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Mindfulness Meditation and Behavior Change

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The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation

Abstract

Although mindfulness meditation has shown beneficial effects on cognition, emotion, health , and brain plasticity, the relationship between brain mechanisms of mindfulness meditation and behavior change is not yet well-established. Does mindfulness help with behavior change, such as smoking cessation or weight loss? Building on the latest research, this chapter proposes a brain-based model and mechanism underlying behavior change through mindfulness meditation , which includes attention control (persistent focus on target or goal), emotion regulation (positive emotion, reinforcement, and reward), and self-awareness (interoceptive observation and monitoring with equanimity). We use smoking cessation and weight loss as examples of behavior change because these are persistent problems in our society, but are difficult behaviors to stop. We also discuss how “focused attention “ and “open-monitoring” mindfulness meditation can support behavior change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Yi-Yuan Tang

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Yi-Yuan Tang

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  1. Yi-Yuan Tang
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Correspondence to Yi-Yuan Tang .

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Tang, YY. (2017). Mindfulness Meditation and Behavior Change. In: The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46322-3_5

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