Meditation and thought suppression
Can meditators deliberately suppress or disengage from unwanted thoughts more effectively than non-meditators?
The classic “white bear” paradigm suggests that attempts at thought suppression can rebound. This idea asks whether attentional training changes that pattern by improving monitoring, disengagement, or acceptance.
Possible study designs:
- Compare experienced meditators and non-meditators in a thought-suppression task.
- Distinguish suppression from non-engagement, acceptance, or attentional redirection.
- Test whether meditation experience reduces rebound effects after a suppression period.
Key risks:
- Meditation may not improve suppression as usually defined; it may instead change the relationship to thought.
- Self-selection may explain group differences between meditators and non-meditators.
Related ideas: