramel, James Gross, “Mindfulness meditation training and self referential processing in social anxiety disorder: Behavioral and neural effect” Trends Cognition Science;12 (4) 163-169(.2009)

  • Jesse R. Rutschman, Earlham College, “Effect of techniques of receptive meditation and relaxation on attentional processing”. Canadian Undergraduate Journal of Cognitive Science(2007)

  • Zeidan F,Paul E Goldin, Johnson SK, Diamond BJ, David Z, Gooikasian P, “Mindfulness meditation does not improves cognition: evidence of brief mental traning”. Journal of Consciousness and Cognition (2010)

  • M. Matsukura, S. J. Luck, S. P. Vecera, “Attention effects during visual short term memory maintenance: protection or prioritization” International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well being. 145-158(.2007)


Abstract Views: 716

PDF Views: 2




  • Effectiveness of Mindful Meditation on Attention, Short Term Memory and Visual Reaction Time on Normal Individual

Abstract Views: 716  |  PDF Views: 2

Authors

Rachna Butola
Department of Physiotherapy, College of Applied Education and Health Science, India
Renu Chauhan
Department of Physiotherapy, College of Applied Education and Health Science, India

Abstract


Background of the study: People who have undergone extensive meditation have shown improvement on cognitive performance .It does this by training and bringing mental processes under greater voluntary control and direction them in beneficial ways. This study was designed with the purpose to observe the effectiveness of mindful meditation on attention, short term memory and visual reaction time on normal individual. We examined whether brief mindfulness training affects on cognition. Our findings suggest that two weeks of meditation training can enhance the ability to sustain attention, short term memory and visual reaction time on normal individual. Purpose of the study: To examine whether brief mindful training affects on attention.short term memory and visual reaction time on normal indivisual. Procedure: A total no. of 230 subjects age group(15-25) were taken for the study. Pre evaluation has been done by using Trail making test, Digit span test and Human Benchmark test. Trail making test for attention, Digit span test for short term memory and Human Benchmark test for visual reaction time. These test were carried out to the subjects for pre and post Evaluation. Mindful meditation was provided to subjects for 15 minutes once a day for two weeks. Subject were made to sit comfortably on a mat and asked them to take a deep breath before meditation. Each subject is given a mantra (OM) and is instructed to concentrate through this mantra(OM). Results: The data was statically analyzed by using SPSS software. There is overall increased attention, increase short term memory and decrease reaction time were shown. The P- Value of TMTA1-TMTA2- .000 , TMTB1-TMTB2- .000 , RT1-RT2 - .007 , DTI-DT2 -.000 . The value is < .05 as seen in table-3 so this study accepts the alternate hypothesis. Conclusion: Our findings suggests that two weeks of meditation training can enhance the ability to sustain Attention ,Short term Memory and visual reaction time on normal individual.

Keywords


Meditation, Attention, Memory, Reaction Time

References