10.1007/s10339-009-0354-z. Cognitive Processing International Quarterly of Cognitive Science © Marta Olivetti Belardinelli and Springer-Verlag 2009 10.1007/s10339-009-0354-z Editorial The exploration of meditation in the neuroscience of attention and consciousness Antonino Raffone1, 3  and Narayanan Srinivasan2, 3 (1) Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy (2) Centre of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India (3) Perceptual Dynamics Laboratory, Brain Science Institute RIKEN, Tokyo, Japan Antonino Raffone Email: antonino.raffone@uniroma1.it Received: 4 December 2009  Accepted: 11 December 2009  Published online: 30 December 2009 Abstract Many recent behavioral and neuroscientific studies have revealed the importance of investigating meditation states and traits to achieve an increased understanding of cognitive and affective neuroplasticity, attention and self-awareness, as well as for their increasingly recognized clinical relevance. The investigation of states and traits related to meditation has especially pronounced implications…