Mindfulness
March 11, 2018
William van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Thomas J. Dunn et al.
38 citations
Advanced Buddhist meditators can intentionally induce near-death experiences (NDEs) at a planned time, a phenomenon called meditation-induced NDE (MI-NDE). In a study of 12 such meditators, the MI-NDE produced significantly greater increases in NDE profundity, mystical experiences, and non-attachment compared to two other meditation practices. Participants' NDE profundity also increased across a 3-year period. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants were consciously aware of the NDE, retained volitional control over its content and duration, and reported rich non-worldly encounters. The findings corroborate features of regular NDEs and suggest unexplored dimensions, indicating it is feasible and ethical to study real-time neurological activity during NDEs using advanced meditators.
Substance Use & Misuse
January 1, 2023
Bahram Armoon, Mark D Griffiths, Rasool Mohammadi
13 citations
Street-involved children and youth who work and live on or off the streets face elevated risks of using psychoactive substances and injecting drugs. A systematic review of studies published from 1985 to 2022 found that the most commonly reported lifetime and current substances were tobacco, cannabis, LSD/ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and injection drugs. Lifetime and current use of methamphetamine and cannabis, as well as lifetime use of cocaine, LSD/ecstasy, heroin, tobacco, and injection drugs, increased with age, while current cocaine and tobacco use decreased with age.
Journal of Behavioral Addictions
February 3, 2026
Atanas Tannous, Zsolt Demetrovics, Bhavya Chhabra et al.
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) consistently reduce gambling frequency and cravings while improving psychological outcomes. When combined with cognitive behavioral therapy, MBIs produce significant declines in problem gambling behavior. Psychological distress and cravings also decrease notably across different intervention types. However, it remains unclear how much of these effects come from mindfulness-specific mechanisms. The evidence comes from 12 studies, including five randomized controlled trials, but small sample sizes and methodological limitations mean more robust research is needed.
Journal of Behavioral Addictions
June 1, 2013
Edo Shonin, William Van Gordon, Mark D Griffiths
Research on Buddhist-derived interventions (BDIs) for problem gambling is growing but remains limited to cross-sectional studies and clinical case studies. Findings suggest that Buddhist-derived mindfulness practices may help reduce problem gambling symptoms. Other potentially useful practices include insight meditation to address avoidance and dissociation, antidotes such as patience and impermanence to reduce impulsivity, loving-kindness meditation to foster positive thinking, and middle-way principles to reduce relapse and withdrawal. However, no controlled treatment studies exist, and barriers include a lack of experienced BDI clinicians and poor provision of both BDIs and gambling interventions. The authors conclude that preliminary findings are promising but further research is needed.