A new study has revealed that even brief periods of deep meditation, as short as five minutes, can induce a stronger ability to learn among individuals, while also making them more open to experiencing new things and making informed decisions.

Scientists were previously able to establish a strong link between mindfulness meditation and improvement in cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and stress management. However, they wanted to understand whether or not a brief period of mindfulness meditation can produce desired results.

The revelation that even brief, 5-minute meditation sessions can exert substantial impacts highlights the practicality and accessibility of these practices for people leading busy lives. This exploration into the simplicity and efficiency of mindfulness meditation opens fascinating avenues for enhancing learning and personal development, highlighting its vital role in our cognitive toolkit,” Golubickis was quoted as saying by Psypost.

Methodology

The researchers gathered a group of 60 people who had little or no experience with meditation. These participants came from various educational backgrounds, ranging from high school to PhD degrees. They were randomly split into two groups with one practicing mindfulness meditation.

The mindfulness group followed a 5-minute guided meditation focusing on mindful breathing, aimed at increasing awareness of the present moment without judgment. They were guided to pay attention to their breath and gently bring their focus back when distracted. Meanwhile, the other group worked on a neutral task involving Chinese puzzles (Tangram).




Sources - https://www.wionews.com/science/even-five-minutes-of-meditation-can-improve-cognitive-skills-learning-ability-study-698955