Recently, several people have called my attention to a very simple and quite old form of neuromodulation that is currently gathering a lot of research momentum—transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
Here’s why I’m excited about tDCS.
- Qualitative Significance:
- The effects of tDCS seem to map directly to the core themes in mindfulness.
- Enhanced ability to focus (this seems to relate to the concentration piece in my definition of mindfulness)
- Enhanced ability to detect signals against a noisy background (this seems to relate to the sensory clarity piece)
- Enhanced ability to deal with pain (this may be related to equanimity)
- The turning off of mental talk (i.e., a samatha effect)