Introduction: Meditation is an ancient practice that cultivates a calm and focused mind. However, little is known about how short practices affect cognitive functioning in groups that did not practice meditation and had signs and symptoms of anxiety. Methods: We selected individuals between 18 and 28 years old with signs and symptoms of anxiety for two groups (meditation and control). The meditation group for 4 weeks, with 2 weekly meetings lasting approximately 1 hour and a half. Afterwards, we applied neuropsychological tests to both groups in order to assess whether there was an improvement in cognitive functions. Results: Compared to our control group, we observed that 4 weeks of meditation are able to reduce anxiety levels, increase the degree of attention, and improve immediate and delayed contextual memory. In addition, we also obtained small results in improving processing speed and decision making. Conclusions: This study suggests that short-term meditation is capable of offering beneficial effects on cognitive functions and reducing anxiety levels.
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