PROMISE: A Model of Insight and Equanimity as the Key Effects of Mindfulness Meditation
Juliane Eberth, Peter Sedlmeier, Thomas Schäfer
Frontiers in Psychology October 22, 2019 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02389 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study (grounded theory) with pilot-testing Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Meditators and non-meditators |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Equanimity and insight are the two key effects of mindfulness meditation that lead to increased wellbeing. |
Abstract
In a comprehensive meta-analysis on the effects of mindfulness meditation, Eberth and Sedlmeier (2012) identified a multitude of positive effects that covered a wide range of psychological variables, such as heightened mindfulness as measured through contemporary mindfulness scales, reduced negative emotions, increased positive emotions, changes in self-concept, enhanced attention, perception, and wellbeing, improved interpersonal abilities, and a reduction of negative personality traits. The present research aimed at developing and testing a comprehensive model explaining the wide range of mindfulness meditation effects and their temporal and causal relationships. In Study 1, interviews with meditators at different levels of experience were analyzed using a grounded theory procedure. The resulting model was triangulated and refined by concepts from both Western research and ancient Buddhist scriptures. The model developed highlights equanimity (reduction in emotional reactivity) and insight (alteration of cognitions) as the two key effects of mindfulness meditation that eventually lead to increased wellbeing. The model was pilot-tested with a large sample of meditators and non-meditators in Study 2. Data showed an acceptable fit with the model and indicated that meditators and non-meditators score significantly differently on the model’s core categories.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Restructuring insight: An integrative review of insight in problem-solving, meditation, psychotherapy, delusions and psychedelics November 26, 2021
- Chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex system and the potential roles of psychedelic therapies. Frontiers in Pain Research April 19, 2024
- What Stands in the Way Becomes the Way: Dual and Non-Dual Approaches to Meditation Hindrances in Buddhist Traditions and Contemplative Science Religions September 11, 2022
- The Third Wave of Meditation and Mindfulness Research and Implications for Challenging Experiences: Negative Effects, Transformative Psychological Growth, and Forms of Happiness Mindfulness June 11, 2025
- Mindfulness, cognition, and long-term meditators: Toward a science of advanced meditation. Imaging Neuroscience 2025
and 13 more in the library
Cites 14
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
and 9 more in the library