Exploring Emptiness and its Effects on Non-attachment, Mystical Experiences, and Psycho-spiritual Wellbeing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Advanced Meditators.
William van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Thomas J. Dunn, Supakyada Sapthiang, Yasuhiro Kotera, Javier García-campayo, David Sheffield
Explore 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2018.12.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects experimental design with qualitative analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | Advanced Buddhist meditators |
| Interventions | Emptiness meditation Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Emptiness Non-attachment Non-self Spirituality |
| Citations | 38 |
| Key findings | Emptiness meditation led to significantly greater improvements in non-attachment, mystical experiences, compassion, positive affect, and negative affect compared to mindfulness meditation, with no effect of meditation duration. |
Abstract
Wisdom-based Buddhist-derived practices (BDPs) are concerned with transmuting suffering by cultivating insight into the ultimate nature of both the self and reality. Arguably the most important wisdom-based BDP is emptiness (Sanskrit: śūnyatā) that implies that although phenomena are perceptible to the human mind, they do not intrinsically exist. Despite its significance in Buddhism, emptiness has received little empirical attention. Advancing scientific understanding of emptiness is important as it may yield novel insights not only into the nature of mind and reality, but also in terms of helping human beings realise more of their capacity for wisdom and wellbeing. This study recruited 25 advanced Buddhist meditators and compared emptiness meditation against a mindfulness meditation control condition within the same group of participants. Qualitative analytical techniques were also employed to investigate meditators' experiences of emptiness. Compared to the mindfulness control condition, emptiness meditation resulted in significantly greater improvements in non-attachment to self and environment, mystical experiences, compassion, positive affect, and negative affect. No significant relationship was observed between duration of emptiness meditation and any of the aforementioned outcome measures. Qualitative outcomes demonstrated that participants (i) combined concentrative and investigative meditation techniques to induce emptiness, (ii) elicited spiritually meaningful insights both during and following the meditation on emptiness, and (iii) retained volitional control over the content and duration of the emptiness meditation. Cultivating emptiness appears to be a means of reconnecting advanced Buddhist meditators to what they deem to be the innermost nature of their minds and phenomena.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Participants in controlled laboratory experiments receiving a moderate to high oral... | 2015 | Validation study using pooled data from five laboratory experiments | n = 184 |
| Alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences after acute LSD in humans Participants in a study on acute LSD effects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Mystical Experience in the Lab | 2014 | Experimental study | |
| Expectancies for Cannabis-Induced Emotional Breakthrough, Mystical Experiences and Changes in Dysfunctional Attitudes: Perceptions of the Potential for Cannabis-Assisted Psychotherapy for Depression Cannabis users | 2022 | Survey-based experimental study | n = 1,000 |
| Baseline power of theta oscillations predicts mystical-type experiences induced by DMT | 2021 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 22
- Compassion as a Skill: A Comparison of Contemplative and Evolution-Based Approaches Mindfulness August 3, 2023
- Wisdom-Based Buddhist-Derived Meditation Practices for Prosocial Behaviour: A Systematic Review Mindfulness March 1, 2024
- Calmer, Kinder, Wiser: A Novel Threefold Categorization for Mindfulness-Based Interventions Mindfulness December 26, 2023
- Mindfulness-based interventions: what more can the West learn from Buddhism? A fieldwork study. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Effectiveness of four deconstructive meditative practices on well-being and self-deconstruction: study protocol for an exploratory randomized controlled trial. Trials February 20, 2023
and 17 more in the library
Cites 7
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression British Journal of Medical Psychology June 1, 2001
- A qualitative study of self‐perceived effects of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) in a psychosocial oncology setting Stress and Health November 28, 2006
- Meditation awareness training for the treatment of workaholism: A controlled trial Journal of Behavioral Addictions April 19, 2017
- Meditation-Induced Near-Death Experiences: a 3-Year Longitudinal Study Mindfulness March 11, 2018
and 2 more in the library