A 5,000-year old technique of consciousness could help you to make less error

Did you know that your brain fires a neural signal called "error positivity" 0.5 seconds after making a mistake? That's it! And guess what: According to a new study by Michigan State University researchers, the signal is much stronger for meditators. Meditators still make mistakes, but their brains tell them loudly about these errors.

Meditation style is key: you need to do so-called "open-monitoring meditation," concentrating on your body emotions, thoughts, and body sensations. "Tune in and be vigilant about everything that happens in your mind and body. The goal is to sit quietly and pay close attention to where the mind is travelling without getting too caught up in the scenery, "Dr Jeff Lin, co-author of the study, said in a statement. Remember that the emphasis on your breath or rhythm is different.

[Photo: Spencer Selover/Pexels]

Two hundred mediation novices meditated for only twenty minutes for the study and then took a computerized distraction test while wearing an EEG monitor that measured neural activity after correct responses and errors. The brains of the meditators showed a likely increase in the recognition of errors.

"These results are a strong example of what just 20 minutes of relaxation can do to improve the ability of the brain to identify and pay attention to errors," Moser said. "This makes us feel more comfortable about what knowledge meditation can actually be capable of at the moment there for success and daily functioning."

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