Meditation Group Research Articles

Prior brief meditation reduces distractor inhibition during cognitive interference.

Mindfulness meditation, comprising focused attention and open monitoring meditations, has been shown to enhance performance on cognitive interference tasks. While this enhancement has been considered not to result from distractor inhibition, no empirical evidence has been provided through behavioral data. In this study, we investigated whether 30-min interventions of focused attention and open monitoring meditations could reduce distractor inhibition in 72 meditation-naïve participants divided into focused attention meditation, open monitoring meditation, and control groups. We employed a task set that combined a cognitive interference task with subsequent preference judgment and surprise recognition tasks, utilizing the mere exposure effect paradigm, along with state and trait questionnaires. The mere exposure effect shows that repeated exposure to face images increases one's preference for them. However, this effect is reduced if participants consciously or unconsciously try to inhibit the face images during stimulus processing. In the cognitive interference task, they judged the direction of the letter superimposed on a distractor face image. In the subsequent preference judgment task, they were asked to rate the preference of face images, half of which were presented in the interference task and the remaining half were not presented. We hypothesized that inhibiting face images presented as distractors would lead to a decrease in preference for them. We found that the mere exposure effect was observed in focused attention meditation and open monitoring meditation groups but not in the control group, indicating that compared to the control, focused attention and open monitoring meditations reduce inhibition processes for distractors during cognitive interference tasks. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between the intensity of the mere exposure effect and state relaxation before the cognitive interference task as well as a negative correlation between the intensity of the mere exposure effect and state anxiety in the focused attention meditation group, but not in the open monitoring meditation group. This suggests that the processes of reducing inhibition in focused attention and open monitoring meditations differ. Our findings contribute to understanding the attentional mechanisms underlying mindfulness meditation during cognitive interference.

Enhanced Correlation between Arousal and Infra-Slow Brain Activity in Experienced Meditators.

Meditation induces changes in the nervous system, which presumably underpin positive psychological and physiological effects. Such neural changes include alterations in the arousal fluctuation, as well as in infraslow brain activity (ISA, <0.1 Hz). Furthermore, it is known that fluctuations of arousal over time correlate with the oscillatory phase of ISA. However, whether this arousal-ISA correlation changes after meditation practices remains unanswered.; Methods: The present study aims to address this question by analyzing a publicly available electroencephalogram (EEG) dataset recorded during meditation sessions in the groups of experienced meditators and novices. The arousal fluctuation is measured by galvanic skin responses (GSR), and arousal-ISA correlations are measured by phase synchronization between GSR and EEG ISAs.; Results: While both groups exhibit arousal-ISA correlations, experienced meditators display higher correlations than novices. These increased arousal-ISA correlations in experienced meditators manifest more clearly when oscillatory phase differences between GSR and EEG ISAs are either 0 or π radians. As such, we further investigate the characteristics of these phase differences with respect to spatial distribution over the brain. We found that brain regions with the phase difference of either 0 or π radians form distinct spatial clusters, and that these clusters are spatially correlated with functional organization estimated by the principal gradient, based on functional connectivity.; Conclusions: Since increased arousal-ISA correlations reflect enhanced global organization of the central and autonomic nervous systems, our findings imply that the positive effects of meditation might be mediated by enhanced global organization of the nervous system.

The Effect of Zikr Meditation on Anxiety, Stress Levels and Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients

Background: Hypertension, a prevalent chronic condition, poses significant health risks when left untreated. Psychological factors like stress and anxiety are known contributors to high blood pressure. Effective management of hypertension may benefit from non-pharmacological interventions that address these psychological elements. Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the impact of Zikr meditation, a spiritual mindfulness practice, on reducing anxiety, stress, and blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. Methods: A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 hypertensive patients, randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in 20-minute Zikr meditation sessions for four weeks daily, while the control group engaged in a placebo activity. Anxiety and stress levels were measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), respectively. Blood pressure readings were taken before and after the intervention. Results: Participants in the Zikr meditation group showed a significant reduction in anxiety and stress levels compared to the control group. Additionally, there was a notable decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure among those practicing Zikr meditation. Conclusions: Zikr meditation effectively reduces anxiety and stress, leading to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients. These findings suggest that incorporating Zikr meditation into standard hypertension management could offer a valuable, non-pharmacological approach to improving cardiovascular health. Further research is recommended to examine Zikr meditation's long-term effects and broader applicability in hypertension care.

Effects of Virtual Reality (VR)-Based Meditation on Sleep Quality, Stress, and Autonomic Nervous System Balance in Nursing Students.

This study aimed to determine the effects of virtual reality (VR)-based meditation on the sleep quality, stress, and autonomic nervous system balance of nursing students. Nursing students were categorized into experimental groups I (VR-based meditation) and II (concentration meditation) and a control group. Before the study's initiation, we measured the participants' general characteristics, and a sleep measurement device was used to measure sleep quality. Stress levels and heart rate variability were measured before and after study completion. On the first day, all three groups slept without any intervention. On days 2-6, only experimental groups I and II implemented the intervention before sleeping. We found that the subjective sleep quality, wakefulness after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, deep sleep quality, subjective stress, objective stress, and autonomic nervous system balance of the VR meditation group were significantly better than those of the other groups. Our results reveal that the participants who underwent VR-based meditation experienced better sleep quality, lower stress levels, and improved autonomic nervous system balance compared with those in the concentration meditation and control groups. Thus, VR-based meditation effectively enhances sleep quality, lowers stress levels, and improves autonomic nervous system balance in nursing students.

Meditation-Based Therapies for Chronic Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Mind-body therapies have been found to be effective in a variety of pathologies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of meditation-based therapies in relieving the symptoms severity, quality of life, stress and other associated mood conditions, in individuals with chronic neuropathy of various etiologies. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials, involving adult patients with persistent peripheral neuropathy, was performed. Seven article databases were searched. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the benefits of meditation-based therapy on symptomatology, quality of life, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, sleep quality and mindfulness score. Ten of the 1133 reviewed papers were selected for quantitative review. The meditation group had a lower standardized mean difference (SMD) score (-0.47 (95% CI: -0.97 to 0.02), p=0.062) for neuropathic pain severity score; lower anxiety scores (-2.5 (95% CI: -3.68 to -1.32), p=<0.001); lower depression scores (-1.53 (95% CI: -2.12 to -0.93), p=<0.001); lower perceived stress (-1.06 (95% CI: -3.15 to 1.04), p=0.323); higher quality of life scores (2.19 (95% CI: -0.65 to 5.03), p=0.13); lower sleep quality scores (-1.27 (95% CI: -4.22 to 1.67), p=0.397); higher mindfulness scores (6.71 (95% CI: 4.09 to 9.33), p=<0.001); and lower pain severity at 1 to 1.5 follow up (-1.75 (95% CI: -2.98 to -0.51), p=0.006). Some of the results were characterized by a substantial, statistically significant heterogeneity. Nevertheless, a major part of the results pointed in the same direction, improving symptomatology with meditation-based therapy. The studies had a risk of bias mostly regarding the measurement of the outcome, randomization process and selection of the reported result. The current study discovered that the meditation group had significantly lower pain (at 1 to 1.5 months follow-up) anxiety, and depression scores and higher mindfulness scores at the end of the interventions.

Enhancing specialization of attention-related EEG power and phase synchronism brain patterns by meditation.

Meditation, mental training that aims to improve one's ability to regulate their cognition, has been widely applied in clinical medicine. However, the mechanism by which meditation affects brain activity is still unclear. To explore this question, electroencephalogram data were recorded in 20 long-term meditators and 20 nonmeditators during 2 high-level cognitive tasks (meditation and mental calculation) and a relaxed resting state (control). Then, the power spectral density and phase synchronization of the electroencephalogram were extracted and compared between these 2 groups. In addition, machine learning was used to discriminate the states within each group. We found that the meditation group showed significantly higher classification accuracy and calculation efficiency than the control group. Then, during the calculation task, both the power and global phase synchronism of the gamma response decreased in meditators compared to their relaxation state; yet, no such change was observed in the control group. A potential explanation for our observations is that meditation improved the flexibility of the brain through neural plastic mechanism. In conclusion, we provided robust evidence that long-term meditation experience could produce detectable neurophysiological changes in brain activity, which possibly enhance the functional segregation and/or specialization in the brain.

Meditation and Compassion Therapy in Psychiatric Disorders: A Pilot Study.

Introduction Our study aimed to compare meditation and compassion-based group therapy with the standard of care in patients with eating disorders, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and depression, concerning acceptance, mindfulness awareness, self-compassion, and psychological distress. Methods A controlled designed study was performed, comparing meditation and compassion-focused group therapy added to the standard of carewith the standard of care alone, on patients with eating disorders, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and mood disorders. Four validated questionnaires were administered: the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), which assesses the ability to be fully in touch with the present moment; the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), which assesses the ability to experience consciously what is happening in the present moment; the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), which assesses self-compassion characteristics, including loving-kindness; and the SymptomChecklist-90 (SCL-90), which measures psychological distress (anxiety, depression, psychotic behavior, etc.). Results There was a total of 75 subjects, out of which 48 represented the experimental group, and 27 represented the control group. The overall mean age of the subjects was 44.8 ± 13.2 years. There were statistically significant increases in the experimental group (baseline vs. end of study) for the AAQ-II, MAAS, and SCS scores, and a statistically significant decrease in the SCL-90 score. In the control group, there was a statistically significant decrease in the SCL-90 score, but no significant differences for other measurements. The comparisons between the two groups at the end of the study were as follows: AAQ-II: 0.7 (-5.74 to 7.15), p = 0.827; MAAS: 4.78 (-3.19 to 12.75), p = 0.233; SCS: 5.89 (-3.18 to 14.96), p = 0.199; SCL-90: -0.26 (-0.62 to 0.1), p = 0.157. Conclusion Within the experimental group, all scales improved statistically significantly. There were no statistically significant differences at the end of the study concerning the four scalesbetween the groups. The comparison between groups was limited bydata availability.

Differential effects of digital mindfulness-based interventions on creative potential and responsibility among middle school students.

Creativity and responsibility are enhanced by meditation among adults, but such effects have not been studied in adolescents. Moreover, the determinants of the ethical effect (such as responsibility) of meditation are unclear. To address this gap by investigating the impact of digital in-class meditation programmes in middle school, focusing on intentions (self-centred vs. responsibility-centred), on adolescents' creative potential and sense of responsibility. These intentions are operationalized by different purpose-based meditations. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 107 year 7 adolescents from six classes, assigning them to two experimental groups and an active control group. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted over an 11-week period, including a creativity (EPoC) test comprising four exercises (graphic and verbal, divergent and convergent thinking), a responsibility and a mindfulness scale. Our findings revealed no discernible effects on divergent thinking or self-reported mindfulness. However, we observed significant differences in graphic and verbal convergent creative thinking, as well as impacting responsibility scores, between a responsibility-centred meditation group and a self-centred meditation group. Moreover, distinctions were noted between control and self-centred meditation groups and between some classes. Effect sizes indicated that the interventions had a moderate but significant impact on the variables measured. Our study reveals the effectiveness of digital meditation interventions in enhancing convergent creative thinking and responsibility among middle-school students. Notably, it shed new light on the importance of meditation intentions, which may be as significant as the form of meditation itself.

Influence of Meditative Technique on Musculoskeletal Pain, Sleep Quality, Stress and State Anxiety on Geriatric Participants: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectiveMusculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances and psychological stress are common issues faced by the elderly. There are limited studies eliciting the effects of specific meditation techniques among the elderly. The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of the Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT) on pain, sleep quality, stress and state anxiety. MethodsSeventy elderly participants with self-reported pain symptoms were randomly assigned to meditation and control groups with an equal allocation ratio. The meditation group received practice of MSRT for 8 weeks. The control group was offered lifestyle suggestions. The primary outcome of this study is Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSHQ), secondary outcomes are Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). They were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks. Independent and paired t-tests were performed to assess the between and within group changes. ResultsThe Between-group analysis has shown MSRT meditation to be better than control for MSHQ (p <0.01), PSQI global score (p <0.01), and GAS global score (p<0.01) along with its subscale (p <0.01). Within group analysis for primary variable MSHQ (p <0.05) secondary variable PSQI, PSS AND GAS has shown significant improvement (p <0.001) when compared to baseline. ConclusionMSRT is safe and useful for geriatric population to reduce musculoskeletal pain, improve sleep quality, while reducing stress and anxiety.

The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Cognitive Memory and Concentration as Indicators for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Disorders

Meditation has been shown to have properties of improving neurocognitive memory and attention. However, there has been little research on mindfulness meditation. This study aims to highlight mindfulness meditation and its effects on memory and concentration. It was hypothesized that if research participants undergo a 10-minute mindfulness meditation period, then there will be a statistically significant increase in their cognitive memory and concentration as measured by their scores on a pattern memorization test and a color-word association test. Adults were randomly assigned to a no mindfulness meditation control group or the mindfulness treatment group. Both experimental groups then took a word memorization test and color-word association test where the percentage of words and colors they could identify were collected. The treatment group engaged in a 10-minute mindfulness session and both groups took both tests again. Four one-way ANOVA tests were conducted, with the first and second comparing the before and after mindfulness meditation test scores on both tests of the mindfulness group (p = 0.0247 for the word test and p = 0.0387 for the color test) and the final two ANOVA tests comparing the no mindfulness and mindfulness meditation groups after the session (p = 0.0346 for the word test and p = 0.0478 for the color test). Mindfulness meditation was determined to have a significant increase in memory and concentration in this study, and it is hoped that mindfulness meditation would be implemented as a therapy for a wide range of neurological conditions.

Feasibility of a Telephone-Delivered Group Meditation Intervention for Chronically Ill Socially Isolated Older Adults

ABSTRACT Objectives This pilot study assessed the feasibility of a group-based telephone-delivered meditation intervention to reduce social isolation in older adults. It included weekly training sessions and daily practices of loving-kindness meditation in small groups via telephone conferences for six weeks and an extended group meditation practice for another six weeks. Methods Community-living older adults (age 60+) with multiple chronic conditions and experiencing social isolation were recruited. Each participant was assessed at the pretest, posttest, and follow-up (6 and 12 weeks after pretest). Outcome measures included social interaction, loneliness, and depressive symptoms. Open-ended questions were asked in the posttest and follow-up. Results Sixteen individuals enrolled, and fourteen completed the program (87.5% retention). Completers showed high levels of adherence (95% attendance to training) and acceptability and a statistically significant increase in social interaction at follow-up. Qualitative data suggest that participants experienced changes in emotion regulation, motivation and confidence, and sense of belonging. Conclusions A group-based telephone-delivered meditation intervention targeting chronically ill older adults who experience social isolation is technically feasible, very acceptable, and potentially beneficial to them. Clinical Implications Older adults enjoy learning meditation. Telephone conferencing is a low-cost tool for engaging socially isolated older adults in social interactions and group meditation.

The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Impulsivity: The Role of Meditation

ObjectivesMindfulness and impulsivity traits are considered to be important aspects of mental well-being and health. These traits are often seen as opposing concepts, yet the nature of the relationship between them is unclear, mainly because they are complex to define. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and mindfulness, taking into account the impact of mindfulness meditation experience on this connection.MethodA total of 174 mentally and physically healthy young adults were assigned to either a non-meditation group or a meditation group based on their experience in meditation practices. Participants completed self-report scales to evaluate their impulsivity and mindfulness traits.ResultsTrait impulsivity scales and dysfunctional impulsivity were negatively correlated with trait mindfulness, while functional impulsivity was positively correlated with trait mindfulness. While meditation practice significantly predicted trait mindfulness, its moderating effect on the relationship between impulsivity and mindfulness was limited.ConclusionsThe varying relationship between impulsivity subscales and trait mindfulness, together with the relatively limited association between meditation practice and these personality traits, emphasizes the importance of considering different aspects of impulsivity and acknowledging how individual differences affect the relationship between impulsivity and mindfulness.PreregistrationThis study is not preregistered.

Effects of Forest Activities on Sleep and Problematic Behaviors in Young Children

Background and objective: This study aims to determine the effects of forest activities, such as forest meditation and forest experience, on young children's sleep and problematic behaviors and to compare the changes that occur according to the type of forest activity.Methods: Fifty-nine five-year-old children from early childhood education institutions in Cheongju City, Korea, participated. The experiment took place over five weeks between May 3 and 31, 2022. Activities were conducted twice a week for a total of eight sessions. The forest meditation and forest experience groups carried out activities in the forest. The control group carried out thematic activities according to the Nuri curriculum followed by early childhood education institutions. The Korean version of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire was used to assess the participants' sleep duration and sleep habits, and the Korean Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1.5-5 was used to assess problematic behaviors.Results: We found a statistically significant increase in the average sleep duration of the children in the meditation group, as well as a statistically significant decrease in their total sleep habits score and the scores of the bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and sleep anxiety subdomains of sleep habits. A statistically significant decrease was observed in the forest experience group's scores for total problematic behaviors and internalizing problems. We also found a statistically significant positive correlation between sleep habits and problematic behaviors.Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that static activities, such as forest meditation activities, increase sleep duration and improve sleep habits, while dynamic activities, such as forest experience activities, improve problematic behaviors and internalizing problems. Providing specific programs that appropriately utilize static and dynamic forest activities can help improve sleep and problematic behaviors in young children.

Effects of brief mindfulness meditation training on attention and dispositional mindfulness in young adult males

This study examined the impact of brief mindfulness meditation (BMM) training on attention function and dispositional mindfulness in young males. 126 male participants aged 18–26 from the security industry were recruited, with 66 participants (M = 22.84, SD = 2.41) undergoing 4-week mindfulness meditation training and 60 participants (M = 23.07, SD = 2.29) in the active control group. The intervention was integrated into the participants' schedules. Measures included Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaires (FFMQ), concentration and assignment attention tasks, Attention Network Test (ANT), and saliva cortisol concentration. Findings indicate that brief mindfulness meditation training led to significant improvements in participants' FFMQ scores), with marginally significant enhancements in the executive control network. However, it had no discernible effect on alertness and orientation networks. Additionally, brief mindfulness meditation training enhanced attention allocation to light stimulation and prolonged individual attention. Surprisingly, there was no observed decrease in saliva cortisol concentration among meditation training participants. However, this study did not find a decrease in saliva cortisol concentration in the brief mindfulness meditation group. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of a 4-week brief mindfulness meditation training program to enhance dispositional mindfulness and specific aspects of attention function in young men, offering practical insights into the benefits of mindfulness meditation practices for this demographic.

Impact of Meditation Versus Exercise on Psychological Characteristics, Paranormal Experiences, and Beliefs: Randomized Trial

Background: Research indicates that meditation increases mindfulness and paranormal experiences of precognition, telepathy, clairvoyance, and synchronicities. There is limited knowledge about the prevalence or impact of these experiences on meditators and the general population. Aims: To compare self-reported well-being, mindfulness, connectedness, personality, paranormal experiences, beliefs, and performance on psi tasks in a meditation group versus an exercise control group. Method: This is a randomized trial that explored changes, including well-being, mindfulness, connectedness, psi, extraordinary experiences, beliefs, and ability to impact a random number generator in the participants, comparing a meditation vs. exercise control group. We collected data at baseline, “Mid” or halfway through the intervention (week 4), post 1, which is at the end of intervention (week 9), and post 2, which is two months post-intervention. Data was collected securely online with IRB approval. Results: Data from 72 participants (N=45 meditation/N=27 exercise) demonstrated improvement in some well-being measures (anxiety and general health). The study examined the effects of meditation versus exercise on various psychosocial measures and paranormal experiences. The meditation group displayed higher scores in openness and extroversion compared to the exercise group, which was unexpected and required further investigation. The meditation cohort also reported more paranormal experiences, with about half of them considering these experiences important or meaningful. However, the experiment exploring psychic abilities did not yield significant results. While the study had limitations, such as a predominantly non-diverse sample, it adds to the existing body of evidence linking meditation and exercise to positive psychosocial outcomes. Conclusions: The randomly selected meditation naïve cohort trained in brief structured meditation demonstrated increases over time in mindfulness, connectedness, extraversion, and paranormal experiences and beliefs compared to an exercise cohort. Performance on the psi tasks did not improve in either group over time, and these tasks may not be sensitive enough to detect significant changes.

Peace through health: traditional medicine meditation in the prevention of collective stress, violence, and war.

In the midst of global armed conflicts, notably the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia wars, there is an urgent need for innovative public health strategies in peacebuilding. The devastating impact of wars, including mortality, injury, disease, and the diversion of healthcare resources, necessitates effective and durable interventions. This perspective aligns with WHO recommendations and examines the role of evidence-based meditation from Ayurveda and Yoga in public health to mitigate collective stress and prevent collective violence and war. It highlights the Transcendental Meditation program, recognized for reducing stress, with contemporary evidence supporting its effectiveness in mental health, mind-body disorders, cardiovascular disease, and public health. Empirical studies with cross-cultural replications indicate that these Traditional Medicine meditation practices can reduce collective stress and prevent collective violence and war activity while improving quality of life. The mechanisms of group meditation in mitigating collective violence are explored through public health models, cognitive neuroscience, population neuroscience, quantum physics principles, and systems medicine. This perspective suggests that Transcendental Meditation and the advanced TM-Sidhi program, as a component of Traditional Medicine, can provide a valuable platform for enhancing societal well-being and peace by addressing brain-based factors fundamental to collective stress and violence.

Enhanced amygdala-anterior cingulate white matter structural connectivity in Sahaja Yoga Meditators.

To study the white matter connections between anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula and amygdala as key regions of the frontal-limbic network that have been related to meditation. Twenty experienced practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation and twenty nonmeditators matched on age, gender and education level, were scanned using Diffusion Weighted Imaging, using a 3T scanner, and their white matter connectivity was compared using diffusion tensor imaging analyses. There were five white matter fiber paths in which meditators showed a larger number of tracts, two of them connecting the same area in both hemispheres: the left and right amygdalae and the left and right anterior insula; and the other three connecting left anterior cingulate with the right anterior insula, the right amygdala and the left amygdala. On the other hand, non-meditators showed larger number of tracts in two paths connecting the left anterior insula with the left amygdala, and the left anterior insula with the left anterior cingulate. The study shows that long-term practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation is associated with larger white matter tracts strengthening interhemispheric connections between limbic regions and connections between cingulo-amygdalar and cingulo-insular brain regions related to top-down attentional and emotional processes as well as between top-down control functions that could potentially be related to the witness state perceived through the state of mental silence promoted with this meditation. On the other hand, reduced connectivity strength in left anterior insula in the meditation group could be associated to reduced emotional processing affecting top-down processes.

Psilocybin enhances insightfulness in meditation: a perspective on the global topology of brain imaging during meditation

In this study, for the first time, we explored a dataset of functional magnetic resonance images collected during focused attention and open monitoring meditation before and after a five-day psilocybin-assisted meditation retreat using a recently established approach, based on the Mapper algorithm from topological data analysis. After generating subject-specific maps for two groups (psilocybin vs. placebo, 18 subjects/group) of experienced meditators, organizational principles were uncovered using graph topological tools, including the optimal transport (OT) distance, a geometrically rich measure of similarity between brain activity patterns. This revealed characteristics of the topology (i.e. shape) in space (i.e. abstract space of voxels) and time dimension of whole-brain activity patterns during different styles of meditation and psilocybin-induced alterations. Most interestingly, we found that (psilocybin-induced) positive derealization, which fosters insightfulness specifically when accompanied by enhanced open-monitoring meditation, was linked to the OT distance between open-monitoring and resting state. Our findings suggest that enhanced meta-awareness through meditation practice in experienced meditators combined with potential psilocybin-induced positive alterations in perception mediate insightfulness. Together, these findings provide a novel perspective on meditation and psychedelics that may reveal potential novel brain markers for positive synergistic effects between mindfulness practices and psilocybin.

A brief mindfulness meditation can ameliorate the effects of exposure to idealised social media images on self-esteem, mood, and body appreciation in young women: An online randomised controlled experiment

The study examined whether a 10-minute mindfulness meditation intervention could ameliorate effects of exposure to social media thinspiration and fitspiration images on women’s self-esteem, mood, and body appreciation. A total of 162 women aged 18–42 years (M = 25.94, SD = 4.38) completed an online experiment which involved viewing thinspiration and fitspiration images before random allocation to either a brief, ten-minute mindfulness meditation audio intervention or a ten-minute control audio about jujitsu. Participants completed self-reported measures of self-esteem, positive and negative mood, and body appreciation at baseline (Time 1), post-exposure to idealised social media images (Time 2), and immediately post-intervention (Time 3). Mixed, repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that scores were lower for body appreciation, self-esteem, and positive mood, and higher for negative mood, in both groups after exposure to idealised imagery. However, a brief mindfulness intervention ameliorated the negative effects of social media exposure. Specifically, self-esteem, body appreciation, and mood were higher in the mindfulness meditation group at Time 3, compared to the control group. Future interventions should explore the utility of mindfulness practices to provide long term buffering effects against such social media content, as well as targeting the idealisation of female physiques portrayed in thinspiration and fitspiration content.

Four weeks of meditation training improves sustained attention in community-dwelling older adults: a proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: With our rapidly expanding population of older adults, identifying effective intervention strategies to improve cognitive functioning is an increasing priority. This study sought to examine whether 4weeks of thrice-weekly meditation training can improve attention in older adults, as well as whether such benefits may extend to other domains of cognition as well as mobility. Methods: Forty-three participants (mean age 68years) were randomized into either the focused attention meditation group or the music listening control group (Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT03417635). Participants completed three 20-minute guided group sessions per week for four consecutive weeks. Our primary outcome measure was behavioural performance on the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). Secondary and tertiary outcome measures included event-related potentials (ERPs) during the SART task, measures of executive functioning, and measures of mobility. Results: We found that meditation training significantly improved attention, as demonstrated by improved SART accuracy and changes in N2 ERP amplitude and latency. Discussion: These findings suggest that meditation may lead to changes in attention and underlying cognitive processing in older adults, although a full-scale definitive trial is needed. Future research on the long-term benefits with real world applications is warranted.