Mindfulness Meditation Leads To Increased Dispositional Mindfulness And Interoceptive Awareness Linked To A Reduced Dissociative Tendency
Fabio D’Antoni, Susanna Feruglio, Alessio Matiz, D. Cantone, C. Crescentini
Journal of Trauma & Dissociation June 2, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2021.1934935 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 7-week Mindfulness Oriented Meditation (MOM) training reduced dissociative tendencies, increased dispositional mindfulness, and improved interoceptive awareness (not-worrying, self-regulation, body listening) in healthy adults compared to a waiting-list control group. Greater increases in mindfulness skills correlated with greater reductions in dissociation and improvements in interoceptive awareness. More home meditation practice was linked to larger gains in mindfulness skills. The findings suggest mindfulness meditation may cultivate voluntary processes that provide psychological safety and integration, contrasting with the involuntary nature of dissociation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 212 |
| Population | Healthy individuals |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Oriented Meditation (MOM) training |
| Duration | 7-week training |
| Keywords | Medicine Psychology |
| Key finding | Mindfulness Oriented Meditation training reduced dissociative tendencies and increased mindfulness skills and interoceptive awareness in healthy adults. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Dissociation is an involuntary defensive mechanism to protect oneself by avoiding unbearable internal conflicts or overwhelming emotions. Cultivating mindful awareness could allow the development of voluntary processes that can offer part of the self-protective function of dissociation while favoring internal integration processes. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of a 7-week Mindfulness Oriented Meditation (MOM) training on healthy individuals’ self-reported dissociative experience, mindfulness skills and interoceptive awareness. After the training, in comparison to a waiting-list control group (N = 102), the MOM group (N = 110) showed reduced dissociative tendencies (p < .05), increased dispositional mindfulness (p < .001) and increased interoceptive awareness (in the aspects of not-worrying, self-regulation and body listening; p < .001). Moreover, correlational evidence showed that the more MOM participants increased in mindfulness skills after the training the more they reported increased interoceptive awareness and decreased dissociative functioning (p < .05). Mindfulness skills also improved with more home meditation practice executed by MOM participants (p < .05). These findings were attributed to a possible role of mindfulness meditation in enabling the development of volitional processes that afford psychological safety and integration, in contrast with the involuntary nature of dissociation.