Meditation Group Research Articles

Effects of daily mindfulness practice on fatigue, kinesiophobia, and quality of life in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background and Aim Mindfulness meditation (MM) leads to controlled blood pressure and positive improvements in other symptoms which may trigger acute coronary diseases. The present randomized controlled study was aimed to investigate the effect of the MM on fatigue, kinesiophobia, and the quality of life (QoL) in patients with acute MI. Method The study was carried out with 56 MI patients. Participants were randomly assigned to meditation group (MG; n = 28) or control group (CG; n = 28). The MG patients received a 15 min MM session comprising sitting and breathing for a total of eight weeks, while the CG patients received only a single-time attention-matched education. Piper Fatigue Intervention, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia-Heart and MacNew Quality of Life scales were utilized for data collection. Results After completion of the 8-week MM, any significant difference was not found in the fatigue scores of the patients (p > 0.05). On the other hand, kinesiophobia scores in the MG were significantly lower in the 4th, 8th and 12th weeks (p < 0.05). Similarly, the QoL scores were significantly higher in the MG in 8th week (p < 0.05). Significant change in the emotional function sub-dimension of QoL continued in the follow-up assessment at 12th week (p < 0.05). Conclusion The MM can significantly improve the QoL and decrease kinesiophobia in patients with MI. Beneficial effect of MM is maintained particularly in the emotional aspect. Based on the results of the study, MM may be recommended as a mind-body based complementary approaches within the scope of secondary protection after MI. Comparison of the study groupsGroupBaseline(Mean ± SD)4th week(Mean ± SD)8th week(Mean ± SD)12th week(Mean ± SD)PFSMM2.08 ± 1.870.90 ± 0.990.47 ± 0.780.44 ± 0.76CG1.56 ± 2.011.12 ± 1.590.98 ± 1.520.76 ± 1.33tp1.004 0.32-0.6210.54-1.5840.12-1.0850.28TSK-HMM40.25 ± 5.0436.18 ± 4.4934.39 ± 4.6134.96 ± 4.71CG41.71 ± 7.2841.89 ± 6.7441.82 ± 5.8441.00 ± 5.54tp-0.8750.39-3.7340.001-5.279 0.000-4.3900.00MacNewMM5.04 ± 0.715.53 ± 0.455.76 ± 0.475.77 ± 0.47CG5.17 ± 0.855.32 ± 0.605.37 ± 0.525.53 ± 0.46t; p-0.640; 0.531.436; 0.162.933; 0.0051.964; 0.06(Mean ± SD): Mean ± Standard Deviation; PFS: Piper Fatigue Scores; TSK-H: Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia-Heart; MacNew: MacNew Quality of life Scale; EFS: emotional functioning sub-dimension; PFS: physical functioning sub-dimension; SFS: social functioning sub-dimension; t= Student T Test value; p< 0.05

ROLE OF YOGA MEDITATION IN EXAMINATION ANXIETY OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILD

The purpose of this study was to know the Role of Yoga Meditation in Examination Anxiety of visually Impaired Children. For this research researcher has select 40 boys (n= 40) aging 13 to 15 years from Pragati Andha Vidyalaya, Badlapur, Dist. – Thane, Maharashtra. Researcher has used the non-equivalent group design, Group A, (Yoga Meditation group n = 20) treated as experimental group and Group B (Non-Yoga Meditation Group N = 20) treated as a control group. Research has conducted in three phase, Phase I (Pre-test), Phase II (Training for 6 weeks), Phase III (Post Test). To know the status of Examination Anxiety, Educational Anxiety Inventory by Dr. Vishal Sood and Dr, Arti Sharma (2012) has been used. After post test Group A (experimental group) has gone through the Integrated Yoga Meditation Training for 6 weeks for 60 min. daily. Post Test has been conducted after the 6 weeks training. All the score were analysis with the help of One-Way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).

Meditation Effective in Reducing Teacher Burnout and Improving Resilience: A Randomized Controlled Study

Teacher burnout affects job performance and mental and physical health. This study evaluated the effects of a meditation-based wellness program on burnout, resilience, psychological distress, and fatigue. Seventy-eight participants, randomly assigned to the Transcendental Meditation program (n = 39) or to a wait-list control group (n = 39), were administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Resilience Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System fatigue and depression scales at baseline and at four-month posttest. Intention-to-treat with all 78 participants was used for all analyses. Significant reduction on emotional exhaustion, the main scale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, was found for the meditation group compared to controls (p = 0.019). Significant improvements were also found on resilience (p = 0.014), perceived stress (p < 0.001), fatigue (p = 0.001), and depression (p = 0.091). Eighty-seven percent were compliant with their meditation home practice. Findings indicate that meditation is effective in improving burnout and associated resilience, psychological distress, and fatigue factors. Teachers may benefit from in-school wellness programs.

Understanding Engagement in and Affective Experiences During Physical Activity: The Role of Meditation Interventions.

Meditation interventions promote an array of well-being outcomes. However, the way in which these interventions promote beneficial outcomes is less clear. Here, we expanded on prior work by examining the influence of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation on a key health behavior: physical activity. To test our hypotheses, we drew upon two randomized intervention studies. In the first study, 171 adults (73.0% female) received 6 weeks of training in either mindfulness meditation or loving-kindness meditation, or were assigned to a control condition. In the second study, 124 adults (60.0% female) were assigned to a 6-week mindfulness or loving-kindness meditation group. Study 1 demonstrated that individuals who received mindfulness training reported sustained levels of physical activity across the intervention period (Pre: mean [standard deviation], or M [SD] = 4.09 [2.07]; Post: M [SD] = 3.68 [2.00]; p = .054), whereas those in the control (Pre: M [SD] = 3.98 [2.25]; Post: M [SD] = 3.01 [2.07]; p < .001) and loving-kindness (Pre: M [SD] = 4.11 [2.26]; Post: M [SD] = 3.45 [1.96]; p < .001) conditions reported lower levels. Study 2 demonstrated those who received mindfulness training experienced increases in positive emotions during physical activity from preintervention to postintervention (Pre: M [SD] = 6.06 [2.51]; Post: M [SD] = 6.54 [2.43]; p = .001), whereas those trained in loving-kindness meditation experienced decreases in positive emotions during physical activity (Pre: M [SD] = 6.45 [2.35]; Post: M [SD] = 6.09 [2.46]; p = .040). These results suggest mindfulness training (but not loving-kindness training) promotes sustained physical activity, and one plausible reason why this occurs is enhanced positive emotion during physical activity.

Effect of short-term meditation training in central serous chorioretinopathy.

Purpose:Stress and Type A personality are established risk factors for the development of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Meditation is known to have a positive effect on reducing stress levels. This study aimed to assess the effect of short-term meditation training in patients of CSC.Methods:A pilot study was conducted where 40 patients diagnosed with acute and non-resolving CSC were randomly assigned to either of two groups – meditation training and routine care (without meditation). The primary outcome measure was time to resolution of CSC based on optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography. Secondary outcome measures were changes in anxiety score (State–Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI] scores) and blood pressure. The patients were followed up for a minimum period of 4 months.Results:Twenty cases were included in each group. The demographic pattern, baseline swept-source optical coherence tomography parameters, and STAI scores were similar in both groups. The time to disease resolution was 9.4 ± 4.22 weeks in the meditation group and 19.5 ± 2.79 weeks in the nonmeditation group (P < 0.001). At 4 months, CSC had failed to resolve in 60% of patients with routine care compared with 8% in cases following short-term meditation training. STAI scores showed a reduction in stress levels in the meditation group. Furthermore, statistically significant improvement in systolic and diastolic blood pressures was also observed following meditation training.Conclusion:Short-term meditation training may be a useful approach in the management of patients with CSC as it tends to reduce stress and prehypertension, and promotes earlier resolution of the condition. However, patient’s motivation to complete and pursue the meditation training is a significant barrier.

Effect of alternate nostril breathing and meditation practices on stress and aggression among the university women students

Yoga is an effective complementary approach to health maintenance and promotion for College women and has been demonstrated to support many dimensions of psychological wellbeing, from everyday stress to anxiety, aggression, and coping with health challenges. The Purpose of the present investigation was to find out the effect of Alternate Nostril Breathing and Meditation practices on psychological variables (stress and aggression). To achieve this purpose, 45 women students were selected randomly as subjects from various department from Annamalai university, Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram. And their age between 18 to 25 years. They were divided into three equal groups namely Alternate Nostril Breathing practices group, Meditation practices group and control group. The Alternate Nostril Breathing practices group and Meditation groups did train for all Six weeks. The pre and post test were taken for all subjects before and after the training, respectively. The data pertaining to the variables in this were examined by using dependent T- test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The six weeks of Alternate Nostril Breathing practices group and Meditation practices group practices on psycho logical variables improved the among the students.

The effect of meditation on depression, anxiety, and stress in university students

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of meditation on depression, anxiety, and stress levels of university students. Design and Methods: In the study, the data were collected using personal information form and Depression, anxiety, and stress scale. The meditation group performed a 20-minute attention and awareness meditation once a week for 8 weeks. Findings: As a result of the statistical analysis, it was observed that there was no significant difference in the comparison of the anxiety, stress, and depression levels between two groups at the end of 8 weeks. Practice Implications: Consequently, it was determined that meditation was an ineffective approach for reducing the anxiety, stress, and depression levels.

Spiritual knowledge and practices to conquer chronic pain: A systematic review

Understanding of pain as multidimensional experience has improved quality of life of many sufferings from chronic pain. Addressing spiritual dimension in chronic pain patients can improve outcome. The purpose of the present study was to systematically review literature from 1994 to 2018 using PubMed search engine to correlate between spirituality and pain management. The review included 25 randomized controlled trials (RCT). Positive correlation with spiritual healing was proved in 7 RCTs that included patients of idiopathic chronic pain syndromes. Patients with cancer pain, showed improvement in quality of life, visual analog scores with various spiritual techniques in 4 out of 6 RCTs. Pray meditation was recommended as one of management techniques for reducing pain after cesarean surgery in 1 RCT. Migraine medication usage decreased in spiritual meditation group improving the pain tolerance with significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and reduction in muscle tension in 3 RCTs. A study of cognitive behavioral therapy of 8 weeks, done in fibromyalgia patients recommended second generation mindfulness as a therapy to control their symptomatology in 1 RCT. In 2 RCTs involving students, the cold pressor task and the length of cold immersion seemed to be longer in those receiving spiritual intervention. One RCT, involving hospitalized patients concluded that spiritual healing was effective in promoting a state of muscle relaxation, reducing anxiety and depression, and raising the perceptions of wellness in patients. In a RCT involving chronically ill patients, encouraging spiritual coping was associated with better psychosocial and health outcome. Three RCTS involving patients of rheumatoid arthritis, neurofibromatosis, and chronic pain states not responding to conventional therapy did not show any significant correlation with spiritual intervention. Pain physicians can use better understanding of spiritual knowledge with non-pharmacotherapy techniques.

Practice Matters: Pro-environmental Motivations and Diet-Related Impact Vary With Meditation Experience.

Mindfulness has emerged as a potential motivator for sustainable lifestyles, yet few studies provide insight into the relationship between mindfulness practice levels and individual engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. We also lack information about the significance of meditators’ behavioral differences in terms of their measurable environmental impact and the motivational processes underlying these differences in pro-environmental performance. We classified 300 individuals in three groups with varying meditation experience and compared their pro-environmental motivations and levels of animal protein consumption. Exceeding prior attempts to compare high-impact behaviors of mindfulness practitioners and non-practitioners, we created the most detailed classification of practice engagement by assessing frequency, experience and type of meditation practice. This nuanced view on mindfulness practice reveals that advanced meditators, who reported high levels of connectedness with nature (CWN), subjective happiness and dispositional mindfulness showed significantly more concern for the environment. They also demonstrated the lowest levels of greenhouse gas emissions, land occupation and water use related to their animal-protein consumption. This study is the first to follow a self-determination theory perspective to deepen our understanding of the motivational differences between meditator groups. We revealed that advanced meditators reported significantly more integrated motivation toward the environment than non-meditators. We also provided preliminary evidence for a new theoretical framework suggesting that experiential strategies such as mindfulness practices could strengthen the relational pathway of pro-environmental behaviors. Using sequential mediation analysis, we confirmed that the negative effect of mindful compassion practice on greenhouse gas emissions from animal-protein consumption is partially mediated by CWN and integrated motivation toward the environment. While our study does not support assumptions of causality, it shows that much can be learned by studying the motivations of advanced meditators for maintaining high levels of pro-environmental behavior.

A cross-sectional study on the relationship between meditation training and emotional intelligence in women.

AimWe aimed to reveal the relationship of meditation with emotional intelligence (EI), sleep quality and melatonin level.DesignA cross‐sectional study.MethodsOur current research was performed on middle‐aged women. EI scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and night‐time saliva melatonin were measured for 65 participants including 33 meditators and 32 controls.ResultsThe meditation group showed a significantly higher EI score than the control group. In the regression analysis between EI and age, only the meditation group showed a significant positive correlation. The Pearson correlation analysis among all participants revealed a significant negative correlation between PSQI and EI. There was no significant group difference in the melatonin and PSQI.

Meditation for Increased Mindfulness and Memory: An Analysis on the Impact of Meditation on Mindfulness and Working Memory Capacity in High School Students

70% of high school students see anxiety and depression as a “major problem” among their peers (Pew Research Center). Meditation decreases anxiety and stress according to Harvard researchers. Stress and memory are very much connected as a recent study concluded that non-stressed people remember more items on average than stressed people. Although several studies have been done on the impacts of meditation, there has been no research done specifically on the impact of meditation on high school students’ working memory. This study utilized a pre-post survey design and a running control group to determine whether mindfulness and working memory capacity increased as a result of a week of daily meditation. Students were randomly assigned to the mindfulness meditation group or to the running control group. Both groups took The Human Benchmark memory test and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (a Likert scale) before and after a week of meditation or running. The results proved to be significant, showing that mindfulness increased on average by .8 points, while the control only increased by .03 points on average. In addition, memory test scores increased by 40.3% for the meditation group compared to 8.3% for the control group.

Embracing the Intricacies of the Path Toward Mindfulness: Broadening Our Conceptualization of the Process of Cultivating Mindfulness in Day-to-Day Life by Developing the Unified Flexibility and Mindfulness Model

The study tested the Unified Flexibility and Mindfulness (UFM) model which organizes the dimensions of mindfulness and psychological flexibility into a multistage, process-oriented framework linking mindfulness to global functioning. A sample of 2742 online respondents (68% female, 81% Caucasian, Mage = 42 years old) completed the FFMQ, the MAAS, the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI), the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) within an online survey. Path analyses run in random sample halves, across genders, across age groups, and across levels of current meditation converged to support the UFM model, suggesting that mindful lenses (e.g., describing feelings, observing sensations, attentive awareness) predicted mindfully flexible immediate responses to uncomfortable thoughts and feelings (e.g., acceptance, non-reactivity, non-judgment), which predicted life-enriching mindful behaviors (e.g., maintaining contact with values, taking steps toward deeper goals), which predicted greater life satisfaction. The components of the UFM model also identified differences in mindfulness between meditators and non-meditators—specific to those regularly practicing Buddhist-informed meditation. To facilitate future studies, IRT analyses selected items for two new mindfulness subscales that, when added to the MPFI, created the 70-item and 28-item UFM scales which demonstrated measurement invariance across gender, age, and meditation groups. The findings provide a conceptual framework offering researchers with an integrative, process-focused method of linking mindfulness to well-being. Underscoring the potential clinical implications, a hypothetical example is given of using the UFM scale to track clinically meaningful change for a client in therapy.

EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) AND MEDITATION IN CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN

Abstract – &#x0D; Context: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a highly prevalent and often disabling condition among adults. Meditation is a practice which uses a technique like mindfulness, or focusing their mind on a particular thought, activity - to train awareness, achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. Cognitive – behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that has been documented to be effective in treating depression, chronic pain and other mental disorders.&#x0D; Aim: To compare the effects of both, CBT and Meditation on pain management in CLBP.&#x0D; Method: 27 patients with CLBP between the age group of 36-50 yrs were selected. They were divided into 3 groups. A 4 week intervention of conventional physiotherapeutic exercises, Meditation and CBT was given. Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire and Numerical Pain Rating Scale were used as outcome measures.&#x0D; Results: Our study shows significant results pre and post all interventions, but no significant difference can be seen when the three interventions are compared to each other (with p&lt;0.05)&#x0D; Conclusion: On the basis of the result obtained, we can say that all three interventions have a positive effect in pain reduction in CLBP.Statistically, no intervention has a better effect over others. But clinically meditation group performed better.

Differential effects of mindfulness meditation conditions on repetitive negative thinking and subjective time perspective: a randomized active-controlled study

Objective Preliminary findings suggest that different kinds of meditation could work on diverse cognitive and psychological processes. The present study aimed at disentangling the effects of three mindfulness techniques on mental rumination and subjective time perspective. Design: 75 young healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: mindful breathing, body scan, observing-thoughts meditation and an active control condition. The meditation groups practiced mindfulness daily and attended weekly group meetings for 8 weeks, while the control group was involved in reading and discussing a book about mindfulness. Main outcome measures: Self-report measures of mindfulness skills, ruminative thinking, attitude towards time, anxiety, depression and personality traits. Results: In all meditation conditions, analysis of covariance showed a significant improvement in mindfulness skills compared to the control group. We found a specific effect of mindful breathing in reducing participants’ tendency to brooding and in increasing their positive vision of the future, compared to all other conditions. Conclusions: As expected, we found some differential effects: breathing meditation helped practitioners to train more effectively their ability to disengage from maladaptive ruminative thoughts, which could be reflected in a more optimistic attitude toward the future. These results provide useful information to structure better mindfulness-based interventions.

Measuring Meditation Progress with a Consumer-Grade EEG Device: Caution from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Consumer-grade electroencephalogram (EEG) devices designed to assist people with meditation are gaining popularity. This study investigates EEG-based outcome measures provided by the Muse device and their relation to mindfulness scores and mental health in a meditation intervention. Fifty-three novice meditators (university students taking part in the registered clinical trial NCT03402009) were asked to meditate 10 min per day for 1 month, randomly assigned to use (1) meditation app (“app group”) or (2) meditation app, plus Muse neurofeedback device (“Muse group”). Pre- and post-intervention measures include Muse EEG scores assessed in a 5-min meditation and self-report scales of mindfulness and distress. A satisfaction survey and brief interview were conducted post-intervention. Baseline levels of mindfulness on MINDSENS were not correlated with “calm” scores on Muse. Following the 1-month meditation intervention, neither meditation group demonstrated improvements in EEG outcome measures according to the Muse app; in fact, the app group performed significantly worse at follow-up compared to baseline according to Muse’s user scores. Conversely, both groups showed significantly reduced distress and increased mindfulness scores following the intervention. Seventy-six percent of participants meditated at least three to four times per week, and both groups reported high levels of satisfaction with their meditation device (84% app group; 74% Muse group). Users, researchers, and clinicians should use caution in interpreting EEG outcomes on consumer-grade neurofeedback devices. Results suggest EEG outcome scores are not a proxy for mindfulness score, meditation practice, mental health status, or improvement over time in young adult novice meditators. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03402009

“Giving yourself some breathing room…”: an exploration of group meditation for people with aphasia

ABSTRACT Background Meditation practices have been found to improve both cognitive and psychological functions related, in particular, to attention and well-being in both healthy people and those with chronic health conditions, including stroke. Considering the range of cognitive and psychosocial consequences in people with post-stroke aphasia, meditation has been identified as a potential rehabilitative tool to target these areas, investigating also, in some studies, any potential impact on language abilities. Even with growing numbers of studies exploring the effectiveness of meditation techniques in the stroke population, no study to date has sought to explore the impact of meditation from the perspective of the lived experience of people with aphasia. Aim This preliminary study explored the perceived impact of meditation on a range of activities and areas of participation for people with chronic aphasia who, with the exception of one participant, learned how to meditate after the onset of their stroke. Methods Five participants who regularly attended a meditation group for people with aphasia agreed to an individual semi-structured interview, followed by participation in two subsequent focus groups to member-check data. Interviews were thematically analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach in order to capture the lived experience of meditation. Results A consistent and positive psychosocial impact was reported by all participants related to the development of acceptance and resilience post-stroke. As with healthy meditators, individual variation was seen in how people learn meditation, and in their preferences and success with different meditation techniques. The reduced focus on the language impairment itself was a strong motivator to attend the meditation group; however, the benefit of regular practice on self-acceptance and building resilience, and a sense of calm, were also prominent themes. The positive experience of meditating in a group was a further motivator to participate regularly in the meditation practice. Conclusion Meditation can have psychosocial benefits for people with aphasia and may offer a positive and complementary approach when living with aphasia following stroke. Individual variation in responsiveness to meditation techniques highlighted the importance of monitoring participant preferences when delivering and interpreting meditation outcomes with people with aphasia. The role of meditation in language rehabilitation with people with chronic aphasia as a complementary treatment tool remains an area of future enquiry.

Virtual Reality Meditation Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Feasibility.

BackgroundHomelessness among youth is devastating, with high rates of substance use disorders and mental health comorbidity. Mindfulness-based interventions that include meditation and mindfulness skills training reduce stress and symptoms of anxiety or depression. However, engaging high-risk youth in interventions is challenging. Virtual reality is a more flexible platform for delivering meditation and may be appealing to youth.ObjectiveThe study objectives were to evaluate the feasibility of delivering virtual reality meditation and of collecting outcome measures, including anxiety and physiologic stress.MethodsA sample of 30 youth experiencing homelessness was enrolled in the study. Youth were randomized to receive 10 minutes of one of three interventions: (1) virtual reality meditation, (2) audio meditation (through a web-based platform), or (3) virtual reality imagery of historical pictures and text. Subjects who consented to the study attended two research visits. The first visit collected survey measures of demographics, mental health, and substance use, and oriented subjects to the intervention platforms. The second visit (1-3 days later) delivered the intervention and collected pre and post outcome measures of anxiety and physiologic stress (salivary cortisol). Changes in anxiety and cortisol at the second visit were compared across groups using a linear regression model in which the primary analysis compared virtual reality meditation to audio meditation and secondary analyses compared virtual reality meditation to virtual reality imagery.ResultsAnxiety scores decreased in all groups, with a larger reduction among the virtual reality meditation group (difference=10.8) compared to the web-based meditation or virtual reality images groups (difference=5.8 and 5.0, respectively). After controlling for baseline values, there were no significant group differences in changes in anxiety scores or cortisol levels. In comparing virtual reality meditation and audio meditation, the effect size for anxiety was moderate (Cohen d=0.58) while the effect size for cortisol was small (Cohen d=0.08).ConclusionsPreliminary results suggest that virtual reality meditation has a moderate benefit for anxiety but not physiologic stress. Future research is needed to confirm these results in a larger sample and to investigate whether the effects are sustained or increase with repeated use of virtual reality mediation. Virtual reality meditation appears feasible to deliver among homeless youth and merits further study.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04004520; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04004520

Understanding the Nature of Oneness Experience in Meditators Using Collective Intelligence Methods.

Research on meditation and mindfulness practice has flourished in recent years. While much of this research has focused on well-being outcomes associated with mindfulness practice, less research has focused on how perception of self may change as a result of mindfulness practice, or whether these changes in self-perception may be mechanisms of mindfulness in action. This is somewhat surprising given that mindfulness derives from traditions often described as guiding people to realize and experience the non-separation of self from the world or its “oneness” with the whole of reality. The current study used a collective intelligence methodology, Interactive Management (IM), to explore the nature of oneness experiences. Five IM sessions were conducted with five separate groups of experienced meditators. Participants generated, clarified, and selected oneness self-perceptions they believed most characterized their experience both during meditation and in their everyday experience in the world. Each group also developed structural models describing how highly ranked aspects of oneness self-perceptions are interrelated in a system. Consistent themes and categories of oneness experience appeared across the five IM sessions, with changes in the sense of space (unboundedness), time, identity, wholeness, and flow highlighted as most influential. Results are discussed in light of emerging theory and research on oneness self-perception and non-dual awareness.

Effectiveness of a short Yoga Nidra meditation on stress, sleep, and well-being in a large and diverse sample

Previous studies have shown that meditation-based interventions can have a significant impact on stress and well-being in various populations. To further extend these findings, an 11-min Yoga Nidra meditation that may especially be integrated in a busy daily schedule by people who can only afford short time for breaks was adapted and analyzed in an experimental online study design. The effects of this short meditation on stress, sleep, well-being and mindfulness were examined for the first time. The meditation was provided as audio file and carried out during a period of 30 days by the participants of the meditation group. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to analyze the data with Full Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) in order to cope with missing data. As expected, the meditation group (N = 341) showed lower stress, higher well-being and improved sleep quality after the intervention (very small to small effect sizes) compared with a waitlist control group (N = 430). It turned out that the meditation had a stronger impact on the reduction of negative affect than on the increase of positive affect and also a stronger effect on affective components of well-being. Mindfulness, as a core element of the meditation, increased during the study within the meditation group. All effects remained stable at follow-up six weeks later. Overall, a large, heterogeneous sample showed that already a very short dose of meditation can positively influence stress, sleep, and well-being. Future research should consider biological markers as well as active control groups.

A potential association of meditation with menopausal symptoms and blood chemistry in healthy women: A pilot cross-sectional study.

Owing to hormonal changes, women experience various psychophysiological alterations over a wide age range, which may result in decreased quality of life as well as in increased risks of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. Although studies have been performed to research complementary methods, such as meditation, the research field still requires an adequate amount of studies for public health guidelines. This pilot cross-sectional study aims to investigate a potential association of meditation with menopausal symptoms and blood chemistry for healthy women. In this study, data of 65 healthy women (age range 25-67) including 33 meditation practitioners and 32 meditation-naïve controls were analyzed to compare the Menopausal Rating Scale scores and blood chemistry with 7 more dropouts in the blood chemistry. For blood chemistry, nine components including glucose (GLU) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) were measured. Two-way analysis of variance was performed by dividing the total participants into 2 groups: premenopausal and postmenopausal participants. Compared to the control group, the meditation group showed a trend of reductions in the Menopausal Rating Scale total score (P = .054) and its 2 subcomponents: depressive mood (P = .064) and irritability (P = .061). In HDL level, there was a significant interaction between group and menopausal state (P = .039) with following post hoc results: among the premenopausal participants, a significant increase in the meditation group compared to the control group (P = .005); among the control group, a significant increase in the postmenopausal compared to the premenopausal participants (P = .030). In GLU level, there was a mild interaction between group and menopausal state (P = .070) with following post hoc results: among the postmenopausal participants, a trend of increase in the control group compared to the meditation group (P = .081); among the control group, a significant increase in the postmenopausal compared to the premenopausal participants (P = .040). Our research suggests a potential association of practicing meditation with alleviations in menopausal symptoms and changes in blood chemistry, warranting further studies with a longitudinal study design and larger populations to understand the underlying causal relationships.