Mindfulness and attention

INTERVENTION: Half of the participants will first take part in the EEG experiments (group 1). Next all participants receive a mindfulness intervention for 8 weeks (group 1 and 2). Next, all participants will take part in the EEG experiments (group 1 and 2). Finally, after 8 weeks half of the participants will take part in the EEG experiments (group 2). This design makes it possible to distinguish between the effect of mindfulness, the effect of practice and the effect of mindfulness after several weeks. The intervention we use is an Mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) training. MBSR is a group program that focuses upon the progressive acquisition of mindful awareness, or mindfulness. MBSR comprises a series of exercises designed to give participants experiences of mindfulness (Kabat‐Zinn, 1994). MBSR is a structured 8 week group program with usually groups between 10‐40 participants. Single week sessions last 2.5 hours. Since mindfulness is predicated upon regular and repeated practice, participants enter upon enrolling into a commitment to carry out daily 20‐45‐min homework assignments. The training asks great discipline and commitment of participants. The formal exercises which will be presented are the body‐scan, sitting mindfulness meditation, Hatha‐yoga exercises and meditative walking (Hulsbergen, 2009). The formal exercises serve to become increasingly present in each moment in everyday life. Also informal exercises are included in the training, which serve to develop attentiveness in daily activities. At the start and at the end of the mindfulness‐training participants are presented The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form(FFMQ‐SF) to assess different aspects of mindfulness. CONDITION: ; Healthy subjects, Attention, Electrical stimulation ; ; PRIMARY OUTCOME: Main study parameters are behavioral results like Reaction Time (RT) and accuracy on the experimental tasks, the measures derived from the EEG (N1, P3), and ratings on the VAS‐scale. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Participants are aged between 18 and 65 years old, with no previous experience with mindfulness.