Mindfulness Meditators Are Less Affected By Virtual Reality (sciencedirect.com)

vrml writes: People often enroll in mindfulness meditation courses to pursue better health, but can such practices have unintended consequences on how they are engaged by emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR)? That's what comes out from a new study published by the Computers in Human Behavior. A group of people with no experience in meditation tried scary VR experiences with an head-mounted display, while researchers measured their emotional reactions through physiological parameters such as heart activity and facial muscles activity. Then, half the participants followed a typical 8-week mindfulness course, while the other half did not (control group). At the end of the 8 weeks, they tried VR again. Participants who had practiced mindfulness during the 8 weeks were much less affected by VR: the scary VR experiences were not able to increase their heart rate as 8 weeks earlier, facial muscles activity was reduced, and their subjective perception of VR was consistent with this lack of engagement. On the contrary, the control group did not show such changes, and was still affected by VR. The paper interprets this emotional deactivation of meditators in terms of self-regulation of attention and detachment that can be gained through mindfulness, and can persist also when people (as these participants trying VR) are not meditating.

Comments

So, another benefit of mindfulness...

[Anonymous Coward]

...is that one is not affected by hipster bullshit shallow flashy distractions.

Fuck, I used to think mindfulness was eastern woowoo, but it's evolved into something that's actually useful for keeping oneself focused and rational, and I'm pleased to benefit from it. This is just another reason to recommend it.

Re:So, another benefit of mindfulness...

[KGIII]

I'm a secular Buddhist, I've even been on refuge multiple times - including going to Nepal. I've been a practicing Buddhist (not a very good one and sure as fuck not a monk) for 20 years or so?

A couple of things... I don't think we're all hipsters? Some might be. I am mindful because it enables me to be more understanding - it's purely selfish. There is no altruism there. I am mindful because it enables clarity and understanding. I am mindful because I want to be at peace with myself. A restful mind is a great place to live.

Another, and this is more amusing than not, thing is that people seem inclined to tell me what I believe. "Oh, you can't believe that. Buddhists don't believe that." Err... Yes, yes we do. I am not even remotely unique in my beliefs and I'm perfectly well accepted, respected, and allowed to both speak and listen. I've been at this for a *very* long time, I'm pretty damned certain about who I am and what I believe.

If you're curious, I believe in reincarnation but not like you might expect. My atoms will someday make up the materials of stars. I will not be conscious of it but my atoms will be used again. Someday, I will be a part of some star somewhere and even that cycle will begin anew until the heat death of the universe. Well, it might not be a star (and odds are against that) but I can hope.

I believe in Karma and, again, not like one might expect. I believe that, for the most part, you get back out of it what you put into it. This is not always true and sometimes bad things happen to good people. My Karma will not be carried forward into the next life so I consider it a bank account. Why store it up if you're not going to spend it? (I even approach Slashdot Karma with the same views.)

I don't proselytize nor do I actually give a shit what others believe. I do care how they act but mostly in regards to each other. I'll be fine without your compassion or acceptance. Being mindful, and then still of mind, means that I'm not so dependent on my ego and affirmation is not something I'm all that keen on. It would be boring to communicate with people who all agree with me. It's also important to mention again that I'm not a monk, I don't want to be a monk, I don't have the willpower to be a monk.

I don't mention it often - my belief system is not something that's often on-topic. I've discussed it on Slashdot before and it often means someone comes along and tries to tell me what I can't believe. They obviously don't know much about Buddhism but they feel inclined to tell me all about my belief system. (Note: I did not say religion but you can use that word if you want.)

An interesting aside; I was coming home from refuge once and still wearing my Kasaya (robes) and I noticed a difference in the way people react. I've since worn them in public in many areas. Nobody, and I mean nobody, seems inclined to mess with someone in the robes. They largely seem to assume I'm a monk (or a Hare Krishna, seriously) even though one needn't be a monk to wear them. I can assure you, I am no monk.

At any rate, it's quite amazing how different you're treated. I've been in the middle of some messed up stuff and I can just meander through. Nobody cares. If they do care, it's to bow to you (I'm not sure why) or to want to shake your hand. Sometimes they expect you to speak wise words. The robes are awesome on an airplane when you've got someone next to you and they want to talk. Just point to your lips, shake your head, and they SMILE and leave you alone.

As a compromise with myself, I have managed to keep a few "wise" things and koans handy for people who seem inclined to ask. It's okay that they ask, I don't mind. I was a bit startled at first as I'm not used to people looking at me as a source for wisdom. I don't have much for wisdom but I do have experiences. So, I usually share those.

Hmm... What's a good one for today? How about, "A stone is only heavy when you carry it." To tie that into this topic, "You can not be mindful while carrying your burden. Let

Re:So, another benefit of mindfulness...

[mellon]

The funny thing about this is that what's actually going on is that people who practice mindfulness are less easily rattled. It's got nothing to do with the VR googles.

Kind of missing the bigger picture

[Shoten]

Mindfulness meditators are less rattled by actual reality as well. That's kind of the whole point of it. Things that are scary or stressful don't knock them off balance as much. The VR angle should not be a surprise.

Re:Kind of missing the bigger picture

[BarbaraHudson]

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help you learn the same thing, without meditation.

Re:Kind of missing the bigger picture

[John Allsup]

Many CBT practitioners teach or advise mindfulness, though.

Re:Kind of missing the bigger picture

[sacdelta]

The VR angle is most likely an attempt to just make the study appear more modern and relevant.

To properly test the VR aspect, they should repeat the study with non-VR stimulus to see if there is a significant difference in improvement.

Otherwise it is just a study in meditation effect on stress response with the VR just tacked on so that tech news will carry it.

Re:Before you start wondering how the crazies got

[Shoten]

"Mindfulness meditation" is how one would describe someone actively practicing not living in the moment. In other words, they're saying that people who exist higher on the consciousness scale (there are several terms for what boils down to heightened awareness) are better able to distinguish reality from virtual reality.

Actually, you have that backwards. "Mindfulness" is very much about living in the moment. It's nothing new, just a Western term for what is basically zen meditation. Think of it in terms of being "mindful," as in, just paying attention and not having your head up your ass.

Mindful Meditator

[mADneSs]

Huh. Saw the headline and figured this was some new Ubuntu release or something.