Dr. Gabriel Reyes M., from the Center of Attachment and Emotional Regulation (CARE) and the School of Psychology of Universidad del Desarrollo, explored if metacognition can be trained. Dr. Jérôme Sackur from the École Normale Supérieure de Paris, Dr. Carlos Schmidt from the University of Barcelona, and doctoral student Mauricio Barrientos, collaborated in the study.
In their article “Meditation focused on self-observation of the body impairs metacognitive efficiency”, Dr. Reyes and his colleagues argue that different meditation techniques have distinct effects on the individuals’ r capacity to monitor their own thoughts (i.e., metacognition). While techniques focused on mental cues may improve metacognitive efficiency, techniques focused on bodily cues impair it. Dr.Reyes explains that “having contact with our mental states, such as thoughts, wishes, and emotions, is crucial to adapt our behavior to the demands of our environment. We hypothezise that metacognition is not similar to a sensory capacity like visual perception, but is an hability that can be potentially trained”.
This study can be of interest for psychiatrists, psychologists, cognitive scientists and the general public interested in meditation and its effect on mental health.