Meditation Retreat Research Articles

Memorable digital-free tourism experiences: Antecedents and outcomes

This study examines the role of escapism, experience co-creation, existential authenticity, and experiential satisfaction as antecedents of memorable digital-free tourism experiences. It then examines the relationship between memorable digital-free tourism experiences and hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being and place attachment. Survey data were gathered, via WeChat, from 389 Chinese tourists who had engaged in a digital-free meditation retreat in China between August 2022 and July 2023. Empirical results reveal that levels of escapism and experiential satisfaction positively explain memorable digital-free tourism experiences. Further, more memorable digital-free tourism experiences are associated with greater hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being and place attachment.

Changes in peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin during a silent month-long Insight meditation retreat.

Given its putative roles in mediating prosocial behavior, attachment bonds, and stress physiology, oxytocin modulation has been hypothesized to be a biological correlate of the salubrious effects of meditation practice. Here we investigated the effects of a month-long silent meditation retreat on changes in oxytocin, and the related hormone and vasopressin, in relation to psychosocial changes in attachment style, anxiety, personality measures, and feelings of social connectedness with fellow meditators. Plasma oxytocin and vasopressin and self-report questionnaires were measured in retreat participants (n = 28) at the beginning of, and 3 weeks into, a residential meditation retreat. Control participants (n = 34), who were similar in age, gender, and meditation experience, were also assessed across a 3-week interval. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess outcomes. The retreat group showed a small but significant decrease in oxytocin compared to controls who showed no change. In the retreat group, higher openness to experience at Time 1 predicted greater reductions in oxytocin during the retreat, and lower oxytocin at Time 2 was related to stronger feelings of personal connection with fellow meditators. The changes in oxytocin were not related to attachment style or anxiety. Vasopressin decreased over time across both groups, suggesting no specific effect of retreat. These preliminary findings suggest that meditation training in the context of a silent residential retreat may reduce circulating levels of oxytocin. We interpret this finding from multiple theoretical perspectives, discussing key measurement limitations and proposing future study designs that may help to differentiate the effects of different meditation practices and contexts on oxytocin signaling.

Multidimensional analysis of twin sets during an intensive week-long meditation retreat

Meditation and other alternative practices have long been known to promote various health benefits, presumably by fostering a blood and tissue environment that enhances resilience to stress. Here, we used an integrated, multidisciplinary approach that couples quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG), biometrics, molecular, and biochemical data at multiple time points to investigate the impact of mind-based interventions on the body in a cohort of twins during an intensive week-long meditation retreat. We aim to show the feasibility of a novel design aimed to address individual changes controlling for intersubject trait variation (via twin control) and explore the role of genetic background on multi-omic factors during meditation. Interestingly, similar patterns of change in brain activity, network properties, and complexity were observed in the twin sets. These similarities were not observed in mismatched twin pairs. Heart rate dynamics studies showed alignment among twin pairs that was not present between unmatched pairs. In addition, changes in gene expression, metabolites, and cytokines present in blood plasma and associated with specific meditative states showed patterns of change associated by timepoint. Twin sets were similar in multiple domains before the start of the retreat, showed larger divergence at the mid-point, and looked more similar by the end of the retreat. To our knowledge, this study is novel within the twin research paradigm and is a first step towards exploring the effects of meditation in twins. InnerScience Research Fund. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

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.

Effectiveness of mindful self-compassion therapy on psychopathology symptoms, psychological distress and life expectancy in infertile women treated with in vitro fertilization: a two-arm double-blind parallel randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesInfertility is a prominent problem affecting millions of couples worldwide. Recently, there has been a hightened emphasis on elucidating the subtle linkages between infertility treatment leveraging assisted reproductive technology and the complex realm of psychological challenges, as well as efforts in implementation of psychological interventions.The Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program seeks to improve self-compassion, compassion for others, mindfulness, and life satisfaction while reducing depression, anxiety, and stress. In the current study, an MSC intervention was performed on infertile women (IW) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) to assess the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing psychological distress and psychopathological symptoms and enhancing life expectancy.MethodsFifty-seven IW undergoing IVF were randomly allocated to two groups: MSC (n = 29) or treatment as usual (TAU; n = 28). Participants in MSC met once a week for two hours for eight weeks and attended a half-day meditation retreat. The Synder's Hope questionnaire and the Revised 90-Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R) were used as the primary outcome measures. Data were obtained before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and two months post-intervention. Repeated measures of ANCOVA and paired t-tests in all assessment points were used to compare the MSC and the TAU groups in outcomes.ResultsIn the MSC group, hopelessness, anger-hostility, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity difficulties, and depression were significantly reduced compared with the TAU group, and those improvements persisted at the two-month follow-up. Reliable change index revealed that the MSC group's gains were both clinically significant and durable.ConclusionsMSC can facilitate higher life satisfaction and mental well-being for IW undergoing IVF by reducing psychological distress, psychopathological symptoms, and hopelessness. These encouraging findings call for more research into the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapies in addressing psychological problems among IW undergoing IVF.

Supplemental Material for Peak Experiences During Insight Mindfulness Meditation Retreats and Their Salutary and Adverse Impact: A Prospective Matched-Controlled Intervention Study

Supplemental Material for Peak Experiences During Insight Mindfulness Meditation Retreats and Their Salutary and Adverse Impact: A Prospective Matched-Controlled Intervention Study

Healing the mind and soul through meditation pilgrimage: Understanding recreation specialization, attention restoration, and emotion regulation

Meditation has largely been associated with its religious connotation in the tourism literature. The present research steers away from that tradition to focus on meditative practices as a leisure activity. It addresses the literature void by conducting a survey study on meditation tourists who participated in a 7-day meditation excursion. Based on attention restoration theory and the two-factor theory of emotion, this research contributes to the literature by underscoring a theoretical synthesis of the transformative potential of meditation on tourists' psychological and emotional wellness. It moves beyond the religiously grounded meditation retreat to offer a more generalizable travel phenomenon for body–soul self-improvement. It opens a new avenue for meditation travel by attention restoration through an arousal–cognition perspective. This wellness-related tourism has great potential to gain further popularity for those who have suffered mental and physical stress from the pandemic and other life adversities.

Serum BDNF predicts increases in telomere length during a month-long residential meditation retreat

BackgroundBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a modulatory neuroprotein implicated in learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. Studies have found increased peripheral BDNF in participants of meditation interventions, indicating that BDNF may play a role in the learning and habit formation that occurs with meditation training. In this study, we assessed changes in peripheral BDNF protein and gene expression across a month-long insight meditation retreat. We also explored relationships between BDNF and previously reported measures of telomerase activity and telomere length—biomarkers implicated in cell aging and longevity. MethodAll participants were experienced meditators. Retreat group participants (n = 28) were assessed at the beginning of, and 3 weeks into, a silent residential retreat. Control group participants (n = 34), who were similar in age, gender, and meditation experience, were also assessed across a 3-week interval. BDNF was measured in serum. BDNF transcripts, telomere length, and telomerase activity were measured in PBMCs. ResultsIn retreat participants, higher levels of serum BDNF at the beginning of retreat predicted increases in telomere length during retreat. We also found negative correlations between serum BDNF and telomerase activity. Contrary to our prediction, we observed no mean-level change in serum BDNF or BDNF transcripts as a function of retreat. ConclusionOur results suggest that basal BDNF levels may play a role in retreat-related improvements observed in telomere biology.

Plum Village: From Settlement on a Modest Local Scale to Global Communication Network

Abstract Founded in the countryside an hour from Bordeaux, France, by Thích Nhất Hạnh, known for his engaged and modern Buddhism, Plum Village is famous throughout the world for its mindfulness meditation retreats. Although many studies have been carried out on Thích Nhất Hạnh’s history and spirituality, none has addressed the question of the territorial implantation of Plum Village on a local scale, nor the processes of the worldwide diffusion of its network. After presenting the context of the penetration of Thích Nhất Hạnh’s teaching in the West, I explore the establishment of an exogenous religious community in the French countryside in terms of otherness and analyse the communication at play in the process of integration into the local scale in its municipalities in New Aquitaine, and then look at the strategy and means of communication put in place to to federate and expand its network on a global scale.

The role of silence in the production of social order in meditation (on the example of vipassana)

The article considers silence as the most important component of vipassana (meditation technique from early Buddhism) as it is taught in the tradition of S.N. Goenka. As a religious vow, silence is a condition for the successful meditation retreat. Although meditative silence does not seem to form sociality, vipassana courses are a collective practice. After the end of courses, the desire of people to meet and meditate together proves the need not in a ‘solitary’ silence but in a group that produces special collective silence. The author considers the silent co-presence of people in the meditation center ‘here-and-now’ as a special interactive situation, a social feature of the meditation practice, and shows how the subjective success of this interaction and its methods depend on the technical and spatial conditions of the meditative center. The empirical basis of the article is mainly the author’s participant observation (in the role of a new student). Based on the concepts of sociology of everyday life, the author describes the key mechanisms of the production of sociality in various situations of joint forced silence during the vipassana course - from collective meditation in the common room to the silent organization of joint activities in the meditation center. By partially reproducing the basic social conditions of the center at home - silence and the support of those around them - meditators manage to ensure the continuity of the practice and to successfully integrate it into their daily lives outside the meditation center.

The effect of a 7‐day intensive Buddhist meditation on existential isolation, interpersonal isolation, and compassion among South Koreans

AbstractThis study investigates the effects of an intensive Buddhist (Zen) meditation practice on reductions in existential isolation and increases in prosocial behavior. This study also examines whether the hypothesized reduction in existential isolation resulting from the intensive meditation practice predicts other‐focused compassion. Study 1 utilized a quasi‐experimental design to investigate the effects of meditation on existential isolation and other compassion by comparing healthy Koreans who completed a 7‐day intensive silent Zen meditation (n = 35) with those who completed a 7‐day vacation (n = 30). All participants completed measures twice: at baseline and after either their meditation retreat or their vacation. Study 2 used a longitudinal design to investigate whether Study 1 findings would replicate among 75 new TempleStay program participants. In Study 1, relative to participants in the vacation group, participants in the meditation group experienced reduced existential isolation and increased other‐focused compassion from Time 1 to Time 2. Reductions in existential isolation mediated the increases in other‐focused compassion. In Study 2, after a 1‐week intensive meditation training, participants experienced a reduction in existential isolation and an increased in other‐focused compassion; again, the reductions in existential isolation mediated increases in other‐focused compassion. Across two studies, we found evidence of reduced existential isolation and increased other‐focused compassion following an intensive Zen‐meditation practice. These results indicate that meditation practice may help people who suffer from existential isolation, as well as the people with whom they interact.

Reflections on the heuristic power of Contemplative Art in teaching and research

In this article I discuss the heuristic power of combining contemplative and creative practices using different stages of my research into learning through contemplation. This began with a realisation I had, in my first meditation retreat, about the similarities between creative and contemplative consciousness. It initiated twenty-three years of applied and theoretical research that started with contemplative art workshops I ran in rehabilitation centres. In PhD research that followed I tested a hypothesis of learning through contemplation founded on the concept of an elemental ground of learning that contained an integrating force I termed the feeling nexus. In later research examining the egress of meaning where practitioners return from contemplation, I discovered that art-making can act as a bridge between pre-conceptual knowing and cognitive assimilation of that knowledge. Recently I created the Meditative Process Art (MPA) method that engages the heuristic power of combining creative and contemplative practices.

Isha yoga practices, vegan diet, and participation in Samyama meditation retreat: impact on the gut microbiome & metabolome – a non-randomized trial

BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests a role for gut bacteria and their metabolites in host-signaling responses along the gut-brain axis which may impact mental health. Meditation is increasingly utilized to combat stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. However, its impact on the microbiome remains unclear. This study observes the effects of preparation and participation in an advanced meditation program (Samyama) implemented with a vegan diet including 50% raw foods, on gut microbiome and metabolites profiles.MethodsThere were 288 subjects for this study. Stool samples were collected at 3-time points for meditators and household controls. Meditators prepared for 2 months for the Samyama, incorporating daily yoga and meditation practices with a vegan diet including 50% raw foods. Subjects were requested to submit stool samples for 3 time points – 2 months before Samyama (T1), right before Samyama (T2), and 3 months following Samyama (T3). 16 s rRNA sequencing was used to study participants' microbiome. Alpha and beta diversities along with short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) were assessed. Metabolomics were performed on a mass spectrometer coupled to a UHLPC system and analyzed by El-MAVEN software.ResultsAlpha diversity showed no significant differences between meditators and controls, while beta diversity showed significant changes (padj = 0.001) after Samyama in meditators’ microbiota composition. After the preparation phase, changes in branched short-chain fatty acids, higher levels of iso-valerate (padj = 0.02) and iso-buytrate (padj = 0.019) were observed at T2 in meditators. Other metabolites were also observed to have changed in meditators at timepoint T2.ConclusionThis study examined the impact of an advanced meditation program combined with a vegan diet on the gut microbiome. There was an increase in beneficial bacteria even three months after the completion of the Samyama program. Further study is warranted to validate current observations and investigate the significance and mechanisms of action related to diet, meditation, and microbial composition and function, on psychological processes, including mood.Trial registrationRegistration number: NCT04366544; Registered on 29/04/2020.

The Occurrence of Psychologically Profound, Meaningful, and Mystical Experiences During a Month-Long Meditation Retreat

The Occurrence of Psychologically Profound, Meaningful, and Mystical Experiences During a Month-Long Meditation Retreat

Baseline states of mind differentially affected diurnal salivary stress biomarkers: A preliminary study

The study aimed to determine how different baseline states of mind in each day (relaxed, ordinary, or stressful) affected the diurnal patterns of three commonly investigated salivary stress biomarkers: cortisol (sCort), alpha-amylase (sAA), and chromogranin A (sCgA). A total of 32 healthy volunteers collected saliva on three different mood days at six time points each day (awakening, 30 min after, 10:00, 12:00, 16:00, and 19:00 h). Pulse rates and subjective feeling of stress using a visual analog scale (VAS) were also recorded. The levels of sCort and sAA were highest on a stressful day at certain time points. The levels of sAA were lowest on a relaxing day in the afternoon. Surprisingly, sCgA levels showed an opposite pattern with the highest level seen on a relaxing day. Of note was that the majority of the participants chose a day during a meditation retreat as their relaxing day and participants practicing mindfulness manifested lower levels of sCort (p = 0.003) and sAA (p = 0.043) at 19:00 h compared with those choosing a general leisure day as their relaxing day. Different states of mind were associated with different courses of salivary stress biomarkers. sCort and sAA are the most reliable markers showing the expected trend with higher levels on a stressful day and lower levels on a relaxing day. While the current result cast doubt on the use of sCgA as a stress marker since it was the only marker that showed the opposite trend compared with those of the other two markers as well as pulse rates and VAS. Furthermore, this is the first study to demonstrate that mindfulness practice might have different effects on these biomarkers from just a general relaxed state of mind.

SPECIAL ISSUE: Do Biofeedback, Neurofeedback, and Neuromeditation Have a Role in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies?

SPECIAL ISSUE: Do Biofeedback, Neurofeedback, and Neuromeditation Have a Role in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies?

Changes in the expression of inflammatory and epigenetic-modulatory genes after an intensive meditation retreat

BackgroundMeditation retreats are characterized by intensive or concentrated periods of meditation practice, commonly undertaken in a residential setting. Although research indicates that meditation training can positively influence physical and mental health outcomes, the biological consequences of meditation retreat interventions are relatively understudied. In this study, we examined the influence of a month-long, silent meditation retreat on the expression of genes involved in epigenetic modulation and immune processes. MethodWe assessed gene expression changes in experienced meditators attending a month-long Insight meditation retreat (n = 28), as compared to a community control group (n = 34) of experienced practitioners living their everyday lives. Blood samples were collected on day two of the retreat (Time 1) and again 3 weeks later (Time 2). Control participants were also assessed across a 3-week interval, during which they maintained their regular daily routines. ResultsAs compared to controls, retreat participants showed differential changes in the expression of several genes involved in chromatin modulation and inflammation. The most substantive finding was downregulation of the TNF pathway in retreat participants, which was not observed in controls. ConclusionsThese findings indicate that meditation retreat participation may influence some of the inflammatory mechanisms involved in the development of chronic diseases, and that this style of psychosocial intervention may have therapeutic potential, particularly in experienced practitioners.

'Therapeutic landscape' experiences - redefining their relationship with the everyday.

Feelings of removal from, and connection to, everyday life, are central to much of the 'therapeutic landscapes' literature, and to understanding of what makes 'therapeutic landscapes' 'therapeutic'. This paper develops understanding of the relationship between the everyday and 'therapeutic landscape' experiences, by exploring the origins of feelings of removal and connection. Data collected through a phenomenological approach (fieldwork sites: Buddhist meditation retreats, and non-Buddhist walking groups and conservation volunteering groups), targeted at capturing highly detailed information, demonstrates that both feelings of removal from, and connection to, the everyday, are bound-up with the everyday itself, with who we are and where we come from, and moreover, that these feelings exist alongside one another.

Measuring Psychological Mechanisms in Meditation Practice: Using a Phenomenologically Grounded Classification System to Develop Theory-Based Composite Scores

Deepening our understanding of the mechanisms by which meditation practices impact well-being and human flourishing is essential for advancing the science of meditation. A recent phenomenologically grounded classification system distinguishes attentional, constructive, and deconstructive forms of meditation based on the psychological mechanisms these practices primarily target or necessitate. Our main aim was to understand whether this theory-based taxonomy could be used as a guiding principle for combining established psychological self-report measures of meditation-related mechanisms into psychometrically adequate composite scores. We used cross-sectional data to compute meditation composite scores in three independent samples, namely meditation-naïve healthy older adults from the Age-Well trial (n = 135), meditation-naïve older adults with subjective cognitive decline from the SCD-Well trial (n = 147), and healthy long-term meditators (≥ 10,000 h of practice including one 3-year meditation retreat) from the Brain & Mindfulness project (n = 29). The psychometric properties of the composite scores were assessed via floor and ceiling effects, composite intercorrelations, interpretability, and convergent validity in relation to well-being, anxiety, and depression. Three theoretically derived meditation composite scores, reflecting mechanisms involved in attentional, constructive, and deconstructive practices, displayed adequate psychometric properties. Separate secondary confirmatory factor analyses empirically corroborated the theoretically predicted three-factor structure of this classification system. Complementing data-driven approaches, this study offers preliminary support for using a theoretical model of meditation-related mechanisms to create empirically meaningful and psychometrically sound composite scores. We conclude by suggesting conceptual and methodological considerations for future research in this area.

Equality of Access? Chinese Women Practicing Chan and Transnational Meditation in Contemporary China

This paper examines how the Buddhist revival, the Chan revival, and recent popularity of transnational meditation practices have facilitated Chinese women practicing Buddhist meditation in contemporary China. With the influence of the opening of China and growing transnational networks, there has been an increasing number of Han Chinese monastics and lay people practicing transnational meditation, such as samādhi, vipassanā and mindfulness, in the past two decades. Despite the restriction of accessing Chan halls at monasteries, some Chinese nuns and laywomen have traveled to learn meditation in different parts of China, and international meditation centers in Southeast Asia to study with yogis from all over the world. Surprisingly some returned female travelers have taken significant roles in organizing meditation retreats, and establishing meditation centers and meditation halls. Through examining some ethnographic cases of Chinese nuns and laywomen, this paper argues that the transnational meditation movement has an impact not only on gender equality, especially concerning Chinese women practicing meditation, but also on the development of contemporary Chinese Buddhism. The significant role of Chinese female meditators in promoting Buddhist meditation can reflect a trend of re-positioning the Chan School in contemporary China.