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14-07-2015 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Concentrative Meditation Influences Visual Awareness: a Study with Color Afterimages

Auteurs: Narayanan Srinivasan, Amrendra Singh

Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness | Uitgave 1/2017

Abstract

While many studies have shown that meditation enhances attentional processing, very few studies have investigated the effect of enhanced attentional processing on visual awareness. We investigate the attentional effects on visual awareness in focused attention meditators using a task that manipulates scope of attention using hierarchical letter stimuli (local and global processing) and single letter stimuli of varying size (small and large). In addition, working memory load was manipulated using a 0-back and 2-back task. Data were collected from Sahaj Samadhi Meditators and an age-matched control group of non-meditators. Visual awareness was tapped using negative color afterimages by measuring the duration and more importantly the clarity and color of afterimages using a rating scale. The afterimage durations were significantly longer for Sahaj Samadhi meditators compared to non-meditators. In addition, the afterimages were sharper for meditators compared to non-meditators suggesting that better attentional focusing associated with meditators might lead to phenomenal changes in visual awareness. Scope of attention influenced not only afterimage durations but also clarity indicating that changes in scope also influence aspects of visual awareness. The results indicate meditation training not only modifies attentional processes but also results in changes in conscious visual perception.

vorige artikel Prior Meditation Practice Modulates Performance and Strategy Use in Convergent- and Divergent-Thinking Problems

volgende artikel Remembrance of things to come: a conversation between Zen and neuroscience on the predictive nature of the mind

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Titel: Concentrative Meditation Influences Visual Awareness: a Study with Color Afterimages
Auteurs: Narayanan Srinivasan
Amrendra Singh
Publicatiedatum: 14-07-2015
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness / Uitgave 1/2017
Print ISSN: 1868-8527
Elektronisch ISSN: 1868-8535
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0428-1

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