Even 15 minutes of mindful meditation a day promotes better decision-making, according to an international study led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ). Meditators in the research study were less prone to certain cognitive biases, such as ignoring potentially negative information, ETHZ revealed on Tuesday.
The researchers randomly divided 261 participants into two groups. For a fortnight, one group practised mindfulness meditation for 15 minutes a day, while the other simply listened to relaxing music. Before and after the experiment, the participants completed standardised questionnaires designed to determine how they react to negative information or certain emotions. The questions related, for example, to their state of health, their finances or their relationships.
“The study participants who meditated every day for two weeks were better equipped to simply observe their negative emotions and accept them calmly,” said Professor Elliott Ash who led the study.
Mindfulness meditation was found to make people more resilient to uncomfortable emotions, which in turn allows them to process negative information more objectively. As a result, meditators were better informed, especially about facts to which they might react negatively.
Data centres use four times more electricity than average
This content was published on
The power consumption of data centres, used in particular for AI, is four times higher than average, warns the International Telecommunication Union.
One in five bee colonies failed to survive Swiss winter
This content was published on
Almost a fifth of bee colonies in Switzerland failed to survive the winter. Losses have been greater than in previous years.
Switzerland condemns deadly attack on UN convoy in Sudan
This content was published on
Switzerland has strongly condemned the deadly attack on a United Nations humanitarian convoy in Sudan. Five people were killed, wrote the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Platform X.
Most over-65s in Switzerland regularly use the internet
This content was published on
The digital divide is narrowing faster than expected in Switzerland. A study published on Wednesday reveals that nine out of ten over-65s use the internet.
Will Swiss president be forbidden from speaking English to counterparts?
This content was published on
Switzerland's president, Karin Keller-Sutter, should use one of the country's four national languages when communicating with international organisations, and not English, according to a motion that passed on Wednesday.
Canton Valais gives CHF10 million to Blatten after devastating landslide
This content was published on
Canton Valais is releasing CHF10 million ($12.1 million) in emergency funds for the mountain village of Blatten, which was wiped out by a devastating glacier collapse last week.
Elderly Swiss-Tunisian man held in prison in Tunisia
This content was published on
An 81-year-old Swiss-Tunisian dual national is being held in a Tunisian prison. The former manager of the UN refugee agency UNHCR was arrested a year ago, according to Amnesty International.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Magic mushrooms and meditation can alleviate depression
This content was published on
Meditation can enhance the positive long-term effects of a single dose of psilocybin, which is found in certain mushrooms.
Now open in Switzerland: Europe’s largest Taoist centre
This content was published on
Centre Ming Shan in western Switzerland, the biggest of its kind on the European continent, is celebrating a two-day open house.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.