Javier Garcia-Campayo

Institute of Health Research of Aragon (IIS), Zaragoza, Spain.

2 papers in the library · 41 citations · publishing 2019-2022

Papers

Exploring Emptiness and its Effects on Non-attachment, Mystical Experiences, and Psycho-spiritual Wellbeing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Advanced Meditators.

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.

DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2018.12.003 Full text Buddhism Meditation Emptiness Non-attachment +2

Examining the Relation Between Practicing Meditation and Having Peak Experiences and Lucid Dreams. A Cross-Sectional Study.

Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2022 Javier Garcia-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.

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.858745 Full text Mindfulness Peak experience Absorption Lucid dreams +2