Frontiers in Pharmacology
March 20, 2018
Joaquim Soler, Matilde Elices, Elisabet Domínguez‐clavé et al.
104 citations
A single weekend of four ayahuasca sessions improved the capacity for non-judgmental acceptance as much as an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course, though MBSR produced larger overall gains in mindfulness. Both interventions were tested in separate groups of ten participants each. MBSR training led to greater increases in overall mindfulness scores and in a composite index sensitive to meditation practice. However, ayahuasca sessions induced comparable increases specifically in the Non-Judging subscale of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, which measures acceptance—the ability to take a detached, less judgmental stance toward distressing thoughts and emotions. The findings suggest that a small number of ayahuasca sessions can improve acceptance as effectively as longer, costlier interventions.
Mindfulness
February 22, 2016
Marta Alda, Marta Puebla-Guedea, Baltasar Rodero et al.
87 citations
Meditation experts had longer telomeres and fewer short telomeres than matched non-meditators. The psychological factor most strongly linked to telomere maintenance was the absence of experiential avoidance—the tendency to suppress or avoid negative emotions and thoughts—along with a sense of common humanity, as measured by the Self-Compassion Scale. These findings suggest that how meditators relate to their inner experience, rather than meditation itself, may be key to cellular aging.
Explore (New York, N.Y.)
January 1, 2019
William van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Thomas J. Dunn et al.
38 citations
Cultivating emptiness (śūnyatā), a wisdom-based Buddhist-derived practice, appears to reconnect advanced meditators to what they consider the innermost nature of mind and phenomena. In a study of 25 advanced Buddhist meditators, emptiness meditation produced significantly greater improvements in non-attachment to self and environment, mystical experiences, compassion, positive affect, and negative affect compared to a mindfulness meditation control. No significant relationship was found between duration of emptiness meditation and any outcome. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants combined concentrative and investigative techniques to induce emptiness, elicited spiritually meaningful insights, and retained volitional control over the meditation.
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.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2023
Jaime Navarrete, Marta Fontana-Mcnally, Ariadna Colomer-Carbonell et al.
9 citations
The Spanish versions of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) and the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) show adequate reliability and validity for measuring state mindfulness, though the SMS specific factors have poor reliability when controlling for the general factor. Data from six non-clinical Spanish samples (TMS n=119, SMS n=223) were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The best-fitting model for the TMS was a correlated two-factor structure (curiosity and decentering). For the SMS, a bifactor structure (general factor, mindfulness of body, and mindfulness of mind) fit best. Both scales detected changes in state mindfulness after meditation practices. The patterns of correlations with measures of trait mindfulness, decentering, non-attachment, depression, anxiety, stress, affect, self-criticism, and self-reassurance were mostly as expected.
PLoS One
July 17, 2024
Julieta Galante, Jesus Montero-Marin, Maris Vainre et al.
8 citations
A randomized controlled trial found that participants who completed an 8-week mindfulness-based program reported altered states of consciousness—including experiences of unity, transcendence of time and space, and feelings of bliss—that persisted up to a year later. Compared to a control group, those in the mindfulness program showed significantly higher scores on measures of altered states at both post-intervention and 12-month follow-up. The findings suggest that mindfulness training can produce enduring changes in subjective experience beyond the meditation session itself.
Frontiers in Medicine
January 1, 2024
Débora Silva Teixeira, Sandra Fortes, Celia Kestenberg et al.
8 citations
A mindfulness-based health promotion program adapted for Brazil's public health system was tested in nine groups in Rio de Janeiro primary care units. Of 62 mostly low-income women participants, 80% had chronic conditions, including anxiety (42%) and depression (35%). After eight weeks, anxiety and depression improved significantly, and quality of life improved in psychological, physical, and social domains. Participants reported using mindfulness practices for insomnia and emotional distress, and involving family members helped create space for meditation at home. Mindfulness was seen as a complement to medication and therapy. The intervention proved feasible and effective for psychosocial support in low-resource primary care settings.
Trials
February 20, 2023
Javier García-campayo, Rinchen Hijar-Aguinaga, Yolanda López-del-hoyo et al.
6 citations
This protocol describes an exploratory randomized controlled trial designed to test whether four deconstructive meditative practices can improve well-being and promote self-deconstruction. The study will compare the effects of these practices, likely involving techniques that challenge the sense of self, against a control condition. Outcomes will include measures of well-being and self-deconstruction, with the aim of identifying which practices are most effective. The trial is exploratory, meaning it will generate preliminary data to inform future research. No results are reported as this is a study protocol.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2021
Javier García-campayo, Nieves Moyano, Marta Modrego-Alarcón et al.
4 citations
A Spanish version of the Lucidity and Consciousness in Dreams scale (LuCiD) was validated in 367 Spanish adults, 40.3% of whom had meditation experience. The scale’s original eight-factor structure (insight, control, thought, realism, memory, dissociation, negative emotion, positive emotion) was confirmed, with adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability after removing one poorly performing item. Meditators scored higher on the insight and dissociation factors than non-meditators. The mindfulness facet of observing was positively linked to most LuCiD factors, while acting with awareness correlated negatively with realism. Positive and negative affect corresponded to the respective LuCiD emotion factors. The scale provides a reliable tool for measuring dream lucidity and consciousness in Spanish populations, and the results suggest connections between meditation experience, mindfulness traits, and dream characteristics.
Virtual Reality
September 5, 2025
Marta Modrego-Alarcón, Yolanda López del Hoyo, María Beltrán-ruiz et al.
3 citations
A pilot randomized controlled trial compared a standard mindfulness-based programme (MBP), the same programme enhanced with virtual reality (MBP+VR), and a relaxation control condition in 51 non-clinical adults. All three conditions significantly reduced psychological distress. MBP+VR was more acceptable than relaxation and equally acceptable as MBP alone. MBP+VR outperformed relaxation in reducing psychological distress with a large effect. MBP alone produced greater improvements in depressive symptoms, positive affect, and several facets of mindfulness and self-compassion. MBP+VR improved total mindfulness, the observing facet, and the self-compassion mindfulness subscale. Participants in MBP+VR also showed improvements in state mindfulness and emotional states across VR sessions, reporting an intermediate sense of presence. The authors conclude that further research is warranted.
April 8, 2023
Julieta Galante, Jesus Montero-Marin, Maris Vainre et al.
3 citations
preprint
An 8-week mindfulness-based programme (MBP) led to more intense experiences of unity and disembodiment in daily life compared with mental health support as usual alone. University of Cambridge students without severe mental illness who took the MBP reported stronger feelings of oneness and separation from the body. Meditation practice itself predicted reports of unity, blissful state, insightfulness, disembodiment, and changed meanings. The findings suggest causal links between mindfulness practice and specific altered states of consciousness, and practitioners should anticipate and manage these experiences appropriately.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2022
Javier García-campayo, Rinchen Hijar-Aguinaga, Alberto Barceló-soler et al.
3 citations
People who meditate are more likely to report having had a peak experience—an intense moment of joy, unity, or transcendence—than those who do not meditate. In a survey of 237 Spanish adults, 71.8% of meditators reported at least one peak experience compared to 46.8% of non-meditators. However, among those who had such experiences, the number, intensity, and ability to self-induce them did not differ between the two groups. Meditators also scored higher on measures of non-dual awareness, mindfulness, and absorption, but not on all aspects of dream lucidity. Being a meditator predicted having had a peak experience but not lucid dreaming scores, suggesting meditation may facilitate peak experiences while its effect on lucid dreams remains unclear.
World J Psychiatry
June 19, 2025
Paulina Lamas-Morales, Rinchen Hijar-Aguinaga, Javier García-campayo
1 citation
Excessive self-focus, or selfishness, is common in modern culture, and while some self-focus is adaptive, rigid self-fixation harms psychological, interpersonal, and social well-being. Deconstructive meditations, contemplative practices that use self-inquiry to examine perception, cognition, and emotion, may help cultivate a more flexible, less self-centered perspective. These practices reduce identification with self-narratives and promote psychological flexibility, according to contemplative neuroscience. However, empirical research on these meditations is limited and needs further investigation. This article reviews the practices, their links to psychotherapy, and potential therapeutic applications, discussing clinical implications and future research directions to validate their impact on mental health.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
May 1, 2026
María Arqueros, J L Fayos Soler, Ausiàs Cebolla et al.
Ego dissolution, a temporary state of reduced self-referential processing and increased unity with the environment, can be modulated by both psychedelics like ayahuasca and contemplative practices like meditation. In a comparison of 37 ayahuasca users and 137 meditators, meditators scored significantly higher on the 'Delusion of Me' index, which measures acceptance, decentering, and non-attachment. While meditation practice showed a significant non-linear association with cumulative practice and higher scores, repeated ayahuasca exposure showed no evidence of a cumulative association with the index in this sample.
April 20, 2026
Jaime Navarrete, Adrián Pérez-aranda, Daniel Campos et al.
preprint
Spanish versions of three psychological scales—the Quiet Ego Scale (QES), the Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment (NADA), and the Ontological Addiction Scale (OAS‑24)—showed good reliability and validity in a sample of 242 Spanish adults. The QES and NADA fit a bifactor structure, while the OAS‑24 fit a one-factor structure. Scores were comparable across genders and meditation experience. Women scored higher on the QES, but no gender differences appeared for the NADA or OAS‑24. Meditators reported higher QES and NADA scores and lower OAS‑24 scores than non-meditators. Low-ego individuals were more likely to meditate and had accumulated more lifetime practice. An optimal threshold of 376 lifetime meditation hours discriminated low- from high-ego profiles.
Mindfulness
March 27, 2026
Paulina Lamas-Morales, Carlos García-rubio, María Beltrán-ruiz et al.
A systematic review of 18 studies (2457 participants) found that deconstructive meditative practices, such as Vipassana and insight meditation, may improve depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological well-being in adults. Mindfulness, non-attachment, and insight were identified as possible mechanisms of change. Results varied by study design and intervention duration, and the limited number of randomized controlled trials and methodological heterogeneity restrict generalizability. The evidence suggests these practices can be effective, but higher-quality studies are needed to confirm clinical applications.
Front Psychol
January 21, 2025
Javier García-campayo, Jesus Montero-Marin, Roberto Aristegui
Contemplative neuroscience, which studies meditation, yoga, and related practices, is gaining acceptance in Western psychology and psychiatry, fulfilling a vision of earlier pioneers. A special issue on this topic includes nine papers. One clinical study found that neither semantic nor sensory priming improved outcomes of a self-compassion meditation. Another found that online mindfulness reduced state paranoia in individuals with high positive schizotypy but not trait paranoia. EEG research on Tibetan meditators showed concentrative meditation produced more neural changes than analytical meditation. A study on mindfulness and daily stress found that, except for nonreacting, mindfulness was positively associated with perceived stress.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
March 2, 2023
Alberto Barceló-soler, Héctor Morillo-Sarto, Selene Fernández-martínez et al.
Third-wave psychotherapies that emphasize mindfulness, compassion, and acceptance are effective for chronic pain, but they typically require patients to practice meditation at home. A systematic review of 31 quantitative studies found that patients practiced around four days per week on average, though the amount of time spent varied widely. Most studies linked greater home practice to better health outcomes. The most common interventions, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, showed low adherence: patients completed only 39.6% of the recommended practice time. Adolescents practiced very few minutes, and eHealth interventions had mixed adherence. Adaptations may help chronic pain patients engage more easily and effectively in home meditation practice.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2020
Jesus Montero-Marin, Marta Puebla-Guedea, Paola Herrera-Mercadal et al.
correction
A correction notice for a previously published article on Vipassana meditation, personality, positive psychology, retreat, and wellbeing. The notice states that the original article's DOI is 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01935 and provides a correction to that work. No findings, methods, or results are presented.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2019
Jesus Montero-Marin, Maria C Perez-Yus, Ausiàs Cebolla et al.
Focused attention (FA) meditation session length was associated with higher happiness and positive affect and lower depression, negative affect, and emotional overproduction. Compassion meditation (CM) session length was linked to greater positive affect, and CM practice frequency to higher happiness. Lifetime FA practice related to happiness, and lifetime open monitoring (OM) practice to lower emotional overproduction. Religious beliefs and prayer were less relevant than these meditation practices in explaining psychological adjustment. The findings suggest distinct meditation practices may differentially influence well-being through specific practice variables.
Papeles del Psicólogo
February 21, 2017
Ausiàs Cebolla, Angel Enrique, David Alvear et al.
Mindfulness and positive psychology share core values such as kindness, compassion, and positive emotions, yet their integration has been underdeveloped. This paper examines the commonalities and differences between the two fields, reviews studies on how mindfulness and contemplative practices affect human well-being, and proposes future research and interventions to bridge them. Mindfulness is presented as more than a technique—it carries an implicit ethical framework that aligns with positive psychology's assumptions.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2016
Jesus Montero-Marin, Marta Puebla-Guedea, Paola Herrera-Mercadal et al.
A one-month Vipassana meditation retreat, involving 8-9 hours of daily practice, a vegetarian diet, and compulsory silence, increased non-attachment, mindfulness (observing), well-being (positive affect, balanced affect), and cooperativeness in experienced meditators compared to matched controls who did not attend the retreat. Decreases occurred in describing, negative views of others, reward dependence, and self-directedness. Non-attachment partly explained changes in decentering, acting with awareness, non-reactivity, negative affect, balanced affect, self-directedness, and life satisfaction, and moderated changes in describing and positive views of others. The retreat appears to improve psychological outcomes even in experienced meditators, with non-attachment potentially enabling further gains beyond non-intensive practice.
JMIR mHealth and uHealth
November 1, 2013
Inmaculada Plaza, Marcelo Marcos Piva Demarzo, Paola Herrera-Mercadal et al.
Interest in mindfulness has grown rapidly, especially in psychology and medicine, where mindfulness-based therapies show effectiveness for chronic diseases. Mobile applications for health promotion are also increasingly popular, but research on mindfulness-based mobile applications (MBMAs) is scarce. This study reviewed features of 50 MBMAs from online markets and 11 relevant literature items. Of the apps, 59% focused on daily meditation practice, 13% on mindfulness training, and 11% on assessments. Common features included reminders (19.4%), statistics tools (15.7%), and audio tracks (13.9%). Only 37% provided statistics or reports, and 28% allowed social network access. No evaluations of health outcomes from MBMAs were found, and no randomized clinical trials assessed their impact on mindfulness training or health indicators.