Effects of Vipassana Insight Meditation on Quality of Life and Plasma Endogenous Beta-endorphin Level in Registered Meditators Practicing Meditation at the Well-established Meditation Centres in Selangor
Yan Naing Soe, Kye Mon Min Swe, Ong Hooi Tin, Myo Minn Oo, Hnin Pwint Phyu, Thaw Zin, Htar Htar Aung
Acta Scientific Medical Sciences July 1, 2023 DOI: 10.31080/asms.2023.07.1597 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Registered meditators from Vipassana insight meditation course intakes at BMSM-Vipassana Meditation Centers in Malaysia, divided into 20 junior and 20 senior meditators |
| Intervention | Vipassana insight meditation |
| Measures | WHOQOL-BREF, plasma beta-endorphin levels |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The authors report that quality of life improved after the meditation course for all meditators, with mean WHOQOL-BREF domain scores of 56.83 (physical), 60.23 (psychological), 65.95 (social), and 70 (environmental). Beta-endorphin increased significantly after meditation in 4 of 8 junior meditators with detectable levels and in all 10 senior meditators with detectable levels. They argue these results provide evidence of meditation's influence on quality of life and beta-endorphin levels. |
Abstract
Background: The essence of teaching-learning practice in Buddhism is based on "Access concentration" and "Vipassana Insight Meditation".The practical process includes the synthesis of the inter-relationship of conditionality, dependent arising and path to purification.Nowadays, "Vipassana Insight Meditation became an interesting practice around the world.The main outcome of "Vipassana Insight Meditation is to achieve four sublime modes of living: Loving-kindness, Compassion, Appreciative joy, and Equanimity.This project is aimed to enhance the scientific proof of the effect of Vipassana Insight meditation (Dhamma propagation).The objectives were to measure the effects on plasma endogenous beta-endorphin levels in the meditators and to determine the effects of insight meditation on quality of life by WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among registered meditators from the intakes of the Vipassana insight meditation course run by BMSM-Vipassana Meditation Centers in Malaysia.The meditators were divided into two groups Group A-20 junior meditators who were contemplating phase 1 or phase 2 access concentration and Group B-20 senior meditators who were contemplating a higher level of access concentration.Results: A total of 40 meditators participated, with 20 senior meditators and 20 junior meditators.The domain scores of WHO quality-of-life among all the meditators are as follows: Physical health 56.83,Psychological health 60.23, Social relationship 65.95, and Environmental 70.Both junior and senior meditator groups have significant outcomes after the meditation practice.The beta-endorphin level was detected in 8 junior meditators and among them, four participants were found to have a significant after the meditation course (Z = -2.521)(p = .012).On the other hand, the beta-endorphin level is detected in 10 participants of the senior meditator's group, among them, all of them have a significant level of increase in the level of the hormone after the meditation course (Z = -2.803)(p = .005). Conclusion:This study provides strong evidence of improvement in the quality-of-life measure after the meditation course for all the meditators.The beta-endorphin level before and after the meditation shows that there is a scientifically proven influence of meditation on the hormone level.The results from the senior meditators group express that most of them have a significant increase in the level of beta-endorphins even before the meditation course.A similar result was observed in three of the junior meditators.That is the essence of insight meditation which is a dynamic development of individualized attainment and contemplation of the state of mind.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
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and 4 more in the library