Recent Research on the Effects of Mindfulness Based Training
Over the last 30 years a significant amount of scientific research has been carried out in relation to the benefits of mindfulness based interventions. As with anything, the quality of research varies. Some studies are very well designed and stand up to rigorous scrutiny. Others are more questionable. One thing which is certain is that we have only begun to scratch the surface in terms of our scientific understanding of how mindfulness and other forms of meditation affect the body and mind. A lot more research is required and we should always be wary of catchy headlines which promise immediate or guaranteed results. That said, there is a significant body of scientific evidence which has been gathered over the last 30 years by some of the most well respected universities and academic institutions confirming the benefits of mindfulness training.
What Does Mindfulness Meditation Do To Your Brain
Publication: Scientific American
Author: Tom Ireland
Date: June 2014
Research has found that mindfulness training alters our brains and how we engage with ourselves, others, and our work. When practiced and applied, mindfulness fundamentally changes the operating system of the mind. Through repeated mindfulness practice, brain activity is redirected from ancient, reactionary parts of the brain, including the limbic system, to the newest, rational part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex.
Why Mindfulness For Lawyers Works Wonders
Publication: L&D Professional
Author: John Hilton
Date: February 2016
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), a global law firm with around 5,000 employees, was the first company to launch a mindfulness program in the Australian legal industry. Some of the results from the 6-week program include: “a 12 percent increase in employee focus; a 10 percent increase in employee performance; a 10 percent increase in employee efficiency; a 17 percent increase in employee work/life balance; an 11 percent increase in employee communication skills; a 14 percent decrease in employee multitasking.”
Publication: Psychological Science
Author: Mrazek, Franklin, Phillips, Baird, and Schooler
Date: March 2013
“In a randomized controlled investigation, we examined whether a two-week mindfulness-training course would decrease mind wandering and improve cognitive performance. Mindfulness training improved both GRE reading-comprehension scores and working memory capacity while simultaneously reducing the occurrence of distracting thoughts during completion of the GRE and the measure of working memory… Our results suggest that cultivating mindfulness is an effective and efficient technique for improving cognitive function, with wide-reaching consequences.”
Mindfulness Can Literally Change Your Brain
Publication: Harvard Business Review
Author: Congleton, Hölzel, and Lazar
Date: January 2015
“This year [2015], a team of scientists from the University of British Columbia and the Chemnitz University of Technology were able to pool data from more than 20 studies to determine which areas of the brain are consistently affected [by mindfulness training]. They identified at least 8 different regions. Neuroscientists have also shown that practicing mindfulness affects brain areas related to perception, body awareness, pain tolerance, emotion regulation, introspection, complex thinking, and sense of self. While more research is needed to document these changes over time and to understand underlying mechanisms, the converging evidence is compelling.”
There's No Price Tag on a Clear Mind: Intel to Launch Mindfulness Program
Publication: The Guardian (source)
Author: Kristine A. Wong
Date: April 2014
AwakeatIntel - On average, participants responding to pre- and post- self-evaluation questionnaires report a 2-point decrease (on a 10-point scale) in experiencing stress and feeling overwhelmed, a 3-point increase in overall happiness and wellbeing, and a 2-point increase in having new ideas and insights, mental clarity, creativity, the ability to focus, the quality of relationships at work and the level of engagement in meetings, projects and collaboration efforts.
Publication: The Financial Times
Author: David Gelles
Date: August 2012
General Mills - General Mills has had over 500 employees attend their Mindful Leadership program, created by General Mills’ deputy general counsel, Janice Marturano. According to the company's self-report data: "After one of Marturano’s seven-week courses, 83 percent of participants said they were 'taking time each day to optimize (my) personal productivity' – up from 23 percent before the course. 82 percent said they now make time to eliminate tasks with limited productivity value – up from 32 percent before the course. And among senior executives who took the course, 80 percent reported a positive change in their ability to make better decisions, while 89 percent said they became better listeners.