Mindfulness
March 6, 2026
Christopher J. May, Rhoda Schuling, Liv Ziegfeld et al.
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness meditation is widely recognized for its individual psychological benefits, yet its interpersonal effects remain underexplored. This daily diary study examined whether and how mindfulness practice by one romantic partner influences the emotional well-being of their non-meditating partner. Method Using a randomized controlled design, couples were assigned to either...
Hum Brain Mapp
2026
Henrik Röhr, Daniel A Atad, Fynn-Mathis Trautwein et al.
1 citation
The sense of self is a multidimensional feature of human experience. Different dimensions of self-experience can change drastically during altered states of consciousness induced through meditation or psychedelic drugs, as well as in a variety of mental disorders. Some experienced meditation practitioners are able to modulate their sense of self deliberately, which allows for a direct...
Current Opinion in Psychology
August 1, 2019
Marieke K. van Vugt, Amir Moye, Swagath Sivakumar
Computational modeling and meditation are not frequently mentioned in the same breath. However, in this article we argue that computational modeling can provide insights into the mechanisms by which meditation produces its effects on cognition. Moreover, computational modeling allows the researcher to make predictions about how effects of meditation will generalize to other contexts such as...
Progress in Brain Research
2019
Marieke K. van Vugt, Amir Moye, Joshua Pollock et al.
Analytical meditation and monastic debate are contemplative practices engaged in by Tibetan Buddhist monastics that have up to now been largely unexplored in Western contemplative science. The highly physical form of contemplative debating plays an important role in the monastic curriculum. Based on discussions and recorded interviews Tibetan monastic teachers and senior students at Sera Jey...
Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science
2018
Nicholas T. van Dam, Marieke K. van Vugt, David R. Vago et al.
In response to our article, Davidson and Dahl offer commentary and advice regarding additional topics crucial to a comprehensive prescriptive agenda for future research on mindfulness and meditation. Their commentary raises further challenges and provides an important complement to our article. More consideration of these issues is especially welcome because limited space precluded us from...
Perspectives on Psychological Science
October 10, 2017
Nicholas T. van Dam, Marieke K. van Vugt, David R. Vago et al.
1,500 citations
During the past two decades, mindfulness meditation has gone from being a fringe topic of scientific investigation to being an occasional replacement for psychotherapy, tool of corporate well-being, widely implemented educational practice, and "key to building more resilient soldiers." Yet the mindfulness movement and empirical evidence supporting it have not gone without criticism....
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
July 17, 2014
Marieke K. van Vugt
10 citations
There is a rising scientific interest in the neuroscience behind contemplative practices (see e.g., Vago and Silbersweig, 2012 for a review), including movement-based practices such as yoga and tai chi. Given that, it becomes important to ask how such contemplative practices differ from Western movement practices such as dance. In both dance training and contemplative movement, one learns to...
Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience
September 2011
Marieke K Van Vugt, Amishi P Jha
We investigated whether mindfulness training (MT) influences information processing in a working memory task with complex visual stimuli. Participants were tested before (T1) and after (T2) participation in an intensive one-month MT retreat, and their performance was compared with that of an age- and education-matched control group. Accuracy did not differ across groups at either time point....