Explore (New York, N.Y.)
January 1, 2019
William Van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Thomas J Dunn et al.
38 citations
Cultivating emptiness (śūnyatā), a wisdom-based Buddhist-derived practice, appears to reconnect advanced meditators to what they consider the innermost nature of mind and phenomena. In a study of 25 advanced Buddhist meditators, emptiness meditation produced significantly greater improvements in non-attachment to self and environment, mystical experiences, compassion, positive affect, and negative affect compared to a mindfulness meditation control. No significant relationship was found between duration of emptiness meditation and any outcome. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants combined concentrative and investigative techniques to induce emptiness, elicited spiritually meaningful insights, and retained volitional control over the meditation.
Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2023
Jaime Navarrete, Marta Fontana-Mcnally, Ariadna Colomer-Carbonell et al.
9 citations
The Spanish versions of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) and the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) show adequate reliability and validity for measuring state mindfulness, though the SMS specific factors have poor reliability when controlling for the general factor. Data from six non-clinical Spanish samples (TMS n=119, SMS n=223) were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The best-fitting model for the TMS was a correlated two-factor structure (curiosity and decentering). For the SMS, a bifactor structure (general factor, mindfulness of body, and mindfulness of mind) fit best. Both scales detected changes in state mindfulness after meditation practices. The patterns of correlations with measures of trait mindfulness, decentering, non-attachment, depression, anxiety, stress, affect, self-criticism, and self-reassurance were mostly as expected.
PLoS One
July 17, 2024
Julieta Galante, Jesus Montero-Marin, Maris Vainre et al.
8 citations
A randomized controlled trial found that participants who completed an 8-week mindfulness-based program reported altered states of consciousness—including experiences of unity, transcendence of time and space, and feelings of bliss—that persisted up to a year later. Compared to a control group, those in the mindfulness program showed significantly higher scores on measures of altered states at both post-intervention and 12-month follow-up. The findings suggest that mindfulness training can produce enduring changes in subjective experience beyond the meditation session itself.
Frontiers in medicine
January 1, 2024
Débora Silva Teixeira, Sandra Fortes, Celia Kestenberg et al.
8 citations
A mindfulness-based health promotion program adapted for Brazil's public health system was tested in nine groups in Rio de Janeiro primary care units. Of 62 mostly low-income women participants, 80% had chronic conditions, including anxiety (42%) and depression (35%). After eight weeks, anxiety and depression improved significantly, and quality of life improved in psychological, physical, and social domains. Participants reported using mindfulness practices for insomnia and emotional distress, and involving family members helped create space for meditation at home. Mindfulness was seen as a complement to medication and therapy. The intervention proved feasible and effective for psychosocial support in low-resource primary care settings.
Trials
February 20, 2023
Javier García-campayo, Rinchen Hijar-Aguinaga, Yolanda López-del-hoyo et al.
6 citations
This protocol describes an exploratory randomized controlled trial designed to test whether four deconstructive meditative practices can improve well-being and promote self-deconstruction. The study will compare the effects of these practices, likely involving techniques that challenge the sense of self, against a control condition. Outcomes will include measures of well-being and self-deconstruction, with the aim of identifying which practices are most effective. The trial is exploratory, meaning it will generate preliminary data to inform future research. No results are reported as this is a study protocol.
Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2021
Javier García-campayo, Nieves Moyano, Marta Modrego-Alarcón et al.
4 citations
A Spanish version of the Lucidity and Consciousness in Dreams scale (LuCiD) was validated in 367 Spanish adults, 40.3% of whom had meditation experience. The scale’s original eight-factor structure (insight, control, thought, realism, memory, dissociation, negative emotion, positive emotion) was confirmed, with adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability after removing one poorly performing item. Meditators scored higher on the insight and dissociation factors than non-meditators. The mindfulness facet of observing was positively linked to most LuCiD factors, while acting with awareness correlated negatively with realism. Positive and negative affect corresponded to the respective LuCiD emotion factors. The scale provides a reliable tool for measuring dream lucidity and consciousness in Spanish populations, and the results suggest connections between meditation experience, mindfulness traits, and dream characteristics.
Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2022
Javier García-campayo, Rinchen Hijar-Aguinaga, Alberto Barceló-soler et al.
3 citations
People who meditate are more likely to report having had a peak experience—an intense moment of joy, unity, or transcendence—than those who do not meditate. In a survey of 237 Spanish adults, 71.8% of meditators reported at least one peak experience compared to 46.8% of non-meditators. However, among those who had such experiences, the number, intensity, and ability to self-induce them did not differ between the two groups. Meditators also scored higher on measures of non-dual awareness, mindfulness, and absorption, but not on all aspects of dream lucidity. Being a meditator predicted having had a peak experience but not lucid dreaming scores, suggesting meditation may facilitate peak experiences while its effect on lucid dreams remains unclear.
World J Psychiatry
June 19, 2025
Paulina Lamas-Morales, Rinchen Hijar-Aguinaga, Javier García-campayo
1 citation
Excessive self-focus, or selfishness, is common in modern culture, and while some self-focus is adaptive, rigid self-fixation harms psychological, interpersonal, and social well-being. Deconstructive meditations, contemplative practices that use self-inquiry to examine perception, cognition, and emotion, may help cultivate a more flexible, less self-centered perspective. These practices reduce identification with self-narratives and promote psychological flexibility, according to contemplative neuroscience. However, empirical research on these meditations is limited and needs further investigation. This article reviews the practices, their links to psychotherapy, and potential therapeutic applications, discussing clinical implications and future research directions to validate their impact on mental health.
Mindfulness
March 27, 2026
Paulina Lamas-Morales, Carlos García-rubio, María Beltrán-ruiz et al.
A systematic review of 18 studies (2457 participants) found that deconstructive meditative practices, such as Vipassana and insight meditation, may improve depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological well-being in adults. Mindfulness, non-attachment, and insight were identified as possible mechanisms of change. Results varied by study design and intervention duration, and the limited number of randomized controlled trials and methodological heterogeneity restrict generalizability. The evidence suggests these practices can be effective, but higher-quality studies are needed to confirm clinical applications.
Front Psychol
January 21, 2025
Javier García-campayo, Jesus Montero-Marin, Roberto Aristegui
Contemplative neuroscience, which studies meditation, yoga, and related practices, is gaining acceptance in Western psychology and psychiatry, fulfilling a vision of earlier pioneers. A special issue on this topic includes nine papers. One clinical study found that neither semantic nor sensory priming improved outcomes of a self-compassion meditation. Another found that online mindfulness reduced state paranoia in individuals with high positive schizotypy but not trait paranoia. EEG research on Tibetan meditators showed concentrative meditation produced more neural changes than analytical meditation. A study on mindfulness and daily stress found that, except for nonreacting, mindfulness was positively associated with perceived stress.