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Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity

Creativity is a crucial prerequisite for innovation, successful problem solving, and self-expression, but how do we affect creative thinking in a positive way? The present study investigated the effects of open monitoring meditation (OMM) on creativity. We proposed that OMM will benefit creativity i...

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Autores principales: Bashmakova, Iana, Shcherbakova, Olga
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8285115/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34276489
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.663881
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author Bashmakova, Iana
Shcherbakova, Olga
author_facet Bashmakova, Iana
Shcherbakova, Olga
author_sort Bashmakova, Iana
collection PubMed
description Creativity is a crucial prerequisite for innovation, successful problem solving, and self-expression, but how do we affect creative thinking in a positive way? The present study investigated the effects of open monitoring meditation (OMM) on creativity. We proposed that OMM will benefit creativity in metaphor production by cognitive flexibility (CF) enhancement. In the main study, participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: meditation, active, and passive controls. The first two groups performed an audio-guided task (real meditation or a narrative on house plants) for 2 weeks, and the third one had no task. Pre- and post-tests included measures of metaphor production, CF, state, sustained attention, attention shifting, and intelligence. We found no significant intra- or intergroup differences that would suggest OMM effects on creativity. Further, no links were found between measures of metaphor creativity and CF. Findings reveal potential challenges of using meditation as a cognitive enhancement tool. Methodological issues concerning meditation research, as well as creativity and CF measures, are discussed.
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spelling pubmed-82851152021-07-17 Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity Bashmakova, Iana Shcherbakova, Olga Front Psychol Psychology Creativity is a crucial prerequisite for innovation, successful problem solving, and self-expression, but how do we affect creative thinking in a positive way? The present study investigated the effects of open monitoring meditation (OMM) on creativity. We proposed that OMM will benefit creativity in metaphor production by cognitive flexibility (CF) enhancement. In the main study, participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: meditation, active, and passive controls. The first two groups performed an audio-guided task (real meditation or a narrative on house plants) for 2 weeks, and the third one had no task. Pre- and post-tests included measures of metaphor production, CF, state, sustained attention, attention shifting, and intelligence. We found no significant intra- or intergroup differences that would suggest OMM effects on creativity. Further, no links were found between measures of metaphor creativity and CF. Findings reveal potential challenges of using meditation as a cognitive enhancement tool. Methodological issues concerning meditation research, as well as creativity and CF measures, are discussed. Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-07-11 /pmc/articles/PMC8285115/ /pubmed/34276489 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.663881 Text en Copyright © 2021 Bashmakova and Shcherbakova. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Psychology
Bashmakova, Iana
Shcherbakova, Olga
Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity
title Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity
title_full Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity
title_fullStr Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity
title_full_unstemmed Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity
title_short Just Open Your Mind? A Randomized, Controlled Study on the Effects of Meditation on Creativity
title_sort just open your mind? a randomized, controlled study on the effects of meditation on creativity
topic Psychology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8285115/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34276489
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.663881
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