The jhānas are series of advanced concentrative absorption meditative (ACAM) states brought about by meditation. While previously cultivated mostly in monastic settings, a series of modern meditation manuals both openly discuss the jhānas and describe how they may be attained by laypeople. Simultaneously, the phenomenological and neuroscientific investigation of the jhānas is advancing....
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has been shown to decrease general feelings of distress. It is not known to what extent such beneficial effects are associated with attenuation of physiological responses to challenging psychological situations. The aim of the present study was to examine potential associations between general decreases in subjective distress and...
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness meditation has been claimed to decrease aspects of egoic functioning (EF). However, empirical evidence is largely lacking or is suggesting the reverse. Therefore, the aim was to examine the associations between mindfulness, mindfulness interventions, egoic functioning, and emotional well-being using different designs. Method We conducted three studies: (i) a...
Adoption of potentially consciousness-altering practices may be leading to a rise in emergent phenomena (EP): sudden unusual mental or somatic experiences often interpreted as spiritual, mystical, energetic, or magical in nature. It is unclear how frequently these altered states of consciousness occur and what the clinical implications may be. Anecdotal accounts and prior literature suggest...
MindfulnessMay 1, 2024Rotem Leshem, Or Catz, Ayelet Nave
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness and impulsivity traits are considered to be important aspects of mental well-being and health. These traits are often seen as opposing concepts, yet the nature of the relationship between them is unclear, mainly because they are complex to define. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and mindfulness, taking into account...
Abstract Objectives The study aimed to examine the effects of an online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program on stress and quality of life levels of family caregivers of cancer patients. Method The study used a randomized controlled trial design with a pre-test (T1), follow-up (T2) and post-test (T3) which was conducted with 104 family caregivers of cancer patients. Data collection was...
Abstract Objectives Practitioners in contemplative traditions commonly report experiencing an awareness that is distinct from sensory objects, thoughts, and emotions (“awareness itself”). They also report experiences of a void or underlying silence that is closely associated with this awareness. Subjects who carry out the Headless Way exercises frequently report an experience of emptiness or...
MindfulnessApril 1, 2024Junya Ogino, Takashi Maruyama, Wakako Umene-Nakano et al.
Abstract Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Intervention program of Mindfulness and Compassion against COVID-19 (IMACOCO), an online mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), in enhancing mindfulness, mental health, well-being, and productivity among working individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the study examined the program’s efficacy in individuals...
Abstract Objectives The objective of this evaluative systematic review was to analyse the impact of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) that incorporate Buddhist wisdom practices on prosocial behaviour, and provide insights into their underlying mechanism, potential benefits, and applications. Method A systematic literature search was conducted using three electronic databases up until 1...
Abstract Objectives The main objective of this paper was to examine the cost-utility of attachment-based compassion therapy (ABCT) compared to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and treatment-as-usual (TAU) on patients with depressive and/or anxious disorder, or adjustment disorder with depressive and/or anxious symptomatology in terms of effects on quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as...
Self-compassion involves treating oneself with the same kindness, understanding, and forgiveness that one would typically offer a friend in times of suffering or adversity. While self-compassion has shown consistent benefits in research and therapy, including psychological and physical health benefits, some individuals practicing it may initially encounter adverse reactions known as...
Abstract Objectives Medication is the predominant treatment for childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but has side effects and limited longer-term effects. Mindfulness for children and their parents could be an alternative as it targets children’s core symptoms and supports parents. This study compared the effectiveness of a family mindfulness-based intervention to...
Abstract Objectives Although various multi-week mindfulness programs have been introduced for stress reduction over the past decades, there is still little evidence on the effectiveness of short, self-applied interventions. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of virtual reality mindfulness and audio mindfulness, as well as a simple colouring session. Method Sixty-seven participants...
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness is a multifaceted concept which might be best captured by person-centered profiles rather than by variable-centered assessment of its subcomponents. Patients with different mindfulness profiles may vary in mental health status and might experience differential clinical outcomes of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). We therefore aimed to assess the...
A nuanced examination of human behavior can yield valuable insights into whether a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) promotes meditation practices and to what degree in various populations. This study aimed to offer a comprehensive analysis of meditation behaviors exhibited by individuals in response to a MBI in the context of an intensive residential treatment program for addiction...
Mindfulness therapy improves drinking outcomes arguably by attenuating negative mood-induced drinking, but this mechanism has not been demonstrated in hazardous community drinkers. To address this, three studies tested whether a key ingredient of mindfulness, breath counting, would attenuate the increase in motivation for alcohol produced by experimentally induced negative mood, in hazardous...
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness-based supervision (MBS) is a vital support for teachers of mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs), and good practice guidance requires mindfulness teachers to have at least 4 hr of MBS a year. Despite this, underpinning theory and research on MBS is sparse. This study explores the perspectives of supervisors and supervisees to identify helpful and unhelpful...
Abstract Mindfulness is said to be a connecting thread between an ancient philosophy on the one hand and a contemporary psychological practice on the other. However, some contemporary mindfulness practices have arguably become so disconnected from their roots in Buddhist ethics and wisdom principles that the fundamental essence of the practice is no longer recognisable. It appears that when...
MindfulnessDecember 1, 2023Matthew T. Crawford, Claire Marsh, Joel Clegg
Abstract Objectives The current study examined the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and fading affect bias, where the affect associated with negative events fades more quickly and fully than affect associated with positive events. Although much of the previous work has focused on conditions that hinder fading affect bias (e.g., depression, anxiety), few studies have examined...
MindfulnessDecember 1, 2023Amaiur Olarza, Goretti Soroa, Aitor Aritzeta et al.
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness consists of paying attention to the present moment with curiosity, acceptance and non-judgment. Although several instruments exist for evaluating mindfulness in adults, few have been adapted for children, and even fewer have been adapted to the Basque language. The aim of the present study is to adapt the Reduced Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS-R)...
Abstract Objectives Meditation encompasses a variety of techniques, but little is known on how and for whom they work. This study explored potential mechanisms of four different meditation techniques in beginners and which technique might be suited for whom. Method Using an experimental single-case design, we compared the longitudinal effects of concentrative, humming, observing-thoughts, and...
Abstract Objectives The benefits of mindfulness meditation can only be achieved if it is practiced, but health behavior research tells us that initiating and maintaining long-term behavior change is difficult. We propose that mindfulness meditation can be usefully viewed as a health behavior and that this perspective generates insights into how individuals can be supported to develop a healthy...
AbstractRecently, the largest test of a school-based mindfulness programme to date, the My Resilience In Adolescence (MYRIAD) trial, found that participating in weekly mindfulness lessons did not improve students’ well-being compared to teaching as usual, with low uptake of recommended home mindfulness practice. One potential explanation for the null result and low uptake is that adolescents...
School-based mindfulness interventions in children have shown benefits to child well-being. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of a remote, app-based mindfulness intervention for promoting well-being in children. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with two control groups to examine the effects of an 8-week mindfulness intervention in U.S. children ages 8-10. We compared...
Abstract Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has caused high mortality rates worldwide, as well as consequent psychological and physical stress. The present study aimed to review the main existing scientific research studies conducted since the onset of the COVID-19 that have used mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) as tools for emotional regulation, aiming to improve individuals’ ability to...