Treating Chronic Pain by Modulating Phenomenological and Psychophysiological Indices of Self-Transcendence: Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Protocol.
JMIR research protocols April 23, 2026 Kennedi Childs, Carter Minnick, Geraldine Martorella et al.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain often becomes entangled with a person's sense of self, making treatment difficult. Mindfulness-based interventions may help by promoting self-transcendence, a potential mechanism for lasting pain relief. This protocol describes a three-arm randomized controlled trial with 173 adults who have chronic musculoskeletal pain. Participants will receive either traditional mindful breathing instruction, mindful breathing plus direct pointing instruction, or be placed on a waitlist. Self-transcendence will be measured using self-reports, EEG theta activity, and fNIRS default mode network activity. Pain intensity and functional interference will be tracked from baseline through a three-month follow-up. Data collection runs from October 2024 to May 2027; no results are yet available.