The exploration of meditation in the neuroscience of attention and consciousness


Author: Raffone A, Srinivasan N.

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, antonino.raffone@ uniroma1. it.
Conference/Journal: Cogn Process
Date published: 2010
Other:
 Volume ID: 11   ,  Issue ID: 1   ,  Pages: 1-7   ,  Word Count: 102  
    Many recent behavioral and neuroscientific studies

have revealed the importance of investigating meditation states and traits to

achieve an increased understanding of cognitive and affective neuroplasticity,

attention and self-awareness, as well as for their increasingly recognized

clinical relevance. The investigation of states and traits related to

meditation has especially pronounced implications for the neuroscience of

attention, consciousness, self-awareness, empathy and theory of mind. In this

article we present the main features of meditation-based mental training and

characterize the current scientific approach to meditation states and traits

with special reference to attention and consciousness, in light of the articles

contributed to this issue.