Global Meditation Practices: A Literature Review.
Jyoti Valluri, Karen Gorton, Carol Schmer
Holistic Nursing Practice DOI: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000626 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 768 |
| Population | Participants in meditation studies from various countries |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | All 15 meditation approaches reported positive therapeutic outcomes, enabling a broader definition of meditation for clinical use. |
Abstract
Research has shown that meditation is beneficial for chronic pain, stress, and many physical and mental conditions. The definition of meditation has many forms, is culturally influenced, and is practiced globally. This literature review seeks to report current literature on meditation related to therapeutic outcomes and create a globally informed definition of meditation for health-related purposes. From a western perspective, mindfulness-based stress relief (MBSR) is widely researched. Therefore, 15 studies from peer-reviewed research from 2015 and 2020 were used to examine various forms of meditation and describe a broader range of meditation practices other than MBSR. The different forms of meditation are: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Portugal), Active Engagement (Portugal), Adapted Mindfulness Program (Brazil), Adapted Mindfulness Program (Brazil), Cognitively-based Compassionate Training, Loving-kindness (United States, US), Mantra Meditation (US), Mindfulness-based stress reduction (US), Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (South Korea), Osho (India), Psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology (Italy), Transcendental Meditation (Italy), Spiritual/Secular (US), Sufi (Pakistan), and Vipassana (Australia). The review was completed using a literature search method, and all meditation approaches report positive therapeutic outcomes for all participants (n = 768). This outcome enabled the creation of a broader therapeutic definition of meditation that can be applied in clinical practice.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Yoga and Meditation Improve Mental Health, with Outdoor Settings Offering Additional Benefits Where Differences Exist: A Systematic Review Ecopsychology September 17, 2026
- Mindfulness Meditation Combined with eCASH-Based Nursing for Cesarean Section in Preeclampsia: A Retrospective Study on Perioperative Pain and Recovery. International journal of women's health 2026
- Theory and conception of Somatopsyche Psychiatric Intervention: a transdiagnostic body-mind intervention for psychiatric practice. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2025
Cites 25
- Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2016
- Reproducibility and four year follow-up of a training program in mindfulness meditation for the self-regulation of chronic pain Pain 1984
- Compassion Meditation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans: A Randomized Proof of Concept Study Journal of Traumatic Stress March 31, 2019
- Osho Dynamic Meditation's Effect on Serum Cortisol Level. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research November 1, 2016
- Cultivating an Eastern self: A qualitative study of the impact of mindfulness meditation on Western-born practitioners’ views of self and well-being Mental Health, Religion & Culture August 9, 2018
and 20 more in the library