Meditation and Health: The Search for Mechanisms of Action
Bethany E Kok, Christian E. Waugh, Barbara L. Fredrickson
Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2013 DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Action physics Cognitive science Psychotherapist Cognitive psychology Theology |
| Citations | 39 |
| Key findings | Meditation may improve physical health by enhancing emotion regulation, self-regulation, or inducing specific mental states, but rigorous trials are needed to confirm causal mechanisms. |
Abstract
Abstract Psychological interest in the impact of mental states on biological functioning is growing rapidly, driving a need for new methods for inducing mental states that last long enough, and are sufficiently impactful, to have significant effects on physical health. The many traditions of meditative practice are one potential pathway for studying mind‐body interactions. The purpose of this review is to introduce personality and social psychologists to the field of meditation research. Beginning with a brief introduction to meditation and the heterogeneity of meditative practices, we showcase research linking meditative practice to changes in immune and cardiovascular functioning and pain perception. We then discuss theoretical and empirical evidence that meditation works by inducing changes in psychological capacities such as emotion regulation and self‐regulation or through repeated induction of specific mental states such as love or meta‐cognitive awareness. At the frontier of the science of meditation is the need to empirically test whether meditation‐driven changes in cognitive and affective processes are the cause of improvements in physical health. Emerging challenges in meditation research include a need for large studies using randomized controlled and dual‐blind designs with active control groups and an increased focus on measuring mechanisms of action as well as outcomes. Meditation represents a potentially powerful tool for generating new knowledge of mind‐body interactions.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- Effect of kindness-based meditation on health and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology June 30, 2014
- The secret ingredient in mindfulness interventions? A case for practice quality over quantity. Journal of Counseling Psychology 2014
- Who benefits from mobile health interventions? A dynamical systems analysis of psychological well-being in early adults. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being June 1, 2025
- The Impact of Morning Meditation and Sleep Quality on Affective and Health Outcomes in Healthcare Workers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health April 9, 2025
- Mindfulness Meditation Improves Mental Health in Flood Survivors and Disaster Volunteers: A Randomized Wait-List Controlled Trial Mindfulness November 1, 2024
and 9 more in the library
Cites 31
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
and 26 more in the library