Self-related processing in mindfulness-based interventions.
Current Opinion in Psychology July 13, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.07.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Ego Self concept Rumination, cognitive |
| Key findings | The authors report that randomized controlled trials of mindfulness-based interventions have measured very few self-related processes, and only negative self-rumination improved significantly among those measured. They conclude that the evidence remains inconclusive for other self-related processes and argue that studies are especially needed on basic levels of self such as embodiment and sense of agency. |
Abstract
Self-related processing pertains to the complex construct of 'self', as studied across varied disciplines such as cognitive science, neuroscience, modern psychology (including clinical and behavioral psychology), and Western and Eastern philosophy. On a theoretical level, most contemporary models propose that mindfulness training impacts self-related processes. In this review, the empirical evidence for this hypothesis is examined and discussed. Overall, very few self-related processes have been measured in randomized controlled trials of mindfulness-based interventions to date, and, of those processes that have been measured, only negative self-rumination improved significantly. The data so far remain inconclusive as to whether mindfulness-based interventions have an impact on other self-related processes. Studies are especially needed on more basic levels of self such as embodiment and sense of agency.
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 9
- From Self-Esteem to Selflessness: An Evidence (Gap) Map of Self-Related Processes as Mechanisms of Mindfulness-Based Interventions Frontiers in Psychology November 22, 2021
- Meditation-Induced Self-Boundary Flexibility and Prosociality: A MEG and Behavioral Measures Study. Brain Sciences November 26, 2024
- Empowering Children’s Voices: Exploring Social-Emotional Benefits of School-Based Mindfulness Training Through Children’s Drawings Mindfulness March 4, 2026
- Self-related processing removal or revision? The Buddhist theory of no-self and the mechanisms of mindfulness Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences June 7, 2025
- From the attenuation of self-boundaries to inner peace: how nonordinary states of consciousness modulates self-experience and subjective well-being. Neuroscience of Consciousness August 27, 2026
and 4 more in the library
Cites 15
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
and 10 more in the library