Scientists from the University of Aix-Marseille (France) have revealed that even a 10-minute session of mindfulness meditation increases cognitive abilities. To work published In PLOS One magazine.
Mindfulness meditation is a practice that aims to develop the ability to focus on the present for the sake of inner well-being, without thinking about past or future events. The app also includes breathing exercises.
The study included 22 people who meditated regularly and 20 people who were just beginning to meditate. During the study, the researchers recorded the participants’ resting heart rates, then performed a baseline cognitive test using the Stroop test.
In psychology, the Stroop effect is called a reaction delay when reading words when the color of the words does not match the typed words (for example, the word “red” is written in blue). Test takers must choose the color in which the word is written as quickly as possible.
Apparently, even a 10-minute mindfulness meditation session can provide tangible cognitive benefits. This discovery is important because it shows the potential of meditation to increase cognitive abilities in a short time.