Motivation and emotion/Book/2014/Emotional processing through meditation

what is emotional processing? what is Meditation?

Emotional processing or emotional regulation(ER)concerns the ability to influence our feelings, reactions and expressing of emotions (ref 2 p.433). In his 1998 paper Gross defined two types of emotional processing; antecedent and response focused. Antecedent focused ER relates to the initial stimulation and processing before physiological and behavioural reactions occur within the body. Response focused emotional regulation refers to the processes undertaken after the emotional reaction has occurred and may include modifying the emotion. (Gross, 1998 as referenced in ref 2 p. 433).

Emotional awareness (EA) has been shown to be a contributing factor to ER, those who display higher levels of ER are more accurately able to identify their own emotions as well as the emotions displayed in others therefore enabling them greater insight while regulating emotions (ref 2 p. 433).

The practice of meditation has been associated with many benefits including improvements to health, well-being, bodily function in autonomic, immune and endocrine systems as well as greater awareness of self and greater control and stability of emotions (ref 1 p.44. Results of studies suggest that an increase in physiological reaction and impaired cognitive functioning are associated with suppression but not reappraisal (ref 2 p. 433).

One of the key elements of many streams of meditation is the practice of mindfulness (ref 1 p. 44)

what would happen when you did it - brain processing

Meditation has been shown to increase the amount of alpha and theta waves in the brain and lower self-report anxiety levels (ref 1 pg 44).

Studies comparing those who practice meditation with those who did not practice meditation found that meditators emotional processing was different. Meditators were less aroused by negative visual stimuli designed to elicit an emotional reaction, while processing of neutral or positive visual stimuli was much more similar to those who did not meditate (ref1 p. 44).

A significant difference can be seen through the use of an electroencephalograph (EEG) while monitoring reactions to visual stimuli in the activation of the frontal cortex in meditators which is not seen in non meditators(ref 1 p.44).

Meditators appear to be able to suppress or avoid stimulating emotional arousal when viewing unpleasant visual stimuli (ref 1 pg 44)

The practice of mindfulness and focused concentration appear to be contributing factors in altering the way that a regular practitioner of meditation processes negative emotion. With mindfulness emphasizing awareness of the self in the present moment and consciousness of thoughts, emotions and physiological state (ref 1 p.47).

In addition to mindfulness, another regular practice in most meditations is focused concentration. Focused concentration involves the continual naming and categorizing of thoughts, feelings, events, experiences etc. The purpose of this is to disconnect from them and have greater control of emotional and mental reactions, maintaining awareness and consciousness and therefore (ref 1 p.47)

Regular practice of mindfulness and focused concentration over time seem to alter daily emotional processing functions in the brain (ref1 p.47).

see also

Emotional Intelligence

references

(ref1)Sobolewski, A., Holt, E., Kublik, E., Wrobel, A., (2011) Impact of meditation on emotional processing - a visual ERP study. Neuroscience Research,71, 44-48 (ref2)Szcygiel,D.,Buczny,J., Bazinska, R., (2012)Emotion regulation and emotional informational processing: the moderating effect of emotional awareness. Personality and Individual Differences, 52. 433-437