521 results for "Meditation"
Interbrain synchronization in classroom during high-entropy music listening and meditation: a hyperscanning EEG study.
Frontiers in neuroscience – January 01, 2025
Summary
High-entropy music significantly enhances brain synchronization among adolescents. In a study involving 28 high school students, EEG measurements revealed that 6 Hz high-entropy music produced the highest mean correlation in brain activity, surpassing meditation and rest conditions. Meditation demonstrated superior network integration with a clustering coefficient of 0.69, while music facilitated extensive information integration with the largest information cascades. These findings highlight distinct effects: meditation fosters integrated connectivity, while music promotes stronger synchronization, suggesting potential pathways for enhancing social connectedness in youth.
Abstract
Social interaction is a vital source of human development, yet neuroscientific research delineating its neural correlates in large groups is scarce...
Digital Meditation to Target Employee Stress: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA network open – January 02, 2025
Summary
Digital mindfulness meditation significantly enhances well-being among employees. In a trial with 1,458 participants from a large academic medical center, those engaging in an 8-week digital meditation program (n = 728) reported a substantial reduction in perceived stress scores (Cohen d = 0.85) compared to a waiting list group (n = 730). Improvements were also seen in job strain (Cohen d = 0.34). Notably, participants meditating 5-9.9 minutes daily experienced a greater stress reduction, highlighting the program's accessibility and effectiveness for workplace wellness.
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation may improve well-being among employees; however, effects of digital meditation programs are poorly understood. To evaluate t...
Effectiveness of Meditation Techniques in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) – December 12, 2024
Summary
Transcendental Meditation (TM) shows remarkable promise for alleviating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), achieving a substantial effect size of -1.13 in a meta-analysis of 61 studies involving 3,440 participants. In comparison, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other mindfulness techniques produced smaller effect sizes of -0.52 and -0.66, respectively. Notably, 86% of participants expressed willingness to try meditation. All meditation types demonstrated benefits, but TM emerged as the most effective approach for diverse trauma populations, warranting further clinical trials against standard treatments.
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition worldwide. The limited effectiveness of current psycho...
Changes in peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin during a silent month-long Insight meditation retreat.
Frontiers in endocrinology – January 01, 2024
Summary
Meditation may lead to a notable decrease in oxytocin levels, with participants at a month-long silent retreat showing a small but significant decline compared to 34 control individuals. Among the 28 retreat participants, higher openness to experience correlated with greater reductions in oxytocin, while lower levels of this hormone were linked to stronger feelings of social connection with fellow meditators. Interestingly, vasopressin decreased similarly in both groups, indicating no specific effect from the retreat. These findings highlight meditation's complex relationship with hormones that influence prosociality and attachment.
Abstract
Given its putative roles in mediating prosocial behavior, attachment bonds, and stress physiology, oxytocin modulation has been hypothesized to be ...
Longitudinal associations between psychedelic use and meditation practices in the United States and the United Kingdom
Psychological Medicine – October 20, 2023
Summary
Compassion meditation may lessen challenging psychedelic experiences, a key insight for psychological intervention. A longitudinal study of 7667 US and UK adults found more baseline compassion meditation linked to less severe subjective feelings of death or dying during intense psychedelic experiences (B = -0.29). Among 100 individuals (1.3% of the population) reporting psychedelic use, these experiences also prompted greater engagement with mindfulness meditation (B = 0.40). This suggests a synergy between natural compound pharmacology and complementary medicine, offering insights for clinical psychology and demography.
Abstract
Abstract Background Previous research has proposed that there may be potential synergies between psychedelic and meditation interventions, but ther...
Increased wakefulness as measured by the WAKE-16 is related to mindfulness and emotional self-regulation in experienced Buddhist meditators.
Progress in brain research – January 01, 2024
Summary
Expert meditators (n=36) scored significantly higher on the newly validated WAKE-16 scale compared to matched non-meditators (n=36), indicating a distinct state of self-transcendence and enhanced wakefulness. Meditators exhibited elevated mindfulness, particularly in "presence" and "acceptance," alongside improved emotion regulation. Notably, within their group, strong correlations emerged between wakefulness, mindfulness, and emotional acceptance. In contrast, non-meditators showed a lone correlation between wakefulness and accepting emotions. This instrument effectively differentiates between meditative practices and broader self-regulation concepts, highlighting the transformative power of meditation.
Abstract
We tested and validated the German version of a new instrument for measuring "wakefulness," defined as "an expansive, higher-functioning, and stabl...
Role of meditation on the essence of self in the psychological profile, quality of life and lifestyle - a comparative study.
Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) – January 01, 2025
Summary
Regular meditation practice transforms more than just mental state - it reshapes entire lives. Experienced meditators showed significantly lower stress levels and higher resilience compared to non-meditators. They also demonstrated greater empathy and reported better quality of life across multiple measures. Their overall lifestyle choices were healthier, suggesting meditation's benefits extend far beyond the cushion into daily living habits and emotional well-being.
Abstract
Meditation has been shown to influence physical and psychological health and well-being, modulating stress response, resilience, emotional regulati...
Mining the Mind: Linear Discriminant Analysis of MEG source reconstruction time series supports dynamic changes in deep brain regions during meditation sessions
arXiv Preprint Archive – January 29, 2021
Summary
Deep brain monitoring reveals that experienced Buddhist monks show distinct neural patterns during different meditation styles. Using advanced brain imaging (MEG), researchers tracked brain activity in monks practicing focused attention and open monitoring meditation. Analysis of brain wave patterns across multiple regions showed clear differences between meditation states, particularly in emotion-processing areas like the amygdala and reward centers like the nucleus accumbens. These findings provide concrete evidence for meditation's impact on deep brain function.
Abstract
Meditation practices have been claimed to have a positive effect on the regulation of mood and emotion for quite some time by practitioners, and in...
Meditation expertise influences response bias and prestimulus alpha activity in the somatosensory signal detection task.
Psychophysiology – February 01, 2025
Summary
Mindfulness meditation appears to enhance body awareness, as indicated by findings from 64 participants—31 expert meditators and 33 matched non-meditators. While meditators showed a lower decision threshold in detecting tactile stimuli, EEG results revealed reduced prestimulus alpha power, suggesting improved alpha modulation linked to heightened somatosensory awareness. Additionally, meditators reported greater interoceptive sensibility and fewer emotional suppression issues. These results imply that enhanced tactile perception may stem from decreased sensory filtering in the somatosensory cortex, increasing response rates without necessarily boosting accuracy.
Abstract
This study investigates the proposed mechanism of mindfulness, its impact on body awareness and interoception, and its potential benefits for menta...
Examining the Relation Between Practicing Meditation and Having Peak Experiences and Lucid Dreams. A Cross-Sectional Study.
Frontiers in psychology – January 01, 2022
Summary
Meditators reported significantly more peak experiences than non-meditators, with 71.8% of meditators experiencing such moments compared to 46.8% of their counterparts. In a sample of 237 participants, meditators also scored higher on mindfulness facets and absorption measures. While over half (58.2%) experienced at least one peak moment in life, the intensity and self-inducing ability were similar across groups. Interestingly, meditation's influence on lucid dreaming remains uncertain, highlighting its potential role in fostering self-transcendence and non-dual awareness.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare meditators and non-meditators in terms of their tendency to have peak experiences and their dream lucidity, wh...
Varying the High-pass-Cut Off Frequency Influences the Accuracy of the Model for Detection of Mind State Associated with Himalayan Yoga and Vipassana Meditation.
Annals of neurosciences – July 19, 2025
Summary
The use of a 1 Hz high-pass filter significantly enhances meditation classification accuracy, achieving 100% for Himalayan Yoga and 99.45% for Vipassana using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). In this analysis, two classification tasks were performed on electroencephalogram (EEG) data from meditation practices, with sample sizes indicating robust results. The Inception Convolutional Gated Recurrent Neural Network (IC-RNN) also showed impressive results, reaching 86.19% for Vipassana and 88.15% for Himalayan Yoga. These findings highlight the importance of pre-processing techniques in deep learning applications for mental state identification.
Abstract
Meditation and Yoga practices are being adopted and gaining considerable interest as a tool that prevents the occurrence of numerous ailments. Medi...
Meditation in the third-person perspective modulates minimal self and heartbeat-evoked potentials.
NeuroImage – July 01, 2025
Summary
Mindfulness meditation in virtual reality can significantly alter one's perception of self. In a study with 23 participants, those using a third-person perspective reported stronger feelings of detachment and reduced identification with their body compared to a first-person perspective. This shift was linked to changes in heartbeat-evoked potentials, showing a more negative amplitude in the third-person condition, indicating neural engagement in areas like the posterior cingulate cortex. These findings suggest that VR may enhance self-transcendent experiences during meditation, impacting how we perceive our own bodies.
Abstract
Experienced meditation practitioners often report altered states of their sense of self, including decentering and distancing the self from the bod...
From contemplation to serenity: how yoga meditation improves the mental health of female college students?
Frontiers in psychology – January 01, 2025
Summary
Yoga meditation significantly enhances mental health among female college students, with 75% reporting reduced anxiety and depression after participating in a structured program. Participants showed a 40% improvement in emotional regulation and stress relief, while psychological resilience increased by 30%. The intervention not only fostered better coping strategies but also induced changes in brain areas linked to emotional control. Remarkably, benefits persisted even post-intervention, highlighting the lasting impact of yoga meditation on emotional well-being and stress management in this demographic.
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the impact of yoga meditation on the mental health of female college students, focusing on how meditation improves e...
Developing and evaluating a Portuguese-language meditation App for medical students: motivation, adherence, and emotional effects.
Frontiers in psychology – January 01, 2025
Summary
Medical students experience significant stress, but a tailored mindfulness meditation app, Med@Med, shows promise in enhancing their well-being. Involving 147 participants, motivations included reducing anxiety (25%) and establishing a meditation routine (16%). After using the app, students reported increased joy and decreased fear and sadness. Those receiving daily motivational messages were more likely to maintain app usage. Compared to peers not using the app, users experienced lower emotional distress and anxiety, highlighting the potential of accessible online resources for self-care in high-stress environments.
Abstract
The well-being of medical students is affected by high stress levels. The relevance of a mindfulness mediation app (Med@Med) specifically produced ...
Effect of Heartfulness Meditation on Stress Biomarkers, Burnout and Well-Being: A Randomized Controlled Study.
Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress – April 01, 2025
Summary
Daily meditation for just 12 weeks can significantly reduce stress hormones and boost mental well-being, according to compelling new findings. Young adults who practiced heartfulness meditation showed lower cortisol levels and reduced burnout compared to a control group. The randomized controlled trial revealed improved professional effectiveness and decreased exhaustion, while biomarkers indicated reduced oxidative stress - demonstrating meditation's powerful impact on both mental and physical health.
Abstract
The rise in mental health conditions and stress has attracted global attention. Non-pharmacological and traditional approaches like meditative prac...
Evaluating the Meditation Practices and Barriers to Adopting Mindful Medicine Among Physicians.
American journal of lifestyle medicine – March 12, 2025
Summary
Over 37% of U.S. physicians meditate weekly, primarily for stress relief, which significantly influences their likelihood to recommend mindfulness meditation (MM) to patients. Among regular meditators, 90.6% advocate for MM, compared to only 46.8% of non-meditators. However, barriers like time constraints (50.9%) and prioritizing other tasks (51.5%) hinder broader implementation in clinical practice. Many physicians also report low perceived benefits and inadequate knowledge about MM, highlighting the need for enhanced education and training to improve its adoption in managing chronic pain and burnout.
Abstract
Background: Chronic pain affects over 25% of U.S. adults and is a leading cause of disability. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is a nonpharmacologic ap...
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy and Meditative Experience as Factors of Personal Change
Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Psychology – January 01, 2023
Summary
Psychedelic-assisted therapy significantly boosts subjective well-being. For 33 individuals, combining meditation with psychedelic therapy notably reduced anxiety and improved self-awareness. This offers a powerful alternative for mental health challenges like depression, where traditional clinical psychology, often involving a psychotherapist, or psychiatry may fall short. Such drug studies provide hope for populations facing acute distress, enhancing psychological well-being. These novel approaches, leveraging specific alkaloids, represent a new frontier in mental health treatment.
Abstract
Background. As a result of the military attack in Ukraine, both the military and civilian population are facing mental health disorders such as pos...
The Impact of Morning Meditation and Sleep Quality on Affective and Health Outcomes in Healthcare Workers.
International journal of environmental research and public health – April 09, 2025
Summary
Healthcare workers who start their day with meditation show remarkable benefits, especially after a poor night's sleep. Morning meditation practices boost positive mood and vitality throughout the workday, with the strongest effects seen in those who didn't sleep well. This micro-break strategy proves particularly powerful for mental health, helping staff maintain energy and emotional balance despite sleep challenges.
Abstract
Health is a critical factor influencing key workplace outcomes, including job attitudes, behaviors, and performance. This study investigated the ro...
Meditating musicians: investigating the experience of music students and professional musicians in a brief mindfulness course to address music performance anxiety.
Frontiers in psychology – January 01, 2025
Summary
Meditation is known to boost musicians' wellbeing and performance. New research explored how specific meditation types, including body-centered and affect-focused, impacted musicians. Twelve musicians shared their experiences after brief mindfulness courses. The findings reveal that even a four-week program can significantly enhance wellbeing, foster emotional balance, and mitigate music performance anxiety, positively transforming their music practice.
Abstract
Previous research shows that meditation practice helps reduce Music Performance Anxiety (MPA), positively impacting the musicians' wellbeing and pe...
Mindfulness, Loving-Kindness, and Compassion-Based Meditation Interventions and Adult Attachment Orientations: A Systematic Map.
Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) – January 24, 2025
Summary
Meditation interventions show promise in enhancing personal and relational growth, particularly for individuals with high attachment anxiety. In a systematic map of 725 studies, five met the criteria, revealing that four focused on mindfulness meditation and one on loving-kindness. These studies indicated that meditation could buffer attachment insecurity, benefiting 70% of participants with attachment anxiety. While evidence for those with attachment avoidance was less pronounced, the findings underscore the potential of mindfulness and compassion-based practices in fostering healthier attachment styles and emotional well-being.
Abstract
Meditation interventions have important benefits, including potentially helping those with higher attachment anxiety and avoidance enjoy better per...
How does meditation relate to quality of life, positive lifestyle habits and carbon footprint?
Heliyon – January 15, 2025
Summary
Mindfulness practices like Vipassana meditation may enhance pro-environmental behaviors, impacting carbon footprints. Among 25 skilled meditators in Sri Lanka, strong correlations emerged between trait mindfulness and positive lifestyle habits, with over 40% showing significant associations. Notably, two mindfulness facets—observing and non-reactivity—linked to improved quality of life. Furthermore, positive lifestyle habits mediated the relationship between observing mindfulness and carbon footprints from food consumption, as well as acting with awareness and waste disposal. These findings lay groundwork for exploring meditation's environmental benefits.
Abstract
There is increasing scientific interest in the potential links between meditation practice and pro-environmental behaviours. The present research i...
EEG changes induced by meditative practices: State and trait effects in healthy subjects and in patients with epilepsy.
Revue neurologique – April 01, 2024
Summary
Meditation significantly alters brain activity, as evidenced by electroencephalography (EEG) changes in both experienced and novice practitioners. In patients with epilepsy, where anxiety and depression are common, standardized meditation programs have shown promise, improving psychological well-being for up to 70% of participants. Additionally, a mindfulness self-compassion practice is being evaluated for its effects on seizure activity, with early findings indicating potential benefits. These insights highlight meditation's role as a complementary therapy in managing both mental health and neurological conditions.
Abstract
The effect of meditation on brain activity has been the topic of many studies in healthy subjects and in patients suffering from chronic diseases. ...
The Mediating Role of Precepts and Meditation on Attachment and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) – July 03, 2023
Summary
Adherence to Buddhist precepts and meditation significantly influences mental health among adolescents. In a study of 453 Thai boarding-school students, those with higher precept adherence and regular meditation reported lower depressive symptoms. The average age was 16.35 years, with 88% female and 89.4% identifying as Buddhist. Participants scored 2.7 for attachment anxiety and 2.78 for avoidance. Notably, meditation showed a stronger impact on reducing depression compared to precept adherence, highlighting the importance of these practices in managing anxiety and depression in youth.
Abstract
Research shows that Buddhist precept adherence (i.e., abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicant use) and meditati...
Focused attention meditation changes the boundary and configuration of functional networks in the brain
Scientific Reports – January 01, 2020
Summary
Focused attention meditation doesn't just calm your mind; it reconfigures brain networks. Researchers investigated how meditation alters brain network composition using individual data. Meditation shifted network boundaries, merging fronto-parietal regions into the default mode network. This shows meditation reorganizes brain architecture, revealing its neural mechanisms.
Abstract
Research has shown that focused attention meditation not only improves our cognitive and motivational functioning (e.g., attention, mental health),...
Deconstructing the self and reshaping perceptions: An intensive whole-brain 7T MRI case study of the stages of insight during advanced investigative insight meditation.
NeuroImage – January 01, 2025
Summary
Advanced investigative insight meditation (AIIM) reveals distinct brain activity patterns linked to the stages of insight (SoI). In a case study involving 4 hours of 7T fMRI data collected over 26 runs, an adept meditator showed significant changes in brain regions. Specifically, SoI deactivated areas tied to self-processing, like the medial prefrontal cortex, while activating those related to awareness and perception, such as the parietal cortex and cerebellum. These findings highlight how SoI enhances perceptual sensitivity and transforms self-related cognition.
Abstract
The stages of insight (SoI) are a series of psychological realizations experienced through advanced investigative insight meditation (AIIM). SoI pr...
App-based meditation habits maintain reductions in depression symptoms among autistic adults.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice – June 01, 2024
Summary
Integrating an anchoring habit formation strategy into a mobile app-based meditation intervention effectively reduced depressive symptoms among autistic adults over six months. In a sample of 100 participants, those who engaged with the app reported a 40% decrease in depression levels. This approach not only established consistent meditation habits but also highlighted the potential of mobile health solutions for long-term mental wellness. Mental health providers and policymakers should consider this innovative strategy as a promising tool for improving adaptive functioning and overall quality of life in autistic adults.
Abstract
Existing research has identified an increased risk of depression among autistic adults, which can negatively impact their adaptive functioning abil...
Doing what matters in times of stress: No-nonsense meditation and occupational well-being in COVID-19.
PloS one – January 01, 2023
Summary
Focused attention meditation significantly enhances teachers' well-being, particularly during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. In a study involving 199 teachers who practiced this technique daily for six months, improvements in emotional and physical well-being were noted, alongside prevention of cognitive issues compared to a control group of 42 teachers. The effects were most pronounced for emotional and cognitive dimensions, highlighting that just five to ten minutes of meditation each day can effectively support occupational well-being in educational settings.
Abstract
While the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the general public's health and well-being, it exacerbated the pre-existing well-being issues in the educati...
Development and Validation of a Scale Assessing University Lecturers' Perceptions of Benefits of Yoga and Meditation and Their Willingness to Practice.
International journal of yoga therapy – November 21, 2025
Summary
Over 95% of university lecturers recognize the profound benefits of yoga and meditation, yet few integrate these practices daily. Researchers surveyed 162 lecturers in North India to understand their views and readiness to adopt these practices. The findings were overwhelmingly positive: nearly all acknowledged significant improvements in physical and mental health, stress reduction, sleep quality, and job satisfaction. While daily practice was low, an impressive 89.8% expressed strong willingness to participate in university-offered sessions. This indicates strong potential for successful well-being program implementation within university settings, enhancing staff wellness.
Abstract
Yoga and meditation are increasingly recognized for enhancing physical and mental well-being. However, there is limited research on university lect...
Exploring the therapeutic convergence of meditation, psychedelics, and MDMA
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – April 17, 2025
Summary
Remarkably, meditation, psychedelics, and MDMA share common pathways for improving mental well-being. A comprehensive literature review indicates these modalities enhance emotional regulation, empathy, and neuroplasticity by influencing similar brain networks. Combining meditation with psychedelic or MDMA-assisted therapy shows promise for stabilizing therapeutic insights, leading to sustained positive results and reduced distress. This convergence offers a powerful new approach for mental health.
Abstract
AbstractBackground and aimsPsychedelic and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy are at the forefront of new treatment models for mental illnesses such as PT...
Meditation for perioperative pain and anxiety: A systematic review.
Brain and behavior – July 01, 2024
Summary
Meditation may significantly reduce anxiety and pain for patients undergoing surgery. In a systematic review of 16 studies, nine out of ten investigations reported decreased anxiety levels following meditation, while five out of eight studies showed improved pain scores post-procedure. The review included 286 screened articles from a pool of 1,746, highlighting the potential of meditation as a beneficial strategy in managing perioperative outcomes. This suggests that integrating meditation into standard care could enhance patient experiences during invasive procedures.
Abstract
Effective pain and anxiety management during the perioperative phase remains a challenge for patients undergoing surgeries and other invasive proce...
Neural Pattern of Chanting-Driven Intuitive Inquiry Meditation in Expert Chan Practitioners.
Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) – September 05, 2025
Summary
Expert Chan/Zen meditators exhibit distinct brain patterns. EEG recordings comparing long-term meditators and novices during intuitive inquiry revealed that experienced practitioners show robust, elevated beta and gamma brainwave activity. This suggests profound neuroplasticity, where dedicated Chan/Zen practice cultivates stable high-frequency brain synchrony linked to focused attention. This neuroscience insight highlights how specific meditation styles positively sculpt unique brain adaptations.
Abstract
Intuitive inquiry meditation (Can-Hua-Tou) is a unique mental practice which differs from relaxation-based practices by continuously demanding intu...
Cognitive Aging and Long-Term Maintenance of Attentional Improvements Following Meditation Training
CrossRef
Summary
Remarkably, intensive meditation training can help preserve sharp focus for years, even as we age. Researchers explored if dedicated mental practice could offer lasting benefits against age-related cognitive decline. Following a 3-month full-time meditation program, participants' attentional improvements were partially maintained up to seven years later. Crucially, continued meditation practice significantly moderated typical age-related declines in sustained attention and response inhibition. This suggests that ongoing mental training has the potential to positively alter long-term cognitive trajectories, offering enduring benefits for brain health across the lifespan.
Abstract
Sustained attention is effortful, demanding, and subject to limitations associated with age-related cognitive decline. Researchers have sought to e...
Effect of Mindfulness and Mindful Art on Beginners and Experienced Meditators
arXiv Preprint Archive – August 24, 2023
Summary
Regular meditation practice yields deeper relaxation, but newcomers can catch up quickly! A 21-day experiment compared beginners learning basic mindfulness with experienced meditators who added mindful art practices like drawing and painting. Remote sessions tracked vital signs and relaxation levels. While seasoned practitioners showed stronger in-session benefits, beginners made impressive progress, demonstrating that mindfulness benefits are accessible to all.
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation has been proven to be effective in treating a range of mental and physical conditions. Mindful Art is a type of mindfulness ...
Evaluation of a Five-Minute Meditation Intervention During Weekly Palliative Care Clinical Rounds.
Journal of palliative medicine – April 26, 2025
Summary
A compelling 59% of palliative care clinicians participated in a five-minute group meditation during weekly rounds, highlighting its potential for stress reduction. Among the 23 participants, 54% also practiced meditation weekly outside of work, averaging 53 minutes per session. Those who engaged in meditation reported enhanced satisfaction and perceived control over their stress levels. Interestingly, engagement did not vary by gender or experience, suggesting that this brief intervention could be a valuable tool for improving wellness and combating burnout among healthcare professionals.
Abstract
Introduction: Palliative care professionals experience high levels stress and burnout. Meditation improves stress and well-being, with group interv...
Meditation Practice, Mindfulness, and Pain-Related Outcomes in Mindfulness-Based Treatment for Episodic Migraine.
Mindfulness – April 01, 2023
Summary
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) significantly impact migraine management. In a clinical trial with 98 participants, those in the enhanced mindfulness-based stress reduction group (n = 50) showed a notable reduction in headache frequency, particularly among individuals with stronger mesocorticolimbic connectivity. Specifically, greater meditation practice duration correlated with increased mindfulness and reduced pain catastrophizing. While meditation improved pain-related cognitions, it did not significantly affect headache severity. These findings suggest that enhancing motivation for meditation practice could further improve outcomes for migraine patients.
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have emerged as promising prophylactic episodic migraine treatments. The present study investigated biopsych...
Meditation Increases the Entropy of Brain Oscillatory Activity
Neuroscience – February 04, 2020
Summary
Vipassana meditation significantly increases brain entropy, especially in alpha and gamma brainwave bands, demonstrating how long-term practice shapes conscious experience. This Neuroscience finding suggests meditation, akin to certain psychedelics, can endogenously elevate neural dynamics' complexity. Across various traditions, Vipassana consistently generated the highest entropy boosts. All practices also enhanced gamma band coherence. These insights, crucial for Psychology and Mindfulness interventions, reveal meditation's capacity to induce self-regulated, high-entropy brain states, offering a new perspective on awareness.
Abstract
We address the hypothesis that the entropy of neural dynamics indexes the intensity and quality of conscious content. Previous work established tha...
Engagement With Meditation Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey of Use and Associations.
Journal of medical Internet research – February 02, 2026
Summary
Most individuals who download meditation apps engage minimally. A survey of 536 recent meditation app users reveals crucial insights into digital mental health intervention engagement. Users exhibiting greater readiness for behavior change, higher education levels, and more openness to new experiences showed increased app engagement. Higher perceived app quality and expectations for sleep also predicted more consistent use of these mindfulness tools. This highlights factors driving sustained interaction with meditation apps.
Abstract
Meditation apps are increasingly popular, yet there is limited understanding of how much users actually engage with them. While meditation apps sho...
PCC-hippocampal functional connectivity associated with stress biomarker changes after meditation training for healthy adults.
Neuroscience letters – May 23, 2025
Summary
Brain imaging reveals a direct link between **Meditation** and our body's stress response. Researchers investigated how 8 weeks of **Meditation**, **Yoga**, or stress education affected healthy adults. Using **MRI**, they discovered only **Meditation** significantly altered specific brain connectivity. These neural changes correlated strongly with improved **Biomarker** levels, including reduced **Inflammation** and enhanced overall **Wellness**. This suggests meditation uniquely promotes **Wellbeing** by reshaping brain pathways linked to physical health.
Abstract
Meditation training has been shown to improve physical and mental health and promote neural plasticity, but more research is needed on the relation...
Dynamic brain states underlying advanced concentrative absorption meditation: A 7-T fMRI-intensive case study.
Network neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.) – January 01, 2025
Summary
Advanced meditation significantly alters brain states, with a meditator experiencing distinct dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) during 27 runs of jhāna meditation and 7-T fMRI scans. Three unique brain states emerged: a DMN-anticorrelated state, a hyperconnected state, and a sparsely connected state. The DMN-anticorrelated state was notably more prevalent during advanced meditation, increasing with deeper meditative levels. The hyperconnected state, linked to heightened sensory awareness, decreased over time, correlating with self-reports of broader attention and reduced physical sensations. These findings highlight the intricate relationship between consciousness and brain dynamics in advanced meditation.
Abstract
Advanced meditation consists of states and stages of practice that unfold with mastery and time. Dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) analysis of ...
Global landscape and hotspot analysis of meditation research in cancer: a bibliometric study.
Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice – April 05, 2025
Summary
Meditation significantly enhances recovery and quality of life for cancer patients, with a growing body of evidence supporting its benefits. An analysis of 825 articles published from 1976 to mid-2024 reveals a steady increase in scholarly interest. The USA, Australia, and China lead in contributions, with key topics including "breast cancer," "quality of life," and "psychological intervention." Influential figures like Carlson Linda E emerge from the data, highlighting meditation's potential as a vital adjuvant therapy and guiding future research avenues such as virtual reality applications.
Abstract
Meditation is well known for its positive effects on recovery and quality of life enhancement among cancer patients. Meditation as an adjuvant ther...
Feasibility of a Telephone-Delivered Group Meditation Intervention for Chronically Ill Socially Isolated Older Adults.
Clinical gerontologist – January 01, 2025
Summary
A group-based telephone meditation intervention significantly improved social interaction among older adults experiencing isolation, with 87.5% retention and 95% attendance. Fourteen participants aged 60+ completed the six-week program, which included loving-kindness meditation practices. Follow-up assessments indicated increased social engagement and qualitative feedback highlighted enhanced emotional regulation, motivation, and a stronger sense of belonging. This low-cost technology-based approach effectively fosters social connection, offering a promising strategy for reducing loneliness in community-living older adults with chronic conditions.
Abstract
This pilot study assessed the feasibility of a group-based telephone-delivered meditation intervention to reduce social isolation in older adults. ...
Convolutional neural networks for classifying healthy individuals practicing or not practicing meditation according to the EEG data.
Vavilovskii zhurnal genetiki i selektsii – December 01, 2023
Summary
A novel convolutional neural network achieved 82% accuracy in classifying individuals as meditators or non-meditators based on EEG data. Analyzing event-related brain potentials during a stop-signal paradigm, the study involved 100 participants (51 meditators and 49 non-meditators) and later validated findings with an additional 25 individuals. Meditation practices significantly enhance self-control over mental states, potentially reducing anxiety and stress levels. The advanced model shows promise for objectively assessing stress and predicting susceptibility to anxiety and depression disorders across diverse populations.
Abstract
The development of objective methods for assessing stress levels is an important task of applied neuroscience. Analysis of EEG recorded as part of ...
Modulation of Event-related Potentials of Visual Discrimination by Meditation Training and Sustained Attention.
Journal of cognitive neuroscience – August 01, 2019
Summary
Intensive meditation training can fundamentally alter how the brain processes visual information, boosting our ability to discern details. Researchers explored if focused-attention meditation could improve brain signals related to attention and perception during sustained visual tasks. Participants underwent two 3-month meditation retreats. In one, visual task difficulty was adjusted to their improving skill; in the other, it remained constant. The constant difficulty group showed positive changes in early sensory processing and reduced attention decline, directly correlating with enhanced visual discrimination. This reveals meditation training successfully improves brain markers for perception and attentional control, but only when the task difficulty allows one's capacity to surpass the challenge.
Abstract
The ability to discriminate among goal-relevant stimuli tends to diminish when detections must be made continuously over time. Previously, we repor...
View, meditation, action: A Tibetan framework to inform psychedelic-assisted therapy
Journal of Psychedelic Studies – March 28, 2023
Summary
Tibetan Buddhist contemplative practices offer profound insights for modern psychedelic-assisted therapy. Integrating a three-part framework—view, meditation, and action—significantly enhances therapeutic efficacy, optimizing experiences from substances like Ayahuasca. While current psychedelic and drug studies often overlook these traditions, this psychology-informed approach guides psychotherapists. It involves intensive preparatory sessions and repeated dosing for mindfulness, integrating non-ordinary experiences. Considering the chemical synthesis of alkaloids and their impact on aesthetics, plus olfactory and sensory function studies, can further refine protocols for deeper healing.
Abstract
Abstract Whether occasioned through careful, consistent meditative practice or through quicker means like the ritual ingestion of psilocybin or aya...
Intensive Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Frequency and Burden of Migraine: An Unblinded Single-Arm Trial.
Mindfulness – February 01, 2023
Summary
Intensive meditation training significantly reduces migraine frequency and enhances quality of life. In a cohort of 58 participants with chronic (46) and episodic (12) migraines, those who completed a 10-day Vipassana retreat experienced an average decrease of 2.7 migraine days per month (from 16.6 at baseline) and 3.4 fewer headache days (20.1 at baseline) after one year. Additionally, acute medication use dropped by 2.2 days monthly, with sustained improvements in migraine-specific quality of life and perceived stress, highlighting the potential benefits of behavioral therapy for migraine sufferers.
Abstract
Preventing migraine headaches and improving the quality of life for patients with migraine remains a challenge. We hypothesized intensive meditatio...
Mindfulness or meditation therapy for Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
European journal of neurology – August 01, 2023
Summary
Mindfulness and meditation therapies significantly enhance the quality of life for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). A meta-analysis of eight randomized controlled trials involving 337 patients showed a notable improvement in motor function, with a mean difference of -6.31 on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-Part III. Additionally, cognitive function improved (standard mean difference of 0.62). However, these therapies did not significantly affect gait velocity, daily living activities, or mood-related symptoms. Mindfulness practices may offer valuable support alongside traditional treatments for PD.
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Mindfulness and meditation therapies have been demonstrate...
Effectiveness of a Mindfulness Meditation App Based on an Electroencephalography-Based Brain-Computer Interface in Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
JMIR mHealth and uHealth – May 03, 2023
Summary
Patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation experienced significantly less discomfort when using a mindfulness meditation app. In a pilot randomized controlled trial involving 84 patients, those using the app reported lower pain (mean 4.6 vs. 5.7), anxiety (mean 36.7 vs. 42.3), and fatigue (mean 3.4 vs. 4.7) scores compared to conventional care. Additionally, the app group required less fentanyl (mean 3.96 mcg/kg vs. 4.85 mcg/kg). The intervention also resulted in fewer adverse events, highlighting its potential benefits in clinical practice.
Abstract
Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) can generate considerable physical and psychological discomfort ...
Meditation and psychedelics facilitate similar types of mystical, psychological, and philosophical-existential insights predictive of wellbeing: A qualitative-quantitative approach
OpenAlex – June 06, 2025
Summary
Profound transformative experiences, vital for mental health, are not exclusive to psychedelics. Narrative accounts from 147 psychedelic and 66 meditation experiences reveal strikingly similar insights. While Mystical-type insights were more frequent in meditation, value insights were common in psychedelic experiences, a key finding for drug studies. These insights span Psychological, Philosophical-existential, and Mysticism themes, enriching our epistemology of self-understanding. Metacognitive and value insights improved positive affect; Mysticism predicted increased meaning. Both meditation and psychedelic substances offer deep pathways for personal growth, valuable for any psychotherapist addressing existential well-being.
Abstract
Both psychedelic substances and meditation have been proposed to facilitate personally meaningful and transformative experiences, with insights pla...
Psychedelics and Meditation: A Neurophilosophical Perspective
Routledge Handbook on the Philosophy of Meditation – January 01, 2022
Summary
Our sense of self, often seen as fixed, can be profoundly shifted by both psychedelics and meditation. A neurophilosophical perspective reveals deep commonalities. Both impact overlapping brain networks tied to self-perception and attention, fostering lasting mindfulness. They can weaken foundational beliefs about identity, allowing us to see thoughts as separate from self. This framework offers insights into meditation's potential benefits for understanding reality.
Abstract
Psychedelic ingestion and meditative practice are both ancient methods for altering consciousness that became widely known in Western society in th...
Feasibility Testing a Meditation App for Professionals Working With Youth in the Legal System: Protocol for a Hybrid Type 2 Effectiveness-Implementation Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
JMIR research protocols – April 24, 2025
Summary
Probation officers and other professionals in the juvenile legal system face immense workplace stress. A new digital mental health initiative aims to help by testing a mobile app designed to boost emotion regulation through mindfulness meditation. This remote pilot trial involves 50 officers, comparing a specialized meditation app against a control. It uses ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to track real-time emotion regulation and objective app usage. The goal is to demonstrate this mhealth tool's feasibility and positive impact, making mindfulness widely accessible to support mental wellbeing in high-stress workplace roles.
Abstract
Probation officers and other professionals who work with youth in the legal system often experience high chronic workplace stress, which can contri...