A Systematic Review of the Effects of Long-Term and Advanced Meditation on Well-Being, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Relationships
Terje Sparby, Vanessa Naughton, Batool Abbasi, Jerron Chan, Oliver Andersson Hugemark, Matthew D. Sacchet
June 17, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/s4vzr_v2 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMeditation research has focused mostly on short-term effects in beginners and mindfulness-based practices, leaving advanced and long-term meditation poorly understood. This systematic review of 52 studies found that long-term and advanced meditators show greater well-being, deeper relational attunement, and more refined emotional capacities than those with basic practice. These benefits appear tied to skill-based proficiency rather than simply how long someone has meditated. However, the field's reliance on time-based measures and tools unsuited for experienced practitioners may hide these deeper effects. Realizing meditation's full potential requires shifting research toward meditative skills, stages, and attainments.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Attunement Interpersonal communication Transformative learning Interpersonal relationship Rumination |
| Key finding | Long-term and advanced meditators experience greater well-being, relational attunement, and emotional capacities than those with basic practice, with outcomes linked to skill-based proficiency rather than practice duration alone. |
Abstract
Despite rapidly growing interest in meditation, research has disproportionately emphasized short-term outcomes in novices and mindfulness-based practices, leaving advanced and long-term meditation largely unexplored. This review examines how sustained and skill-developed meditation practices positively shape well-being, interpersonal relationships, and emotion regulation. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase on April 5, 2026 identified 1,229 articles; 52 met inclusion criteria. Synthesizing qualitative and quantitative findings, evidence suggests that long-term and advanced meditators experience greater well-being outcomes, including deeper relational attunement and more refined emotional capacities, than those observed in more basic practice. These outcomes appear associated with skill-based proficiency rather than practice duration alone. Yet the field’s continued reliance on temporal criteria, combined with measurement tools poorly suited to more experienced practitioners, may obscure these deeper benefits. Realizing meditation’s full transformative potential requires a reorientation toward investigating meditative skills, stages, and attainments in relation to well-being.