Revisión sistemática de la efectividad de la meditación en el bienestar psicológico en estudiantes de ciencias de la salud

La meditación es una herramienta eficaz para promover el bienestar psicológico y manejar el estrés y los trastornos psicológicos asociados con situaciones académicas, clínicas y asistenciales altamente demandantes en contextos académicos sanitarios. Este artículo evalúa el impacto de intervenciones basadas en la meditación, en el bienestar psicológico de estudiantes de ciencias de la salud. Se buscaron ensayos clínicos controlados en la Biblioteca virtual de Salud (BVS), Biblioteca Cochrane, Trip Database, Sage Pub, Springer Link, Wiley Online Library, Medline (vía PubMed), Europe PMC, ScienceDirect, APA PsycInfo y ERIC. Se identificaron 651 estudios. Se incluyeron 13 estudios que cumplieron con los criterios de elegibilidad. Se encontró que la práctica de meditación no clínica, predominantemente mediante intervenciones basadas en la atención plena (mindfulness), realizadas en contextos académicos tiene un efecto positivo en el bienestar psicológico y en la competencia socioemocional del estudiantado. Los beneficios a largo plazo dependen de que los estudiantes practiquen la meditación regularmente. Estos hallazgos tienen implicaciones para la educación sanitaria. Sugieren integrar la meditación como un enfoque preventivo para mejorar el bienestar psicológico del estudiantado.

A meditação é uma ferramenta eficaz para promover o bem-estar psicológico, administrar o estresse e os transtornos psicológicos associados a situações acadêmicas, clínicas e assistenciais altamente demandantes em contextos acadêmicos sanitários. Este artigo avalia o impacto de intervenções baseadas na meditação para o bem-estar psicológico de estudantes de Ciências da Saúde. Foram buscados ensaios clínicos controlados na Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS), Biblioteca Cochrane, Trip Database, Sage Pub, Springer Link, Wiley Online Library, Medline (via PubMed), Europe PMC, Science Direct, APA PsycInfo e ERIC. Foram identificados 651 estudos. Foram incluídos 13 estudos que cumpriram os critérios de elegibilidade. Foi encontrado que a prática da meditação não clínica, predominantemente por meio de intervenções baseadas na atenção plena (mindfulness), realizadas em contextos acadêmicos, tem um efeito positivo no bem-estar psicológico e na competência socioemocional dos estudantes. Os benefícios a longo prazo dependem de que os estudantes pratiquem a meditação regularmente. Essas descobertas têm implicações para a educação sanitária. Sugerimos integrar a meditação como uma abordagem preventiva para melhorar o bem-estar psicológico dos estudantes.

Meditation is an effective tool to promote psychological well-being and manage stress and psychological distress associated with highly demanding academic, clinical and healthcare situations in academic health contexts. This paper evaluates the impact of meditation-based interventions on the psychological well-being of health occupations students. Controlled clinical trials were searched in the Biblioteca virtual de Salud (BVS), Cochrane Library, Trip Database, Sage Pub, Springer Link, Wiley Online Library, Medline (via PubMed), Europe PMC, ScienceDirect, APA PsycInfo, and ERIC. 651 studies were identified. Thirteen studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. It was found that non-clinical meditation practice, mainly through mindfulness-based interventions, carried out in academic contexts has a positive effect on the psychological well-being and socio-emotional competence of the student body. Long-term benefits depend on students practicing meditation regularly. These findings have implications for health education. They suggest integrating meditation as a preventive approach to improve the psychological well-being of students.

Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention (eMBI) in management of dyspnea in patients with interstitial lung disease: A randomized clinical trial.

RATIONALE: Dyspnea and cough are frequent symptoms in ILD patients. The management of these symptoms is challenging, and evidence-based therapies are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of an online Mindfulness-Based Intervention (eMBI) on reducing dyspnea in patients affected by different ILDs. METHODS: This study was a prospective, open-label, controlled trial that included patients ≥18 years and a modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale score of ≥ 1. Patients were randomized into either the eMBI or the control group (CG) for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in the dyspnea mMRC scale. The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), King's Brief Interstitial Lung Disease (K-BILD) questionnaire, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were performed before and after the eight weeks. All analyses were conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. The study was registered at the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC), RBR-3s4mf9y. RESULTS: 24 patients in the eMBI and 25 in the CG completed the intervention. In the eMBI group, compared to the control group, there was a greater proportion of patients with a reduction in dyspnea according to the mMRC scale score (48.9% versus 15.4%, p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in the LCQ (p = 0.666), or in the K-BILD (p = 0.108), depression (p = 0.08), or anxiety (p = 0.869 or stress (p = 0.789). No moderate or severe adverse events were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Eight weeks eMBI is a potentially viable and safe approach, that can help manage dyspnea in ILD patients.

High-precision neurofeedback-guided meditation training optimises real-world self-guided meditation practice for well-being.

Meditation can benefit well-being and mental health, but novices often struggle to effectively recognize and disengage from mental processes during meditation due to limited awareness, potentially diminishing meditation's benefits. We investigated whether personalised high-precision neurofeedback (NF) can improve disengagement from mental activity during meditation and enhance meditation's outcomes. In a single-blind, controlled, longitudinal paradigm, 40 novice meditators underwent two consecutive days of meditation training with intermittent visual feedback from either their own (N=20) or a matched participant's (N=20; control group) posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) activity measured using 7 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging. During training, the experimental group showed stronger functional decoupling of PCC from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, indicating better control over disengagement from mental processes during meditation. This led to greater improvements in emotional well-being and mindful awareness of mental processes during a week of real-world self-guided meditation. We provide compelling evidence supporting the utility of high-precision NF-guided meditation training to optimise real-world meditation practice for well-being.

The impact of immersive virtual reality meditation for depression and anxiety among inpatients with major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders.

Background: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a non-pharmacological approach to alleviating depression and anxiety. While technology based MBCT is a standardized cost-effective approach, there have been concerns about its feasibility and effectiveness in clinical settings. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between improved emotional regulation resulting from participation in Immersive Virtual Reality Meditation (IVRM) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as monitored by electrocardiogram. Methods: This study was a longitudinal single-arm clinical trial in which the intervention was conducted three times a week for 10 weeks at a behavioral health unit in a community hospital (n = 26). We measured Coherence Achievement Score (CAS), depression, and anxiety. The relationships between CAS, anxiety, depression, and covariates were analyzed using a Generalized Estimated Equation (GEE). Results: The findings of our study provide evidence that the CAS scores indicative of emotional regulation function after IVRM participation were associated with a reduction in depression and anxiety. Conclusion: Among the many technology-based complementary health care interventions that are available to reduce depression and anxiety, IVRM program use increases emotional regulatory function and decrease depression and anxiety.

Efficacy of Mindfulness Meditation on Patients With Stroke With Concurrent Coronary Heart Disease: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality and negative emotions in patients with stroke with concurrent coronary heart disease. METHODS: This study was a randomised controlled trial. A total of 72 patients with stroke with concurrent coronary heart disease were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 36 patients in each group. The control group received routine treatment plus eszopiclone tablets at a dosage of 3 mg once daily. The observation group received mindfulness meditation in addition to the treatment given to the control group. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep status, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale were used to assess depression and anxiety, and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment was used to assess motor function. All participants in both groups received a 6-week intervention. RESULTS: Pairwise comparisons revealed that the observation group had better outcomes in sleep quality, sleep onset latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, daytime function and total scores at both 6 and 12 weeks compared with the control group (p < 0.05). After 12 weeks of intervention, compared with the control group, the total score of sleep quality improved more significantly (9.22 ± 2.35/6.26 ± 2.47). Additionally, different treatment methods had varying effects on anxiety scores, depression scores and motor function scores between the two groups (p < 0.001). Further comparisons showed that the observation group had lower anxiety and depression scores and higher motor function scores at both 6 and 12 weeks compared with the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Mindfulness meditation can effectively improve sleep quality and reduce negative emotions in patients with stroke with concurrent coronary heart disease, as well as promote the recovery of limb functions.

Chanting and meditation: an 8-week intervention to promote executive functions in school-age children.

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a newly developed 8-week meditation program, which included chanting and meditation, on executive functions (EFs) in school-age children. Twenty-five students assigned to an experimental group participated in the meditation program, engaging in daily and weekly activities for 8 weeks. Another 25 students served as a control group and participated in regular school activities. Pretest and posttest assessments included the n-back task for working memory, the go/no-go task for inhibition, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for cognitive flexibility. A mixed repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to analyze interaction effects, within-group differences, and between-group differences. The experimental group demonstrated greater improvement compared to the control group across several measures: (1) reaction time in the 1-back task, (2) correct responses in the no-go condition of the go/no-go task, and (3) percentage of correct responses, errors, perseverative errors, non-perseverative errors, perseverative responses, and conceptual level responses in the WCST (p < 0.001). These findings underscore the potential benefits of an 8-week school-based meditation program incorporating chanting and meditation for enhancing EFs in school-age children.

Change starts with the body: Interoceptive appreciation mediates the effect of mindfulness training on behavior change - an effect moderated by depression severity.

Mindfulness catalyzes health behavior change. Yet, interoception is dysregulated in depression, potentially impairing behavioral activation. We examined the mediating role of interoceptive appreciation, as measured by how much one trusts and listens to internal bodily signals, on behavior change. Primary care patients with depression, anxiety, or stress disorders related to chronic illness were randomized to Mindfulness Training for Primary Care (MTPC) using the Mindful Behavior Change curriculum or a low-dose mindfulness comparator. Participants (N = 274) completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) at 0 and 8 weeks. At week 7, participants chose a health behavior action plan. During weeks 8-10, participants reported their action plan initiation (API) level. We investigated the effect of MTPC on API level (MTPC-API), the mediating role of interoceptive appreciation (Body Listening [MAIA-BL] + Trusting [MAIA-T]), and baseline depression severity as a moderator. MTPC had a significant direct effect on API. Interoceptive appreciation (MAIA-BL + MAIA-T) had a significant indirect effect on API (CI=0.15-0.56). Without depression (n = 76), MAIA-BL partially mediated MTPC-API (CI=0.02-0.87). With moderate-to-severe depression (n = 132), MAIA-T partially mediated MTPC-API (CI=0.01-0.85). Interoceptive appreciation helps people listen to motivating bodily signals. In depression, regaining body trust may be an important step on a mindful path towards change.

Acceptability and Scalability of a Meditation App Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background Adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) experience stress from general life stressors and diabetes-specific stressors. This stress manifests in a range of ways, such as mood swings, heightened frustration, strained familial relationships, and difficulties in T1DM self-management, which then leads to worse health outcomes. There is small to moderate evidence that frequent use of mental health applications (MHapps) improves mental and physical health outcomes. Meditation apps may help reduce some of the stress associated with living with T1DM. This study explores the acceptability and scalability of a self-guided, smartphone-based meditation app, the Healthy Minds Program (HMP) app, among adolescents with T1DM using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Methods Eight adolescents ages 15-19 were recruited from a pediatric clinic in a Midwestern state and introduced to the HMP app. After using the HMP app for one week, they were invited to participate in three successive focus group meetings. During the meetings, they shared their perspectives on the content, navigation, and acceptability of the HMP app and strategies to introduce and scale app utilization among adolescents with T1DM. Researchers conducted conventional content analysis using a hybrid coding approach. Data was managed and analyzed using NVivo 10 (Lumivero, Denver, Colorado, USA). Findings Participants believed that the HMP app has the potential to enhance their stress management, mood, and coping abilities when dealing with the challenges of T1DM management. They found the app enjoyable and easy to use but expressed concerns about time constraints as a potential barrier. To address this, they shared recommendations for facilitating app uptake and usage. Conclusions This study's results provide an in-depth understanding of how positively this subset of adolescents with T1DM viewed the HMP app. The participants also offered valuable suggestions that can promote the adoption and sustained use of MHapps by adolescents living with T1DM.

Psychological and physiological health outcomes of virtual reality-based mindfulness interventions: A systematic review and evidence mapping of empirical studies.

Objective: In the past two decades, mindfulness, rooted in Buddhist traditions, has gained considerable scientific interest. Virtual reality (VR) technology, in particular head-mounted displays, offers immersive experiences and is examined in this systematic review in terms of VR-based mindfulness interventions and their effects on psychological and physiological health outcomes. Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analyses guidelines, a systematic search was conducted with the following search terms: [(mindful* OR "meditat*") AND ("virtual reality" OR "VR") AND (health OR physio* OR psycho* OR mental OR physical)]. Considering critiques of methodological quality in existing systematic reviews, this study adopts Boell and Cecez-Kecmanovic's hermeneutic approach, critically evaluating research outcomes. Results: Psychological benefits include improved anxiety, mindfulness, emotions, disease patterns, affect, stress, (presleep) arousal, meditation and others. Physiological effects focus on neurobiological markers, heart rate/heart rate variability, pain, blood pressure, cortisol and galvanic skin resistance. Evidence mapping shows that more research has been conducted in the last 6 years, particularly by North American and South Korean authors, and points to gaps in study methodology. In addition, attention regulation is identified as a primary mindfulness mechanism in VR scenarios, often in nature-based virtual environments, with mainly single-session studies lasting 5 or 10 minutes. Discussion: Critical mapping reveals the need for additional studies to support and extend initial findings in this emerging research field. Methodologically, there is a call for more true-experimental studies to enhance rigor. From a content perspective, VR protocols are currently still strongly characterized by single-session interventions, which makes it especially difficult to make a dose-response statement regarding long-term effects. Conclusion: In summary, the studies provide important initial findings on psychological and physiological effects of VR-based mindfulness interventions on health. In addition, the need for more methodologically rigorous studies was emphasized, along with other methodological adjustments that must be carefully considered in the planning of future studies.

Effects of Mantram Repetition on Spiritual Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Spiritual well-being is an essential component of whole-person care and is increasingly recognized in various clinical disciplines as positively affecting mental health. Mantram repetition (MR) is an intervention rooted in Eastern spiritual traditions that has been shown to have clinical benefits, including reduction of psychological distress, among individuals with chronic psychological conditions. The central aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the effects of MR on spiritual well-being. Methods: Fifteen databases were searched from their inception year to July 19, 2023. Two independent reviewers extracted and coded data from randomized or quasi-experimental studies with comparison groups, conducted to test MR, measured spiritual well-being, and reported their study in English. Coded data included study quality indicators which were used in moderator analyses. Results: After the initial and updated searches and removal of duplicates, we reviewed 2,072 articles; seven studies met inclusion criteria with a total sample size of 556 (MR = 272, comparison = 284). Overall, MR had a positive effect on spiritual well-being with a pooled effect size of 0.535 with Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman adjusted 95% confidence intervals of 0.18 and 0.89 (p = 011). Using moderator analyses, we examined the effect of the quality indicators and intervention characteristics on effect size; only session length was significant. Longer MR intervention sessions (i.e., 90 min) had greater effects than shorter sessions (i.e., 50-60 min). Conclusions: Across these seven studies, MR showed moderate to strong effects on spiritual well-being. Additional studies are needed to determine the reliability of these findings.

Prior brief meditation reduces distractor inhibition during cognitive interference.

Background: Mindfulness meditation, comprising focused attention and open monitoring meditations, has been shown to enhance performance on cognitive interference tasks. While this enhancement has been considered not to result from distractor inhibition, no empirical evidence has been provided through behavioral data. In this study, we investigated whether 30-min interventions of focused attention and open monitoring meditations could reduce distractor inhibition in 72 meditation-naïve participants divided into focused attention meditation, open monitoring meditation, and control groups. Methods: We employed a task set that combined a cognitive interference task with subsequent preference judgment and surprise recognition tasks, utilizing the mere exposure effect paradigm, along with state and trait questionnaires. The mere exposure effect shows that repeated exposure to face images increases one's preference for them. However, this effect is reduced if participants consciously or unconsciously try to inhibit the face images during stimulus processing. In the cognitive interference task, they judged the direction of the letter superimposed on a distractor face image. In the subsequent preference judgment task, they were asked to rate the preference of face images, half of which were presented in the interference task and the remaining half were not presented. We hypothesized that inhibiting face images presented as distractors would lead to a decrease in preference for them. Results and discussions: We found that the mere exposure effect was observed in focused attention meditation and open monitoring meditation groups but not in the control group, indicating that compared to the control, focused attention and open monitoring meditations reduce inhibition processes for distractors during cognitive interference tasks. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between the intensity of the mere exposure effect and state relaxation before the cognitive interference task as well as a negative correlation between the intensity of the mere exposure effect and state anxiety in the focused attention meditation group, but not in the open monitoring meditation group. This suggests that the processes of reducing inhibition in focused attention and open monitoring meditations differ. Our findings contribute to understanding the attentional mechanisms underlying mindfulness meditation during cognitive interference.

How Bud Craig's Insights Reshape the Research on Pain and Mind-Body Therapies.

With his elegant studies, Bud Craig determined the structural neural basis for interoception and critically expanded our conceptual understanding of it. Importantly, he placed pain in the framework of interoception and redefined pain as a homeostatic emotion. Craig understood emotions and pain as experiences based on inferential brain processes within the theoretical model of prediction processing. This chapter aims to give a brief overview of relevant research. Mind-body therapies, such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, Tai Chi, and others, are included as first-line non-pharmacological approaches in clinical guidelines for the management of chronic pain. Craig's groundbreaking work provided the background for our contemporary understanding of mind-body therapies and for the key role that interoceptive processes play in these therapies as they apply to a wide range of clinical conditions, including pain. This chapter reviews the tremendous influence that Craig's work had on the current state of research on mind-body therapies for managing chronic pain and how it led to new directions for cutting-edge clinical and neuroscientific research.

Please show restraint: excessive focus on catastrophic events can lead to greater psychological trauma.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the relationship between attention, negative emotions, empathy, mindfulness, and psychological trauma in catastrophic events to reduce psychological trauma in the public. METHODS: A total of 526 adults in Guangxi Province, China, were investigated using self-rating scales for post-traumatic stress disorder, emotion, and empathy, as well as a five-factor self-rating mindfulness scale and a catastrophic incident concern questionnaire. RESULTS: The results revealed the following: (1) Emotion significantly mediated attention and psychological trauma. (2) Empathy had a significant mediating effect on attention and psychological trauma. (3) Mindfulness moderated the relationship between negative emotions and psychological trauma, amplifying the impact of emotions on trauma rather than buffering it. CONCLUSIONS: When people pay attention to catastrophic events, they should remain sensible and restrained, and avoid excessive emotional involvement to reduce the excessive psychological trauma caused by the event.

Effectiveness of Yoga and Meditation on Quality of Life Among Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis.

The rising prevalence of chronic kidney disease poses a future challenge for healthcare and the economy. For patients diagnosed with kidney failure, hemodialysis is the sole recourse until a suitable renal donor is acquired, exerting a discernible impact on the overall quality of life. Yoga and meditation emerge as pivotal elements in enhancing quality of life (QoL), significantly influencing diverse aspects of well-being. The study aimed to identify the effectiveness of yoga and meditation on QoL among hemodialysis patients. An experimental research design with one group pretest - post-test on 100 participants was conducted in Muljibhai Patel Urology Hospital, Nadiad. Pre-tests were conducted on day 1, followed by a 12-week yoga and meditation program with a post-test. Data analysis utilised SPSS-20 software, employing descriptive and inferential statistics. Yoga and meditation effectively demonstrated improvement in QoL in each domain (p < 0.001.) post-intervention. These results emphasize QoL enhancement after incorporating these practices into hemodialysis care.

The impact of extremely brief meditation and brief mindfulness interventions on assisted reproductive technologies success rates: A randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of extremely brief meditation (EBMI) or brief mindfulness interventions (Brief MI) on pregnancy rate in women undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). METHODS: This is a prospective, three-armed, randomized controlled trial with women undergoing ART cycle, age ranging from 18 to 50 years. In the day of embryo transfer, the patients randomized to Brief MI group received a 15-minute audio of mindfulness. They were instructed to practice it daily, starting from the day of embryo transfer to the day of the pregnancy test, leading to a total of 180-210 minutes. Women randomized to EBMI met once a week during the waiting time between the embryo transfer and pregnancy test day in the same virtual room with a meditator instructor for 40 minutes, totalizing two sessions (80 minutes). The pregnancy rate was assessed via a blood test to measure hCG performed 2 weeks after embryo transfer. RESULTS: A total of 68 women aged 37.5 ± 4.3y were included (EBMI, n = 24; Brief MI, n = 22 and CG, n = 22). Pearson's Chi-square test and Student's t-test for independent samples showed no significant differences between intervention and control groups. Both EBMI and Brief MI had no significant effect on pregnancy rate in women undergoing ART. CONCLUSION: This randomized control trial revealed that the extremely brief meditation (EBMI) or self-managed brief mindfulness intervention (Brief MI) had no significant effect on pregnancy rates in infertile women undergoing ART cycles. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04058262.

The Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Relaxation, Meditation, and Mindfulness Experiences Questionnaire Utilized Among Patients with Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran.

Mindfulness is increasingly recognized as an effective strategy for managing chronic illnesses and improving mental well-being in cancer patients. This study sought to adapt and validate a Persian version of Relaxation, Meditation, and Mindfulness Experiences Tracker Questionnaire trait month 3.1″ (P-RMMtm 3.1) for use with Iranian cancer patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted in several hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences in southeastern Iran. Validity and reliability tests were administered between March and December 2023. Results showed strong psychometric properties, with a six-factor solution explaining 72.387% of the variance. The identified factors were mindful transcendence, mindful relaxation, mindful emotion, mindful focus/awareness, mindful quiet, and mindful action. Confirmatory factor analysis indices were generally satisfactory (χ2/d.f. = 2.253, RMSEA = 0.079, GFI = 0.833, CFI = 0.923, and IFI = 0.924). Cronbach's alpha values for the RMMtm 3.1 factors ranged from 0.802 to 0.89. In conclusion, the Persian version of RMMtm 3.1 is a reliable instrument for assessing relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness experiences in Iranian cancer patients. Its concise format makes it suitable for future research with this population.

Using PROMIS Methodology to Create Self-Report Measures of Mindfulness and Related Concepts.

Background: Mindfulness meditation is ubiquitous in health care, education, and communities at large. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) are the focus of hundreds of NIH-funded trials given the myriad health benefits associated with this practice across multiple populations. Notwithstanding, significant gaps exist in how mindfulness concepts are measured using currently available self-report instruments. Due to the number of available mindfulness measurement tools, each measuring different aspects, it is difficult to determine the extent to which individuals develop comparable mindfulness skills and attitudes and which health benefits can be attributed to which gains in mindfulness. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (Puerto RicoOMIS®) has established a rigorous instrument development methodology to create brief, precise, and clinically relevant outcomes tools. Objective: This is the first of 4 papers representing an NCCIH-funded initiative (R01AT009539), which has applied Puerto RicoOMIS® instrument development methodologies to mindfulness measurement to improve the rigor, relevance, and reproducibility of MBI research results. Methods/Results: This introductory paper sets the stage for why improved mindfulness measurement tools are needed and briefly describes the Puerto RicoOMIS® development approach. The second 2 papers highlight results from a national survey, focus groups, and expert interviews to identify and organize relevant mindfulness concepts, domains, and items for eventual item bank creation. The fourth paper reviews the item writing and development process of these new instruments, including results from stakeholder cognitive interviews and a translatability review. Conclusion: Together these papers feature the rigorous development approach, rationale, logic, and significance that supports the development, calibration, and validation of new Puerto RicoOMIS® measures of mindfulness and related concepts.

Thanato-technics: Temporal Horizons of Death and Dying.

Advances in end-of-life technologies increasingly destabilize received notions of personhood, identity, and ethics. As notions of personhood and identity within such systems are made to conform to discrete, binary and less fluid categories, some in the West have sought guidance in the techniques and views related to the dying process cultivated in other cultures, particularly Tibetan Buddhism. This article considers such dynamics as they unfolded in research focused on the postmortem bodies of Tibetan Buddhist practitioners in India. This article introduces the term thanato-technics to highlight the temporalities, imaginary or otherwise, evoked, enabled, and invested through the use of technologies to ascertain or conjecture about the intrasubjectivity of the dead and dying.

Meditation and interoception: a conceptual framework for the narrative and experiential self.

The concept of the self is complex and there is no consensus on what the self is. However, there are emerging patterns in the literature that point to two different selves, the narrative and experiential self. The narrative self refers to a conceptual or representational knowledge of the self that extends across time and manifests in self-reflection and personality assessments. The experiential self refers to first-person perception, moment-to-moment awareness, embodiment, and a sense of agency. These two selves are reliably linked to two distinct neural circuits, the default mode network (DMN) and the insula and salience network (SN). One of the consistent themes in the meditative and mindfulness literature is a change in the perspective of the self. In this paper, I will review how meditation alters those neural circuits providing a plausible mechanism that can explain the changes in the self. I also propose a rudimentary conceptual framework to account for some of the mixed results found throughout meditation literature.

Exploring neural markers of dereification in meditation based on EEG and personalized models of electrophysiological brain states.

With mounting evidence for the benefits of meditation, there has been a growing interest in measuring and quantifying meditative states. This study introduces the Inner Dereification Index (IDI), a class of personalized models designed to quantify the distance from non-meditative states such as mind wandering based on a single individual's neural activity. In addition to demonstrating high classification accuracy (median AUC: 0.996) at distinguishing meditation from thinking states moment by moment, IDI can accurately stratify meditator cohorts by experience, and correctly identify the practices most effective at training the dereification aspect of meditation (decentering from immersion with thoughts and perceptions and recognizing them as mental constructs). These results suggest that IDI models may be a useful real-time proxy for dereification and meditation progress, requiring only 1 min of mind wandering data (and no meditation data) during model training. Thus, they show promise for applications such as real-time meditation feedback, progress tracking, personalization of practices, and potential therapeutic applications of neurofeedback-assisted generation of positive states of consciousness.