“And Now Close Your Eyes or Lower Your Gaze”: Exploring Novice Meditators and Their Attentional Processes During Meditation

Sprawson, Isabella and Wood, Jeffrey S. and Mantzios, Michail (2020) “And Now Close Your Eyes or Lower Your Gaze”: Exploring Novice Meditators and Their Attentional Processes During Meditation. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 4 (4). pp. 369-378. ISSN 2509-3304

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Official URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs41465...

Abstract

Abstract: Brief mindfulness meditation practices are associated with a wealth of benefits; however, factors that may influence the success of meditation sessions have rarely been explored. The present study explored the effects of the visual environment as a factor of successful meditation. Eye-tracking techniques were employed to objectively measure attention within three attention-deviating conditions with basic meditation instructions, and the potential influence of personality traits as assessed through administering the HEXACO-60-PI, a self-report measure, to participants. Statistically significant results were uncovered regarding decreased fixation durations and increased state mindfulness scores of participants within the blank screen conditions over the two eyes-open conditions. No significant effect was found regarding fixation counts, which decreased within the blank screen condition. The findings regarding reduced state anxiety did not reach significance and there were no significant differences regarding the six personality types between conditions. The present study offers a step towards understanding how brief mindfulness meditation sessions can be optimised.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications Router History: received 23-02-2020; accepted 04-05-2020; registration 04-05-2020; pub-electronic 30-05-2020; online 30-05-2020; pub-print 12-2020. ** Licence for this article: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Identification Number:	10.1007/s41465-020-00175-3
Dates:	Date Event 4 May 2020 Accepted 30 May 2020 Published
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Original Research, Mindfulness, Attention, Eye tracking, HEXACO, Visual environment
Subjects:	CAH04 - psychology > CAH04-01 - psychology > CAH04-01-01 - psychology (non-specific)
Divisions:	Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > College of Psychology
SWORD Depositor:	JISC PubRouter
Depositing User:	JISC PubRouter
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2021 08:28
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2024 13:03
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/11715