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Elliott MA, Porter G, Nakajima Y. Measures of music-like experience emergent in a sonic Ganzfeld: An example of perceptual structuring on the edge of silence. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023; 277:141-155. [PMID: 37301567 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We conducted an experiment in which participants listened to a semi-stochastic stream of acoustic data, during which they reported regular variations in melody, pitch and rhythm that are not physically present in the stimulus. In addition, the occurrence of particular forms (melodies and rhythms) and pitches appear to be associated with the occurrence of others. This indicates that a complex taxonomy of subjective auditory experience can be evoked in observers given small variation in the quality of noise along the auditory spectrum. It also strongly indicates that when experiencing "noise," our automatic response is to restructure this such that it becomes "perceptually" meaningful. In an environment where there is no sound, neural systems will reduce their engagement, and will respond semi stochastically. Taken alongside our data, this tends to suggest that one consequence of "silence" might be a tendency to spontaneously hallucinate complex and well-structured auditory experience based solely upon the stochastic neural response to the absence of sound. This paper describes the type of experience one might have on the "edge of silence" and discusses some of the associated implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Elliott
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway, Republic of Ireland.
| | - Graeme Porter
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway, Republic of Ireland
| | - Yoshitaka Nakajima
- Department of Acoustic Design, Faculty for Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Sound Corporation, Fukuoka, Japan
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2
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Anderson MR, Kaplan DM, Palitsky R. Religious and Existential Determinants of Affective Response to a Brief Mindfulness Intervention. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2023; 4:143-151. [PMID: 37070005 PMCID: PMC10105003 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-022-00139-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are often promoted in the Western world as being "secular" in nature, despite the religious/spiritual (R/S) roots of mindfulness itself. Relevant individual characteristics such as R/S, however, have yet to be examined thoroughly in relation to treatment response. Using pre-post experimental designs, we examined the interaction of participant religiosity and different religious framings (Buddhist, secular, spiritual) of a brief MBI as determinants of affective responses to the MBI using regression in two online samples (Study 1: N=677; Study 2: N= 157). Aspects of religiosity (existential quest, scriptural literalism) had differential effects on affective responses to MBIs dependent on the framing of the condition. Participants' R/S, as well as the R/S attributes of an MBI, may impact affective responses to MBIs. Further research is needed to ascertain how, and to what extent, MBIs might be optimized in order to maximize benefits for participants with diverse religious and existential commitments. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-022-00139-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micheline R. Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI USA
| | - Deanna M. Kaplan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI USA
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI USA
| | - Roman Palitsky
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI USA
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G Bautista T, A Cash T, Meyerhoefer T, Pipe T. Equitable Mindfulness: The practice of mindfulness for all. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 50:3141-3155. [PMID: 35150593 PMCID: PMC9372226 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The benefits of mindfulness are well-documented; however, these benefits may not be evenly distributed across communities. Equitable Mindfulness aims to make these benefits accessible to a wider and more inclusive audience. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of Equitable Mindfulness and systemic barriers that prevent mindfulness programs from being equitably accessed across communities. Twenty-one participants were recruited for qualitative in-depth interviews during a 2-day mindfulness conference. The constant comparison method was used to iteratively identify and categorize themes that emerged within and across interviews. Five dominant themes emerged from the data as follows: inherent equitability, accessibility, inclusiveness, awareness and knowledge-sharing, and acknowledgement of multiple perspectives. Having an applicable and meaningful term to use when describing mindfulness as an inclusive and equitable practice can facilitate the exploration of a new area of research. There is a need for future initiatives aimed at making mindfulness trainings and programs more equitable and accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, or abilities/disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara G Bautista
- Yale Stress Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Tiara A Cash
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Teri Pipe
- Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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Ben-Soussan TD, Srinivasan N, Glicksohn J, Beziau JY, Carducci F, Berkovich-Ohana A. Editorial: Neurophysiology of Silence: Neuroscientific, Psychological, Educational and Contemplative Perspectives. Front Psychol 2021; 12:675614. [PMID: 33927676 PMCID: PMC8076544 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.675614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics (RINED), Patrizio Paoletti Foundation for Development and Communication, Assisi, Italy
| | - Narayanan Srinivasan
- Department of Cognitive Science, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India.,Centre of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
| | - Joseph Glicksohn
- Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Jean-Yves Beziau
- Brazilian Research Council (CNPq), University of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Filippo Carducci
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Department of Learning, Instruction and Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Abstract
The sociology of prayer has a long history and routinely stresses the centrality of prayer to religious belief and ritual solidarity. Still, we have struggled to clearly define the parameters of prayer and the various components of this ubiquitous practice. Drawing from a comprehensive literature review of prayer research, we propose that there are four conceptually distinct dimensions of the private prayer experience which vary across religious cultures and traditions; they are (1) the quantity of prayer, (2) the style of prayer, (3) the purpose of prayer, and (4) prayer targets. Our proposed measures of these dimensions offer researchers a framework to better theorize and investigate the social mechanisms which produce variation in prayer as well as the individual and social outcomes of prayer. In particular, we discuss how each prayer dimension fits within specific theoretical framings to better test the extent to which the emotional, rational, and behavioral elements matter to prayer outcomes.
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Ben-Soussan TD, Marson F, Piervincenzi C, Glicksohn J, De Fano A, Amenduni F, Quattrocchi CC, Carducci F. Correlates of Silence: Enhanced Microstructural Changes in the Uncinate Fasciculus. Front Psychol 2020; 11:543773. [PMID: 33132952 PMCID: PMC7578698 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.543773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Silence is an important aspect of various meditation practices, but little work has focused specifically on the underlying neurophysiology of silence-related meditative practice, and on how it relates to the self-reported experiences of practitioners. To expand current knowledge regarding the neurophenomenology of silence in meditation, we directly investigated first-person reports of silence-related experiences during the practice of Quadrato Motor Training (QMT) and their association with changes in fractional anisotropy (FA). Participants recorded their cognitive, emotional, and physical experiences upon beginning QMT and again after 6 weeks of QMT practice. These reports were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. Findings showed that change between the two time points in self-reported silence-related experiences was negatively correlated with change in attentional effort, and positively correlated with changes in the left uncinate fasciculus. These results expand current knowledge regarding the neuroanatomical correlates of silence-related experiences during meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, Assisi, Italy
| | - Fabio Marson
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, Assisi, Italy.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Piervincenzi
- Human Neuroscience Department, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Joseph Glicksohn
- Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Antonio De Fano
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, Assisi, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Science, Behavioral Imaging and Neural Dynamics (BIND) Center, University of Chieti-Pescara G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Carlo C Quattrocchi
- Departmental Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università "Campus Bio-Medico di Roma," Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Carducci
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
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Hilert AJ, Gutierrez D. Jewish Meditation in Counseling. COUNSELING AND VALUES 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/cvj.12133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Hilert
- Department of School Psychology and Counselor Education College of William & Mary
| | - Daniel Gutierrez
- Department of School Psychology and Counselor Education College of William & Mary
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Paoletti P, Ben-Soussan TD. Reflections on Inner and Outer Silence and Consciousness Without Contents According to the Sphere Model of Consciousness. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1807. [PMID: 32903475 PMCID: PMC7435012 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the current hypothesis paper, we propose that focusing attention on silence can be used as a paradigm conceptually similar to sensory deprivation, to study consciousness without content. We briefly overview recent influential models of consciousness and consider how they assess the relationship between consciousness and contents. After discussing the strengths and weaknesses of current models, we suggest an extension based on the Sphere Model of Consciousness (SMC) and introduce new definitions for identification and self-awareness as states of consciousness. We further compare Paoletti's theoretical model for the development of self with other influential models, highlighting similarities and differences. We conclude with a discussion of how attentional focus on silence can be empirically tested.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, Assisi, Italy
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Wrench JS, Punyanunt-Carter NM, Garcia AJ. Understanding College Students' Perceptions Regarding Mindfulness: The Impact on Intellectual Humility, Faith Development, Religious Communication Apprehension, and Religious Communication. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2020; 59:1794-1809. [PMID: 31203496 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-019-00861-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The objective of the investigation was to test the impact of mindfulness on intellectual humility, faith development, religious communication apprehension, and religious communication. A new scale was developed to measure religious communication. Results revealed (a) mindfulness predicted faith development, intellectual arrogance, and openness; (b) mindfulness predicted less religious communication apprehension, (c) mindfulness did not predict religious communication. Findings help support the notion that greater mindfulness favorably impacts humble faith development. Mindfulness also seemed to buffer less anxiety but with no significant increase in religious communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Wrench
- Department of Communication, SUNY New Paltz, Coykendall Science Building 51, New Paltz, NY, 12561, USA
| | | | - Adolfo J Garcia
- Department of Communication, SUNY New Paltz, Coykendall Science Building 49, New Paltz, NY, 12561, USA
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Abstract
Durkheim argued that religion’s emphasis on the supernatural combined with its unique ability to foster strong collective bonds lent it power to confer distinctive social benefits. Subsequent research has confirmed these propositions with respect to religion and mental health. At the same time, meditation has been linked to mental health benefits in intervention-based studies. Our investigation offers a unique test of two comparable inhibitors of anxiety-related symptoms in the general population, namely, prayer versus meditation. Using data from the 2010 wave of the Baylor Religion Survey, we find that frequent communal prayer is correlated with an increased incidence of anxiety-related symptoms whereas worship service attendance is negatively associated with reported anxiety. Attendance also combines with communal prayer to yield anxiety-reducing benefits. Meditation, measured as a dichotomous indicator, is unrelated to reported anxiety in our sample of American adults. Our study underscores the selective efficacy of collective forms of religious expression, and points to several promising directions for future research.
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