Are long-term meditators more psychologically resilient, more mindful, less psychologically distressed and have enhanced perceived quality of life? A comparative preliminary analysis from Sri Lanka

Background: Meditation practices are currently being incorporated in psychotherapeutic interventions to address globally increasing rates of psychopathology. Meditation has been a common practice in Sri Lanka since early times. However, the integration of meditation as practiced in a Sri Lankan context, into psychotherapeutic interventions require rigorous empirical exploration.

Objectives: The primary objective of this preliminary study was to explore the differences between meditators and non-meditators in terms of several psychological parameters. This study aimed to understand patterns, trends, and relationships in psychological variables such as mindfulness, psychological resilience, perceived quality of life, and psychological distress (namely, depression, anxiety, and stress)Methods: This study involved 15 long-term meditators (with a practice of 5-25 hours per week and 3.5-25 years of experience) from Sri Lankan meditation centers headed by Buddhist monks/nuns, and a matched control group of 15 non-meditating participants from a Sri Lankan community sample. Participants were matched for their age, gender and education. Self-reported levels of mindfulness, psychological resilience, perceived quality of life, and psychological distress were assessed using culturally adopted and validates psychometric measures.Results: The long-term meditators showed significantly higher scores on three dimensions of mindfulness (observing, non-reactivity, and acting with awareness) and total mindfulness, as well as higher psychological resilience and perceived psychological and environmental quality of life. Furthermore, the meditators reported significantly low levels of depression compared to their non-meditating controls.Conclusion: These findings suggest that a meditation-based lifestyle in a Sri Lankan context may be characteristic of higher levels of mindfulness, psychological resilience, and quality of life, as well as lower levels of depression, when compared to individuals who do not engage in regular meditation. The results provide direction for further empirical investigation and potential integration of meditation practices into psychotherapeutic interventions.