A new study looked at a form of meditation called open-monitoring meditation. It focuses on personal awareness of feelings, thoughts, and sensations as they’re happening in mind and body.
Researchers from Michigan State University found that this form of meditation was unique in its ability to alter brain activity to boost error recognition.
Further, they found that positive results can occur after one 20-minute session.
The researchers noted that different forms of meditation could produce other neurocognitive effects. They also said that there is limited research on how various forms of meditation can lead to different outcomes.
Mindfulness meditation, for example, generally focuses on a single object, like a breath. Open monitoring meditation is different. It focuses on turning inwards and paying attention to various things occurring in your mind and body. Its goal is to sit quietly and pay close attention to where your mind is going and not the things around you.
The study involved non-mediators participating in a 20-minute open-monitoring meditation session. Their brain activity was measured with electroencephalography (EEG), and they completed computerized distraction tests.
Results revealed that the meditation was able to enhance the brain’s ability to detect and pay attention to mistakes. It may lead to increased confidence and improved daily performance and functioning.
If you find you’re easily distracted or make mistakes a little more often than you’d like (and it leads to multiple trips to the grocery store, etc.) open-monitoring meditation might help boost concentration.
A 20-minute session may help save you time in the long run and boost your overall quality of life.