Scientific Reports
June 7, 2016
Joseph Wielgosz, Brianna S. Schuyler, Antoine Lutz et al.
124 citations
Long-term mindfulness meditation practitioners have slower baseline respiration rates than non-meditators, and more intensive retreat practice—but not routine daily practice—is linked to slower breathing, independent of age, gender, and body measures like height, weight, and BMI. Full days of meditation did not immediately change baseline respiration, suggesting the effects are long-term rather than acute. These findings point to stable, generalized changes in respiration from sustained mindfulness training.
Perspectives on Psychological Science
October 10, 2017
Richard J. Davidson, Cortland J. Dahl
123 citations
This commentary agrees with Van Dam et al.'s critique of mindfulness research but adds five omitted points: many methodological issues are not unique to mindfulness studies; modern research focuses narrowly on one or two contemplative practices, ignoring other potentially impactful forms; mindfulness was not originally developed to treat disease; key practical questions about practice duration, intensity, spacing, and whether formal meditation is necessary or can be integrated into daily activities remain understudied; and mobile technology will be essential for standardizing training, addressing individual differences, and conducting large-scale studies.
Scientific Reports
November 22, 2019
Isaac N. Treves, Lawrence Y. Tello, Richard J. Davidson et al.
118 citations
A meta-analysis of 15 studies (17 samples, 879 adults) found a small positive relationship between mindfulness and the accuracy of body awareness, with an effect size of g = 0.21. When analyzed by study design, only randomized controlled trials showed a significant link (g = 0.20). Heterogeneity was low, but low fail-safe N estimates reduce confidence in the findings. The results suggest a small but potentially detectable association between mindfulness and body awareness accuracy.
Psychotherapy Research
June 2, 2021
Simon B. Goldberg, Sin U Lam, Willoughby B. Britton et al.
110 citations
Meditation-related adverse effects (MRAE) are common, even among people with modest meditation experience. In a population-based survey, 32.3% of participants reported MRAE on a general item, and 50.0% reported at least one specific adverse effect. Anxiety, traumatic re-experiencing, and emotional sensitivity were the most common. Functional impairment occurred in 10.6% of participants, lasting at least one month for 1.2%. Childhood adversity was associated with higher risk for MRAE. Despite these effects, participants who reported MRAE were equally glad to have practiced meditation as those who did not. The findings suggest that transparency about possible risks and trauma-sensitive approaches are warranted.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
November 1, 2013
Steve Paulson, Richard J. Davidson, Amishi P. Jha et al.
108 citations
Many people go through life on autopilot, unaware of their conscious experiences. In a moderated discussion, neuroscientists Richard Davidson and Amishi Jha and clinical mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn explore how consciousness relates to mental and physical health, how mindfulness training can make the mind more flexible and adaptable, and recent neuroscience findings on transforming consciousness through contemplative practice. This is an edited transcript of the February 6, 2013 event at the New York Academy of Sciences.
Nature. Mental health
July 10, 2023
Julieta Galante, Claire Friedrich, Napaporn Aeamla-Or et al.
102 citations
Mindfulness-based programmes reduce psychological distress (anxiety and depression) in community adults who volunteer to participate, with a small to moderate effect size. The analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials with 2,371 participants from 8 countries found a standardized mean difference of -0.32, with high confidence in the result. The effect was not clearly influenced by participants' baseline distress level, gender, age, education, or dispositional mindfulness. More research is needed to understand why outcomes vary between individuals.
Assessment
May 18, 2021
Simon B. Goldberg, Scott A. Baldwin, Kevin M. Riordan et al.
73 citations
A six-item Digital Working Alliance Inventory (DWAI) measuring the working alliance in unguided smartphone-based interventions shows good psychometric properties. In a cross-sectional survey of 290 meditation app users and the intervention arm of a randomized trial with 314 participants, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a single-factor structure. The DWAI demonstrated adequate internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and discriminant validity (no association with social desirability, psychological distress, or preference for a waitlist condition). Convergent validity was supported by positive associations with perceived app effectiveness and preference for an app condition. DWAI scores positively predicted self-reported and objective app utilization. When assessed at Weeks 3 or 4, but not earlier, DWAI scores predicted pre-post reductions in psychological distress.
Journal of Counseling Psychology
July 25, 2019
Simon B. Goldberg, Cara Knoeppel, Richard J. Davidson et al.
71 citations
In mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), the quality of meditation practice—not just the amount of time spent—mediates improvements in self-reported mindfulness. Multilevel mediation models showed that better practice quality linked practice time to changes in mindfulness, suggesting that how one practices is a mechanism connecting practice duration with outcomes. The authors recommend future research on practice quality in clinical samples using intensive sampling methods and objective measures.
Science Advances
May 20, 2022
Tammi R. A. Kral, Kaley Davis, Cole Korponay et al.
67 citations
A large, rigorously controlled study failed to find evidence that an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course changes brain structure. Combining data from two randomized controlled trials with 218 meditation-naïve participants, the study compared MBSR to an active control and a waitlist group. Using structural MRI scans before and after the intervention, researchers assessed gray matter volume, gray matter density, and cortical thickness. No neuroplastic changes were observed in the MBSR group compared to either control group, either across the whole brain or in regions previously reported to change. This contradicts widely referenced earlier claims that MBSR alters brain structure.
Neuropsychologia
July 21, 2018
Enrico Fucci, Oussama Abdoun, Anne Caclin et al.
58 citations
Non-dual meditation, which aims to reduce maladaptive patterns by recognizing their transient nature, can downregulate automatic perceptual habits. EEG recordings from expert Buddhist practitioners and novices during Open Presence (OP) and Focused Attention (FA) meditation, plus a control state, showed increased gamma oscillatory power during both meditation states in experts. An interaction between states and groups emerged in the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) amplitude, with the MMN increasing during FA compared to OP in experts, while the opposite pattern occurred at the Late Frontal Negativity (LFN) latency. This suggests OP involves increased sensory monitoring and reduced perceptual inferences relative to FA.
Scientific Reports
August 19, 2019
Cole Korponay, Daniela Dentico, Tammi R. A. Kral et al.
49 citations
An eight-week mindfulness intervention did not reduce impulsivity on the go/no-go task or Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), nor produce changes in neural correlates such as frontostriatal gray matter, functional connectivity, or dopamine levels compared to active or wait-list control groups. Long-term meditators (LTMs) did not differ from meditation-naïve participants (MNPs) on the go/no-go task, but LTMs self-reported lower attentional impulsivity and higher motor and non-planning impulsivity on the BIS-11. LTMs had less striatal gray matter, greater cortico-striatal-thalamic functional connectivity, and lower spontaneous eye-blink rate than MNPs. Total lifetime practice hours did not significantly relate to impulsivity or neurobiological metrics, suggesting pre-existing differences may account for group differences.
PLoS ONE
February 22, 2016
Daniela Dentico, Fabio Ferrarelli, Brady A. Riedner et al.
43 citations
After two intensive days of mindfulness or compassion meditation, long-term meditators showed increased low-frequency brain activity (1-12 Hz, peaking around 7-8 Hz) over prefrontal and left parietal areas during non-rapid eye movement sleep. This increase was strongest early in the night and extended to higher frequencies (25-40 Hz) during the third sleep cycle. The changes depended on meditation experience and did not differ between the two meditation styles. No such changes occurred in meditation-naive individuals. The findings suggest that intensive meditation practice acutely alters brain activity in regions linked to top-down regulation, complementing chronic changes seen in posterior areas.
January 14, 2019
Simon B. Goldberg, Raymond P. Tucker, Preston A. Greene et al.
38 citations
Mindfulness-based interventions reduce disorder-specific symptoms more than no treatment, minimal treatment, non-specific active controls, and specific active controls at post-treatment, with effect sizes ranging from d = 0.23 to 0.55. At follow-up, they remain superior to no treatment, non-specific active controls, and specific active controls. Mindfulness conditions did not differ from evidence-based treatments at either time point. The most consistent evidence supports mindfulness for depression, pain conditions, smoking, and addictive disorders. These findings indicate mindfulness-based interventions are promising evidence-based treatments.
Psychophysiology
February 12, 2016
Ayla Kruis, Heleen A. Slagter, David R. W. Bachhuber et al.
29 citations
Long-term meditators blink less frequently and show a different eyeblink pattern than meditation-naive participants, with high consistency over three time points. This pattern may reflect differences in striatal dopamine activity, as spontaneous eyeblink rate is a peripheral correlate of such activity. An 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course did not alter eyeblink rates compared to active or waitlist controls, and a full day of two different meditation types also had no effect. These results suggest either that individual differences in dopaminergic neurotransmission predispose people to meditation, or that long-term, but not short-term, practice induces stable changes in baseline striatal dopaminergic functioning.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
September 26, 2022
Christian A. Webb, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Richard J. Davidson et al.
26 citations
A data-driven algorithm can predict which individuals are most likely to benefit from a 4-week meditation app (Healthy Minds Program) compared to no intervention. The algorithm, called a Personalized Advantage Index, was developed using machine learning on baseline data from 662 school system employees in a randomized controlled trial. It significantly moderated group differences in distress reduction, meaning it identified people who improved more with the app versus the control condition. Repetitive negative thinking alone predicted benefit nearly as well. Such an algorithm could help individuals make informed decisions about whether a meditation app is appropriate for them.
American Journal of Psychiatry
July 28, 2022
Joseph Wielgosz, Tammi R. A. Kral, D. Perlman et al.
21 citations
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) reduced neural pain responses in healthy adults compared to an active control program. In a randomized trial with 115 participants, MBSR produced a moderate decrease in the neurologic pain signature (NPS) relative to a health enhancement program (Cohen's d=-0.43) and from before to after the intervention (d=-0.47). Subjective pain unpleasantness also decreased modestly in both MBSR and the active control compared to a waiting list. Long-term meditators reported lower pain than nonmeditators but showed no difference in neural pain signatures. Among long-term meditators, cumulative practice during intensive retreats, but not daily practice, was linked to reduced stimulus-independent pain processing (r=-0.65).
Frontiers in Psychology
January 28, 2021
Dylan Thomas Lott, Tenzin Yeshi, N. Norchung et al.
18 citations
Recent EEG studies on the early postmortem interval suggest the persistence of electrophysiological coherence and connectivity in the brain of animals and humans, reinforcing the need for further investigation of brain activity during the dying process. Under the direction of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, research was conducted in India on a postmortem meditative state (tukdam) cultivated by some Tibetan Buddhist practitioners, in which decomposition is putatively delayed. For healthy baseline and postmortem subjects, resting state EEG, mismatch negativity, and auditory brainstem response data were collected. Living subjects displayed well-defined MMN and ABR responses, but no recognizable EEG waveforms were discernable in any of the tukdam cases.
European Journal of Neuroscience
August 24, 2018
Daniela Dentico, David R. W. Bachhuber, Brady A. Riedner et al.
18 citations
Long-term meditators showed increased low- and fast-frequency brain oscillations during wakefulness after two 8-hour sessions of mindfulness or compassion-and-loving-kindness meditation, peaking at 8 and 15 Hz over prefrontal and left centro-parietal electrodes. These waking changes correlated with previously observed meditation-related increases in low-frequency NREM sleep EEG activity (4-12 Hz), particularly in the theta-alpha range. The findings suggest that sleep homeostatic response alone cannot explain the post-meditation sleep changes; instead, a reverberation of meditation-related processes during subsequent sleep may be involved. No differences emerged between meditation styles or in meditation-naïve participants.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
September 28, 2023
Christian A. Webb, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Oscar González et al.
6 citations
Mechanisms explaining why meditation training works may differ across patient subgroups. Prior research often collapsed heterogeneous groups, obscuring these differences. Using data from 662 participants, researchers developed a Personalized Advantage Index (PAI) to identify individuals likely to benefit more from a meditation app. A moderated mediation analysis showed that mindfulness acquisition mediated better outcomes only for those with higher PAI scores. This suggests that subgroup-specific mediators should be considered to clarify how psychosocial interventions work and to match individuals to the most beneficial treatment.
Cognition & Emotion
January 29, 2021
Simon B. Goldberg, Lisa Flook, Matthew J. Hirshberg et al.
6 citations
Brief mindfulness meditation (breath awareness) may impair cognitive performance after acute stress compared to other contemplative practices. In a randomized trial with 162 participants, those who practiced loving-kindness, gratitude, or an attentional control improved their working memory scores on the Operation Span task after the cold pressor stress test, while the breath awareness group did not. Changes in working memory were unrelated to changes in mood. The findings suggest that brief breath awareness training may not buffer against acute stress in meditation-naïve individuals and could even hinder cognitive performance relative to other practices.
March 30, 2021
Matthew J. Hirshberg, Corrina Frye, Cortland J. Dahl et al.
5 citations
preprint
A four-week smartphone-based meditation app (Healthy Minds Program) reduced psychological distress and improved well-being among school system employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a randomized wait-list controlled trial with 662 participants (64% teachers), those assigned to the app showed significantly larger reductions in distress immediately after the intervention and at a three-month follow-up, with similar benefits on secondary outcomes such as perseverative thinking and social connection. The app was equally effective for participants with elevated baseline anxiety and depressive symptoms, and no evidence of elevated adverse events was found. The program may offer a scalable approach to supporting educator mental health.
January 30, 2020
Matthew J. Hirshberg, Simon B. Goldberg, Melissa A. Rosenkranz et al.
5 citations
preprint
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) does not increase harm compared to no treatment, and may instead protect against harm. Analyzing data from over 2,000 community clinic participants and from three randomized controlled trials, the study found no evidence that MBSR leads to higher rates of worsened psychological or physical symptoms, anxiety, depression, interpersonal discomfort, paranoid ideation, or psychoticism. On many measures, community MBSR participants showed significantly lower rates of harm than controls. The findings suggest MBSR is not associated with increased harm, though a small proportion of participants do experience harm, warranting further research.
June 4, 2019
Simon B. Goldberg, Raymond P. Tucker, Preston A. Greene et al.
5 citations
Self-report measures of mindfulness show larger gains in mindfulness-based interventions compared to waitlist controls at post-treatment (effect size = 0.52) and follow-up (effect size = 0.52), though the follow-up effect became non-significant after adjusting for publication bias. Compared to other bona fide treatments, mindfulness measures showed larger gains only at post-treatment (effect size = 0.25), not at follow-up. All three conditions (mindfulness, bona fide, waitlist) showed larger improvements on clinical outcomes than on mindfulness measures, except waitlist at follow-up. These findings partially support that mindfulness self-report measures are uniquely responsive to interventions promoting mindfulness meditation practice.
August 1, 2023
Matthew J. Hirshberg, Cortland J. Dahl, Daniel M. Bolt et al.
3 citations
preprint
A four-week smartphone-based meditation intervention reduced psychological distress during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Among 662 adults, most of whom reported clinical levels of anxiety or depressive symptoms, the intervention improved four proposed mediators—mindful action, loneliness, cognitive defusion, and purpose—measured five times during the program and at three-month follow-up. Each mediator individually accounted for 22.2% to 64.5% of the intervention's effect on later distress. When all mediators were analyzed together, only reduced loneliness remained a significant pathway, explaining 70.0% of the combined indirect effect. Multiple psychological mechanisms likely contribute to the benefits of digital meditation interventions.
April 8, 2024
Saampras Ganesan, Aki Tsuchiyagaito, Greg J. Siegle et al.
2 citations
preprint
Meditation practices, which have been adapted into manualized interventions for conditions like depression, pain, addiction, and anxiety, show therapeutic promise, but their neuroscientific basis remains unclear. Current neuroimaging studies rely on small, heterogeneous datasets that vary in practice types, participant experience, clinical targets, and imaging methods, limiting generalizability and replicability. To address this, the ENIGMA-Meditation consortium was formed as a global collaboration to conduct systematic meta- and mega-analyses of distributed neuroimaging data using standardized methods. This framework aims to improve statistical power and rigorously characterize the neural mechanisms underlying meditation's effects on psychological and cognitive attributes, advancing the field of contemplative neuroscience.