Mindfulness
September 30, 2026
Yoel A. Behar, Yuval Hadash, Omer Dar et al.
Abstract Objective We aimed to test whether mental health problems are associated with distressing experiences during intensive meditation training and with the impact of these experiences following intensive training. Method We conducted a preregistered prospective matched-control study comparing 6-day insight mindfulness meditation retreats ( n = 89) to daily living among matched controls ( n...
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
April 29, 2026
Yuval Hadash, Omer Dar, Romi Oren-Schwartz et al.
Despite increased public interest and research on intensive high-dose mental health interventions, much remains unknown about the mental health effects and safety of multi-day intensive high-dose mindfulness meditation training. Accordingly, we conducted a preregistered prospective intervention study among 89 adults who registered for 6-day insight mindfulness meditation retreats and 46 matched...
Annual Review of Psychology
2026
Yuval Hadash, Omer Dar, Iftach Amir et al.
Attention is theorized to have a definitive role in mindfulness and its salutary effects. Yet, findings from more than two decades of research testing this central theoretical premise have been surprisingly mixed. To account for this paradoxical disparity between theory and findings, we propose the Mindfulness Internal Attention (MIA) framework. We theorize and review initial findings...
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
April 1, 2024
Yuval Hadash, Tatyana Veksler, Omer Dar et al.
8 citations
We sought to address a growing debate regarding the adverse and salutary impact of unusual, extraordinary or intense subjective experiences during meditation-based interventions. To do so, we empirically characterized such peak experiences during an intensive meditation intervention and their impact postintervention. We conducted a preregistered prospective intervention study among 96 adults...
July 31, 2023
Yuval Hadash, Omer Dar, Iftach Amir et al.
preprint
Although attention is thought to have a definitive role in mindfulness and its salutary outcomes, extant empirical findings from more than two decades of research on the effects on mindfulness training on attention are mixed and provide only partial support for this central theoretical premise. To account for these findings, as well as to advance field-wide understanding of mindfulness...
PsyArXiv
March 8, 2023
Yuval Hadash, Tatyana Veksler, Omer Dar et al.
preprint
Objective: We sought to address a growing debate regarding the adverse and salutary impact of unusual, extraordinary, or intense subjective experiences during meditation-based interventions. To do so, we empirically characterized such peak experiences during an intensive meditation intervention and their impact post-intervention. Method: We conducted a preregistered prospective intervention...