Current Psychology
September 30, 2021
Anna-Lena Lumma, Ulrich Weger
41 citations
Psychological research relies heavily on self-report and behavioral measures collected by an experimenter, but first-person methods that capture subtle facets of subjective experience are less common. Without these measures, fundamental aspects of psychological phenomena remain inaccessible to theory. This article reviews established first-person methods, compares them on relevant dimensions, and helps researchers select suitable methods for studying subjective experience. Integrating first-person perspectives can complement and enrich third-person research.
Current Psychology
September 8, 2023
Camile Bahi, Mona Irrmischer, Katrien Franken et al.
27 citations
A single session of connected breathing reduced negative mood states (anger, tension, confusion, depression) and increased esteem in 20 healthy adults aged 23–39. Electroencephalography recordings showed decreased delta and theta brainwave power in frontotemporal and parietal regions, and decreased beta1 and beta2 power in parietotemporal regions. Experienced practitioners showed increased gamma power. Subjective experiences during breathwork resembled those after medium to high doses of psilocybin, indicating mystical-type experiences. The results suggest breathwork alters brain activity and mood and may improve mental well-being.
Current Psychology
July 12, 2024
William A. Schutt, Julie J. Exline, Kathleen C. Pait et al.
25 citations
A systematic review of 34 empirical studies (19,724 participants from 32 independent samples) examined links between psychedelic use and long-term spiritual growth. Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, and DMT were studied most often. Findings indicate that psychedelic use is associated with multiple subjective indicators of spiritual growth: stronger perceived connections with the divine, greater sense of meaning, increased spiritual faith, more engagement in religious and spiritual practices, heightened feelings of unity and self-transcendence, positive worldview changes, increased connectedness with others, and reduced fear of death. These facets often co-occurred, and higher ratings of mystical experiences positively correlated with perceived spiritual growth.
Current Psychology
October 7, 2022
Cristopher Siegfried Kopplin, Louisa Rosenthal
16 citations
A pranayama-inspired breathing technique, cold exposure, and their combination were tested for reducing perceived stress in adults. Eighty-six participants were assigned to a breathing-only group, a cold-exposure-only group, a combined group, or a control group. Perceived stress was measured with the PSS-10 and PSQ, which correlated strongly. The combined group showed a medium to large positive effect on perceived stress compared to the control group, while breathing or cold exposure alone did not yield substantial effects, suggesting synergies between the two exercises. Combinations of these techniques may help lower perceived stress.
Current Psychology
November 21, 2024
Jaime Rojas-Hernández, Lucas F Borkel, Domingo Jesús Quintana Hernández et al.
6 citations
Psilocybin was the most used psychedelic in both Spanish and South American populations, but MDMA was more common in Spain (78.5% vs. 37.1%) while mescaline was more common in South America (31.9% vs. 24.0%), especially among males. MDMA was the most combined psychedelic in Spain, whereas LSD was most combined in South America, pointing to recreational use. DMT predicted the most adverse effects during consumption, and MDMA predicted the most adverse effects after consumption. Being under 30 years old more than doubled the risk of adverse effects. The findings indicate that cultural background influences psychedelic use patterns.
Current Psychology
September 28, 2021
M. Gawrysiak, R. T. Pohlig, A. Chaoul et al.
3 citations
A structured nine-month meditation program, the 3 Doors Compassion Project (3DCP), which teaches Tibetan mind-body practices, was associated with significant improvements in mindfulness, stress, and depression among twenty-seven medical and mental health professionals. Improvements occurred incrementally each month. The frequency of meditation practice (days per month), but not the total time spent meditating (minutes per month), was significantly linked to these improvements. This suggests that consistent, regular meditation may be more beneficial than longer, less frequent sessions.
Current Psychology
May 1, 2026
Megan J. Moran, Talia Thompson, Michelle Harmon et al.
1 citation
Adolescents who took part in a community-delivered mindfulness-based intervention reported generally high engagement, with cognitive-behavioral engagement significantly higher than affective engagement. Interviews with 25 participants revealed four themes that varied by engagement level, showing that adolescent engagement in mindfulness interventions shares some features with engagement in other interventions but also has distinctive characteristics. The authors suggest that opportunities exist before, during, and outside sessions to support engagement, which may help improve the mental-health benefits of mindfulness-based interventions for this age group.
Current Psychology
June 1, 2026
Geovan Menezes de Sousa, Geissy Lainny de Lima-Araújo, Vagner Deuel de Oliveira Tavares et al.
Adults with major depressive disorder who report higher levels of dispositional mindfulness—the tendency to attend to present-moment experiences with openness and awareness—show fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms, better sleep quality, and higher self-esteem compared to those with lower trait mindfulness. In a cross-sectional study of 97 adults diagnosed with MDD, two clusters emerged: a High Trait group and a Low Trait group. The High Trait group had significantly lower depressive symptoms (d = 0.795) and anxiety symptoms (d = 0.739), and higher self-esteem (d = -0.586) and sleep quality (d = 0.460). These results suggest trait mindfulness may protect against poor mental health in depression.
Current Psychology
December 1, 2025
Nandini Karunamuni, Tim Wood, Julieta Galante
The mind-brain relationship problem is a key philosophical issue with significant implications for mental health research and practice. This article explores the nature of subjective first-person experiences, which help define the mind, and contrasts them with third-person scientific understandings of the brain. The first-person and third-person perspectives are presented as two distinct but equally valid epistemological frameworks: first-person insights cultivate self-knowledge and wisdom, while third-person analysis illuminates the workings of the world. The mind is described as a dynamic system of constantly changing sensory encounters and mental processes involving past, present, and future, to be regarded as a distinct variable. The article advocates for a broader, more inclusive approach to mental health research and treatment without denying neurobiological correlates of mental states.
Current Psychology
May 21, 2025
Gemma Perry, Yanan Sun, V. Polito et al.
A 10-minute online chanting session produced stronger ego dissolution and mystical-type experiences than listening to a narrative, but only among people who already had experience with chanting. Novice chanters showed no such difference. The effects were partly tied to participants' spiritual or religious beliefs. The findings suggest that even a brief, digitally delivered chanting practice can induce altered states of consciousness in experienced practitioners.
Current Psychology
February 12, 2022
Sylvia Sensiper
Teaching meditation within a historical and cultural context in a 10-week undergraduate seminar improved students' overall well-being, lessened anxiety, improved focus, and increased emotional control, according to an analysis of 400 students' reflective writings collected over nine years. Students also expressed a desire to continue meditation after the seminar ended. The outcomes resemble those from studies using highly structured meditation protocols. The authors suggest that a structured investigation of this teaching model would contribute to discussions on teaching contemplative practice to college students.
Current Psychology
June 21, 2021
Haley McKeen, M. Hook, Purnaja Podduturi et al.
Mindfulness facets—describing, acting with awareness, and non-judging—mediated the link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression in a university sample of 279 participants. Acting with awareness also moderated the relationship: individuals high in awareness showed no increase in depression as ACEs increased. The authors suggest that ACEs may impair the ability to describe feelings and be present, contributing to depressive symptoms, and discuss implications for mindfulness-based interventions.
Current Psychology
September 8, 2020
Esther N. Moszeik, Timo von Oertzen, K.-H. Renner
An 11-minute Yoga Nidra meditation, practiced daily for 30 days, led to lower stress, higher well-being, and improved sleep quality compared with a waitlist control group. Effects were very small to small and remained stable at a six-week follow-up. The meditation reduced negative affect more than it increased positive affect, and mindfulness increased within the meditation group. A large, heterogeneous sample demonstrated that even a very short daily meditation can positively influence stress, sleep, and well-being.