| Travel back, in your mind's eye, to a time when | | | | course of each meditative session. As the |
| you felt a healthy exhaustion after hiking, biking, | | | | individual becomes better able to maintain focus |
| playing sports.., and let you re-live that moment | | | | on the attentional anchor, the notion of "paying |
| as vividly as you can. | | | | attention to attention" is introduced and individuals |
| Then, remember, re-experience, a loving | | | | are encouraged to bring their attention to the |
| exchange that really touched you. Pause. See | | | | present moment frequently during the course of |
| your partner. See the moment. Smell it. Hear | | | | the day." |
| what happened around you. | | | | "By directing one's attention to the process of |
| Next, visualize the most caring gesture you have | | | | paying attention, to noticing notice when one |
| ever received, as full of details as possible. Who | | | | becomes distracted, and to refocusing attention |
| gave you that gift of caring. How you felt. | | | | when distraction occurs, mindfulness meditation |
| Now, travel to the most magnificent place you | | | | training can be thought of as an "attention training" |
| have seen. Enjoy the views. Pause. Listen. Smile. | | | | program. As such, examining the impact of such |
| Appreciate. | | | | training on individuals with ADHD becomes a very |
| Congratulations. You have trained your brain. As | | | | interesting question to pursue." |
| Newsweek's Sharon Begley explained recently: | | | | The Results of the study? |
| "But now neuroscientists have documented how | | | | Seventy-eight percent of participants (25 of 33) |
| "mere" thoughts can also sculpt the brain. Just | | | | completed the study. On average, participants |
| thinking about playing a piano piece, over and | | | | attended 7 of the 8 weekly training sessions. |
| over, can expand the region of motor cortex | | | | Adults reported an average of 90 minutes and |
| that controls those fingers; just thinking about | | | | 4.6 sessions per week of at-home meditation |
| depressive thoughts in new ways can dial down | | | | practice; adolescents averaged 43 minutes and 4 |
| activity in one part of the brain that underlies | | | | sessions of weekly at-home practice. Both |
| depression and increase it in another, leading to | | | | adolescents and adults who completed the |
| clinical improvement." | | | | program reported high levels of satisfaction with it |
| We have talked about the value of meditation | | | | - average scores above 9 on a 1 to 10 |
| before. Only a few days ago, in predicting brain | | | | satisfaction scale. |
| health trends for the next 5 years, I wrote that: | | | | Seventy-eight percent of participants reported a |
| "Noncomputer-based programs will also prove to | | | | reduction in total ADHD symptoms, with 30% |
| be effective tools. Research increasingly is | | | | reporting at least a 30% symptom reduction (a |
| affirming the value of such methods as meditation | | | | 30% reduction in symptoms is often used to |
| to train attention and regulate emotions, using | | | | identify clinically significant improvement in ADHD |
| cognitive therapy to build self-motivation and | | | | medication trials). Because the majority of |
| other abilities, and keeping a gratitude journal to | | | | participants were receiving medication treatment, |
| affirm positives in one's life and improve | | | | for many these declines represent improvement |
| self-reported happiness. | | | | above and beyond what benefits were already |
| A fascinating new study (Mindfulness meditation | | | | being provided by medication. |
| training in adults and adolescents with ADHD. | | | | On neurocognitive test performance, significant |
| Journal of Attention Disorders, 11, 737-746) | | | | improvements were found on the measure of |
| suggests the benefits of mindfulness for | | | | attentional conflict and on several other |
| adolescents and adults with attention deficits. | | | | neuropsychological tests (i.e., Stroop color-word |
| Let's see what Dr. David Rabiner, Director of | | | | test and Trails A and B) but not for measures of |
| Undergraduate Studies in the Department of | | | | working memory. |
| Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, | | | | For adults, significant reductions in depressive and |
| has to say about the topic: | | | | anxiety symptoms were reported. Comparable |
| "Mindfulness meditation is described as involving 3 | | | | reductions in these symptoms were not evident |
| basic steps: 1) bringing attention to an "attentional | | | | in adolescents |
| anchor" such as breathing; 2) noting that | | | | In short: in order to fight Attention Deficits...may it |
| distraction occurs and letting go of the distraction; | | | | not make sense to develop the "mental muscles" |
| and, 3) refocusing back to the "attentional anchor". | | | | to Pay Attention? |
| This sequence is repeated many times during the | | | | |