I have used colour tents as outlined in the paper co-authored with Gordon Dutton January 2015.
Tent like spaces are being used by teachers and parents as a calming space as well as for a visual stimulus.
This idea of colour and colour light tents could be of value in your project.
Dear Suzanne,
Thank you for your interest and your suggestion. For the moment, we are trying to investigate the impact of standardized mindfulness protocols, like MBSR. But we are envisaging to investigate the impact of specific environnements that could foster attentional engagement.
I would be interested in discussing this with you when you consider environments as I have found in my experience of working with children with complex needs that the colour tents have provided a space of no clutter and this appears to create a calm response. Many teachers I am in contact with have commented on how colour tents and uncluttered rooms have had a positive calming affect for children with autism and other complex needs. This space could assist with calm responses and focused attention for mediation and quality of life. I have also found when working with children who are very unwell that colour has assisted in producing a state of calm and pleasure. I can send you presentations I have given if you ever wish to see the affect which can be one of a stimulus plus a calm focus for any age group and for people with brain injury or dementia. I try to practise mediation and find the tent creates a security womb in the same sense as being in nature and finding a quiet space. This may help older people regain a focus and be able to develop this in a neuroplasticity sense of repeating what has worked to the point of it influencing cognitive responses in daily life.
I am aware of interventions employing special rooms (multi-sensory room - Snoezelen) for patients with severe mental retardation, and their positive effect (e.g., Fava, L., & Strauss, K. (2010). Multi-sensory rooms: Comparing effects of the Snoezelen and the Stimulus Preference environment on the behavior of adults with profound mental retardation. Research in developmental disabilities, 31(1), 160-171.)
I agree that employing ad-hoc environments, fostering calm and focused attention, could be an interesting mean to facilitate meditation practice in certain populations, such as elderly or novice in general.
I would be interested in receiving your presentations.
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