Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: evidence of brief mental training.

Abstract: Although research has found that long-term mindfulness meditation practice promotes executive
functioning and the ability to sustain attention, the effects of brief mindfulness meditation training have not been fully
explored. We examined whether brief meditation training affects cognition and mood when compared to an active con-
trol group. After four sessions of either meditation training or listening to a recorded book, participants with no prior
meditation experience were assessed with measures of mood, verbal fluency, visual coding, and working memory.
Both interventions were effective at improving mood but only brief meditation training reduced fatigue, anxiety, and
increased mindfulness. Moreover, brief mindfulness training significantly improved visuo-spatial processing, working
memory, and executive functioning. Our findings suggest that 4days of meditation training can enhance the ability to
sustain attention; benefits that have previously been reported with long-term meditators. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights
reserved.