26 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Cognitive Rigidity
Two experiments examined the relation between mindfulness practice and cognitive rigidity by using a variation of the Einstellung water jar task. Participants were required to use three hypothetical jars to obtain a specific amount of water. Initial problems were solvable by the same complex formula, but in later problems (“critical” or “trap” problems) solving was possible by an additional much simpler formula. A rigidity score was compiled through perseverance of the complex formula...Folksonomies: meditation cognitive rigidity
Folksonomies: meditation cognitive rigidity
Demonstrated using tests with "traps" that can only be overcome with novel thinking.
26 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
Labeling Emotions Helps Control Them
Meditation and other “mindfulness” techniques are designed to help people pay more attention to their present emotions, thoughts and sensations without reacting strongly to them. Meditators often acknowledge and name their negative emotions in order to “let them go.” When the team compared brain scans from subjects who had more mindful dispositions to those from subjects who were less mindful, they found a stark difference—the mindful subjects experienced greater activation in the ...Folksonomies: meditation mindfulness
Folksonomies: meditation mindfulness
An experiment demonstrating the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in calming emotional states.