Increased wakefulness as measured by the WAKE-16 is related to mindfulness and emotional self-regulation in experienced Buddhist meditators.
Christine Flatten, Damisela Linares Gutierrez, Sebastian L. Kübel, Steve Taylor, Marc Wittmann
Progress in Brain Research 2024 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2024.04.005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional validation study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 72 |
| Population | Expert meditators and demographically matched non-meditators |
| Topics | Meditation Buddhism |
| Keywords | Awakening Self-regulation Self-transcendence Wakefulness |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | The WAKE-16 showed construct validity by significantly differentiating expert meditators from non-meditators, with meditators scoring higher on wakefulness, mindfulness, and emotion regulation. |
Abstract
We tested and validated the German version of a new instrument for measuring "wakefulness," defined as "an expansive, higher-functioning, and stable state of being in which a person's vision of and relationship to the world are transformed, along with their subjective experience, their sense of identity and their conceptual outlook" (Taylor, 2017, p. 22). In order to test the construct validity of the new instrument (Inventory of Secular/Spiritual Wakefulness; WAKE-16), we performed a parametric comparison between a group of expert meditators (n=36) with a history of predominantly meditating in silence and demographically matched non-meditators (n=36) for the WAKE-16 and two conceptually related questionnaires of mindfulness and emotion regulation. Significantly higher scores for the meditators on the WAKE-16 indicate construct validity of the new instrument. Meditators scored higher on the two mindfulness subscales "presence" and "acceptance," as well as on the SEE subscales of emotion regulation and body-related symbolization of emotions. Within the group of meditators, there were significant correlations between wakefulness and mindfulness, accepting one's own emotions, and experiencing overwhelming emotions. The only significant correlation in non-meditators was found between wakefulness and accepting one's own emotions. The new instrument shows construct validity by discriminating between the two groups. Correlations between wakefulness and related psychological constructs indicate convergent validity. Future studies could attempt to increase discriminatory accuracy of the definition of wakefulness, as well as finding objective methods of measuring.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression, Guilt, and Tibetan Buddhism 98 primarily Tibetan Buddhist meditation practitioners and 438 non-Buddhist,... | 2012 | Cross-sectional comparative study | n = 536 |
| The Mediating Role of Precepts and Meditation on Attachment and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents. Thai boarding-school students in 10th-12th grade from five schools (two Buddhist, three... | 2023 | Cross-sectional survey with parallel mediation analysis | n = 453 |
| Personality Traits and Future Anxiety in Buddhisms: a Study of Adult Tibetan Buddhist Practitioners from Uruguay Members of three Tibetan Buddhist groups in Uruguay, plus religious and non-religious... | 2022 | Cross-sectional comparison | n = 156 |
| The impact of Zen meditation on security and satisfaction in monogamous relationships Men and women aged 18 or older in monogamous relationships for one year or more | 2011 | Observational study (survey) | n = 405 |
| Synergistic effects of Buddhist five precepts and death contemplation on inner strengths and mental health in elderly Thai meditators. Elderly Thai Buddhist meditators aged 60 and above from temples and meditation centers... | 2025 | Cross-sectional study | n = 332 |
Citations in the library
Cites 31
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience Review of General Psychology May 1, 2017
and 26 more in the library