Meditation Diminishes Bias Toward Negative Information

With all the negative information you're getting from your doctor and therapists, namely nothing positive on how they are going to get you recovered. They should immediately counteract that negative bias by them by introducing meditation. But they won't, you're on your own to figure this out.

Meditation Diminishes Bias Toward Negative Information

Summary: A new study reveals that daily mindfulness meditation can help reduce individuals’ tendency to avoid negative information.(I think this sentence is worded completely wrong - should be - to seek out negative information) The practice of regular mindfulness meditation allows people to better process uncomfortable emotions, thus enabling them to handle negative information more objectively.

The study concluded that meditation could foster better decision-making since meditators are more likely to consider information, even if it could elicit a negative response. This counteracts the cognitive bias that typically leads individuals to disregard potentially unsettling information.

Key Facts:

1. The study found that daily mindfulness meditation reduces the tendency to avoid potentially negative information, a common cognitive bias.
2. Regular meditation not only aids in dealing with negative emotions but also facilitates a more objective processing of unfavorable information.
3. This study suggests that daily meditation could enhance decision-making by encouraging the consideration of a wider spectrum of information, including potentially negative inputs.

Source: ETH Zurich

People who meditate every day are less likely to avoid negative information. This is a finding in a new study by a research team including researchers from ETH Zurich.

Smart decision makers gather all the pertinent information, and weigh the pros and cons dispassionately. This also includes gathering information that could prove unsettling or unpleasant. At least that’s the theory.

However, the reality is often quite different. Due to what experts call cognitive bias, people tend to ignore potentially negative information—even when such information is available to them.

Credit: Neuroscience News

For example, they don’t want to find out whether an investment is no longer worthwhile, a medical test has confirmed an illness, or a friend has betrayed their trust. The reason is that even just thinking about negative information triggers fear and worry.

A recent study by Elliott Ash, Professor of Law, Economics, and Data Science at ETH Zurich, shows that people can reduce this tendency towards information avoidance through regular mindfulness meditation.

Coping better with negative emotions

The researchers define the practice of mindfulness meditation as sitting still with eyes closed, observing—but not responding to—breathing, physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that practicing meditation on a regular basis has a positive effect on both body and mind.

Meditating for just 15 minutes a day helps people relieve stress, increases their ability to concentrate, cuts their risk of depression, and enhances their productivity.

Like in other studies, Ash and his co-authors were able to show that daily meditation boosts people’s ability to contend with negative emotions.