Concentrative meditation influences creativity by increasing cognitive flexibility

Abstract

Given the great importance of creativity in society, it is worth investigating how creative thinking can be enhanced. The link between meditation and enhanced creativity has been proposed by a number of authors; however, the reason why meditation leads to an increase in creativity is not clear. The current study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms of different meditation styles on creative performance. A nonstudent sample was used and the experiment took place outside of the lab environment to maximize external validity. Two groups of experienced meditation practitioners performed a meditation session (either mindfulness or concentrative meditation). Participants’ creativity and cognitive flexibility were assessed before and after the meditation session. The current findings demonstrate that meditation increases creative performance, irrespective of meditation style. Interestingly, only concentrative meditation led to an increase in cognitive flexibility. Possible explanations are discussed.