Meditation for wandering mind
Do you recognise the moment when you are trying to focus on an important task but your mind drifts away? Do not worry, mind wandering is a universal experience. Research suggests that our minds wander a lot - it takes up to 50% of our daily thinking time. Mind wandering is a flourishing topic in neuroscience these days. After all, it seems relevant to understand what our brain is actually doing most of the time we are awake.
Neuroscientists identified a network of brain regions, called the Default Mode Network (i.e., medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and medial temporal areas), that is consistently more active when no concrete task must be done and a person is resting. This brain network could be a potential source of spontaneous thoughts, e.g. the mind wandering experience.
People who suffer from attention impairments such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a distorted regulation of the Default Mode Network. Normally this network is deactivated when a person is focusing on a task. However, the deactivation is reduced in ADHD patients. A recent article in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews suggests that this may explain the increased mind wandering and attention problems in ADHD patients.
Mindful Awareness of the mind
Even though mind wandering is universal, the level of awareness that people have of their wandering minds can differ – some people do not recognize when their thoughts carry them away.
This lack of awareness is associated with more extreme attention and cognitive problems, such as those experienced by ADHD patients.
The good news is that mindful awareness can be trained. Mindfulness meditation increases awareness and regulates the Default Mode Network in the brain, reducing spontaneous mind wandering. Some research even shows that the positive effects of meditation on ADHD patients are potentially comparable to those of medication.
You do not necessarily need to meditate to practice mindful awareness. If you notice that your mind drifts away… remember this article and gently bring your mind back to your present task.
FURTHER READING
- Research review: Mind-wandering as spontaneous thought: a dynamic framework.
- Research article: The Efficacy of Adapted MBCT on Core Symptoms and Executive Functioning in Adults With ADHD: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial.
- Research article: Mind wandering perspective on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Please use your voice and write your comment or questions about mindfulness below, we will be happy to hear from you!
HI, I AM IRINA
I am a yoga teacher and a scientist. In this blog I write about the most recent scientific research about yoga/meditation/mindfulness. Please leave comments and share your thoughts!
Feel free to read Irina's previous blogs are here.
You like what you read?
Sign-up for the newsletter and receive updates and more!