Electrophysiological and Behavioral Markers of Empathy-Mindfulness Associations in Novices: Evidence for ”Empathic Affectfulness”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.12.3.199Keywords:
Trait Empathy, Trait Mindfulness, State Mindfulness, Ānāpānasati-Meditation, Electroencephalography (EEG)Abstract
Objectives. This study explored how trait and state mindfulness relate to empathic traits in Indian novice meditators, using behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) measures. Methods. Two independent samples were utilized. Sample 1 (n = 580) provided self-report data assessing empathy, mindfulness, and personality traits. Sample 2 (n = 97) underwent Ānāpānasati-based meditation, wherein EEG-based neural oscillations and self-reported feedback were assessed. Results. Trait mindfulness was positively associated with perspective taking (PT) and negatively with personal distress (PD), independent of personality traits. State mindfulness showed feeble associations: discontinuity of mind (DOM) correlated positively with PD and prefrontal cortex (PFC) beta power, while theory of mind (TOM) positively related with PT. PT was also linked to a lower PFC gamma; thereby, both PT and PD possibly reflected impedance towards novice meditative states. Post hoc, empathic affectfulness (EA)—conceptualized as “PT minus PD”—emerged as a potential marker of affect-conscious empathy, showing modest state-wise association with lower DOM and PFC beta-gamma activity, and strong positive interrelationship with trait mindfulness. Conclusions. PD consistently demonstrated negative correlations with mindfulness. In contrast, PT, although positively associated with EA and trait mindfulness, seemed to hinder novice meditation by promoting unnecessary mentalizing in state contexts. Overall, the empirical findings supported EA plausibly as a novel mechanism.
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