Mindfulness may spark creative thinking in scientists
NCT ID NCT07102953
First seen Jul 01, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study explores whether two types of mindfulness meditation—focused attention and open monitoring—can improve creativity in graduate students and academic researchers. Over five days, participants practice meditation or listen to audio stories, then take tests measuring divergent and convergent thinking. Brain activity is also recorded with EEG to see if meditation changes how the brain works. The goal is to understand if brief meditation training can enhance creative problem-solving in research settings.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- focused-attention meditation and open-monitoring meditation
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward simple mental exercises that enhance creative thinking in scientists and other professionals.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 5 days of training, so results may not apply broadly or show lasting effects. Creativity is hard to measure, and improvements may be modest.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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112 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2025
- Finished
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Oct 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Currently enrolled graduate students (Master's or PhD) or other research personnel (e.g., postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, or academic researchers). * Aged 18 years or older and under 65 years. * No current diagnosis of severe mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder). * Not currently taking mood-stabilizing medication (e.g., SSRIs), to avoid confounding effects on mindfulness training and EEG outcomes Exclusion Criteria: * Simultaneously participating in other mindfulness-based psychological intervention programs or courses that cannot be paused during the study period. * Suicidal ideation or planning reported within the past two weeks. * Inability to attend in-person assessments at the laboratory site. * Refusal or inability to provide informed consent.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Westlake University
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310030, China