Is mindfulness practice "at risk" of increasing spirituality? Systematic review and critical analysis of a claimed effect.

INTRODUCTION: Mindfulness meditation has gained prominence in somatic and psychiatric care in several countries including France. Studies have shown its effectiveness in various conditions, in particular the prevention of depressive relapses. However, there are criticisms and concerns about its potential links to Buddhism and spirituality, raising issues of secularism and sectarianism. This issue is particularly conflicting in France with regard its historical and political relationship with secularism. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess quantitative data regarding the impact of mindfulness meditation on spirituality and religiosity using quantitative validated scales. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted. PubMed was searched for relevant studies using keywords related to mindfulness and spirituality/religiosity scales. Four scales assessing spirituality were identified: FACIT-sp, INSPIRIT, DSES, and DUREL. Qualitative analysis determined if scale items pertained to spirituality or other topics considered by opponents to mindfulness as "at risk" for deviances or sectarian aberrations. Quantitative analysis assessed the effect size of changes in scale scores before and after mindfulness meditation interventions. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were analyzed, with varying scales and program durations including 1272 participants. Qualitative analysis showed that most scales contained items related to spirituality as well as "at risk" elements like religion and mysticism. Quantitative analysis revealed that a few studies reported significant increases in spirituality scores following mindfulness meditation, but the clinical relevance of these changes was questioned. In general, control groups had smaller score changes. INTERPRETATION: While some studies suggest a potential increase in spirituality due to mindfulness meditation, the clinical significance of these findings remains uncertain. Moreover, mindfulness meditation's ties to Buddhism are disputed, and its roots are intertwined with various psychotherapy traditions that incorporate spirituality. The role of secularism in psychotherapy is also debated in France, emphasizing the need for proper use and regulation policy rather than prohibition of mindfulness-based approaches. This study highlights the complexity of assessing the impact of mindfulness meditation on spirituality and religiosity. It suggests that a pragmatic approach focusing on risk and harm reduction may be more suitable than labeling the practice as "at risk". Further research is needed to clarify these issues in the specific cultural context of France.

Traditional Buddhist meditations reduce mismatch negativity in experienced monk- practitioners.

Thousand-year-old Buddhist traditions have developed a wide range of methods for the subjective exploration of consciousness through meditation. Combining their subjective research with the possibilities of modern neuroscience can help us better understand the physiological mechanisms of consciousness. Therefore, we have been guided by specifically Buddhist explanations when studying the physiological mechanisms of altered states of consciousness during Buddhist meditations. In Buddhism, meditations are generally divided into two large categories: (1) one-pointed concentration and (2) analytical meditation. Maintaining both one-pointed concentration and analytical meditation on 'bodhicitta' ("the thought of awakening") and 'emptiness' is a necessary condition for transitioning into tantric practices. Tantric practices involve sophisticated visualizations of Buddhist deities, the 'energy structure' of the human body, and the visualization of the stage-by-stage process of dying accompanied with the dissolution of body elements. According to Buddhism, these meditations are characterized by the gradual withdrawal from "gross levels" of consciousness associated with the five senses. From a psychophysiological perspective, this withdrawal of sensory consciousness can be considered as the decrease of sensory stimuli recognition and attentional disengagement from the external world. We concentrated on how considered meditations affect sensory and cognitive processing of external stimuli. Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in the passive oddball paradigm were studied both during meditations and in a controlled state of relaxed wakefulness. It was shown with a group of 115 Buddhist monks that during meditation, mismatch negativity amplitudes, amplitudes of N1 and P2 components of ERPs to deviant stimuli, and the amplitudes of the P3a component to novel stimuli all decrease. These outcomes suggest that the considered Buddhist meditations, compared to the control state of relaxed wakefulness, are accompanied by a decrease in physiological processes responsible for maintaining attention on the outside world and recognizing changes in the stream of sensory stimuli.

Progressive increase of high-frequency EEG oscillations during meditation is associated with its trait effects on heart rate and proteomics: a study on the Tibetan Buddhist.

Meditation has been a spiritual and healing practice in the East for thousands of years. However, the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying its traditional form remain unclear. In this study, we recruited a large sample of monks (n = 73) who practice Tibetan Buddhist meditation and compared with meditation-naive local controls (n = 30). Their electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiogram signals were simultaneously recorded and blood samples were collected to investigate the integrative effects of Tibetan Buddhist on brain, heart, and proteomics. We found that the EEG activities in monks shifted to a higher frequency from resting to meditation. Meditation starts with decrease of the (pre)frontal delta activity and increase of the (pre)frontal high beta and gamma activity; while at the deep meditative state, the posterior high-frequency activity was also increased, and could be specified as a biomarker for the deep meditation. The state increase of posterior high-frequency EEG activity was significantly correlated with the trait effects on heart rate and nueropilin-1 in monks, with the source of brain-heart correlation mainly locating in the attention and emotion networks. Our study revealed that the effects of Tibetan Buddhist meditation on brain, heart, and proteomics were highly correlated, demonstrating meditation as an integrative body-mind training.

Imagination-Based Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation: A New Meditation Method Developed from Chinese Buddhism.

Many loving-kindness and compassion meditation methods used in psychological research are derived from Theravada and Tibetan Buddhism. Zhiyi (), a representative figure of Chinese Buddhism, proposed a different meditation method, namely, imagination-based loving-kindness and compassion meditation. The current article introduces the imagination-based loving-kindness and compassion meditation proposed by Zhiyi and compares it with meditation methods from Theravada and Tibetan Buddhism. Zhiyi's method limits the content of imagination during meditation, which can be an essential supplement to the free association method derived from Theravada Buddhism. Zhiyi's method of helping others entirely through imagination differs significantly from the tonglen method derived from Tibetan Buddhism and may be more suitable for participants without religious beliefs. Based on Zhiyi's source text and previous psychological studies, a mental-health training program for imagination-based loving-kindness and compassion meditation is proposed. The limitations of Zhiyi's method and the future directions for empirical research on Zhiyi's method are also discussed. The differences between Zhiyi's method and other methods in terms of effects and applicable populations need to be examined in future studies.

Mindfulness Meditation, Mental Health, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Chinese Buddhist Monastics.

OBJECTIVE: To determine associations between mindfulness meditation and mental health and health-related quality of life among Buddhist monastics. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of Chinese Buddhist monastics aged ≥18 years who practised mindfulness meditation daily. Mental health was assessed by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), whereas health-related quality of life was assessed by the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). The number of years and the average daily amount of time spent in mindfulness meditation were collected. RESULTS: 47 monastics completed the interview. They practised mindfulness meditation for a mean of 7.3 years, 1.1 hours per day. Both the number of years (ß = -0.48, p = 0.03) and amount of daily practice (ß = -0.53, p < 0.001) of mindfulness meditation were associated with the GHQ-12 score, after adjusting for age, sex, education, and years of being a monastic. Only the amount of daily practice (ß = 0.44, p = 0.004) was associated with the mental component summary of SF-12. Neither was associated with the physical component summary of SF-12. CONCLUSIONS: Among Chinese Buddhist monastics who practise daily mindfulness meditation, spending more time each day and having longer years of practice were associated with better mental health.

Hypnotic-like Aspects of the Tibetan Tradition of Dzogchen Meditation.

Dzogchen meditation has been practiced by Bonpo and Buddhist yogis for at least 1,200 years. Dzogchen utilizes methods of meditation and yogic exercises that are said to help one fully awaken from illusions of self and reality that cause suffering in life. The philosophy and experiential practice of Dzogchen is very similar to hypnosis. Dzogchen techniques utilize hypnotic-like practices of selective attention, visualization, and posthypnotic suggestion to help yogis experience advanced insights into the nature of mind. The experience of Dzogchen can be likened to the experience of hypnosis in terms of their phenomenological and psychophysiological effects. Finally, there are also many theoretical similarities between aspects of the ego state therapy, neo-dissociation, sociocognitive, and Ericksonian theories of hypnosis with the tradition of Dzogchen meditation.

Spiritual dimension in palliative care from the perspective of Thai palliative caregivers.

BACKGROUND: In Thailand, most terminally ill patients die in hospital and are looked after by health professionals. Terminally ill patients tend to receive physical care only, while in the main, spiritual care is neglected. This study aimed to explore spirituality in palliative care health professionals and spiritual leaders in the Thai Buddhist context. METHOD: In this qualitative case study, seven experienced palliative caregivers took part in in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis and a trustworthiness process were used to analyse the data. FINDINGS: Three themes emerged: (1) the ability for self-awareness and faith; (2) acceptance and compassion for others; and (3) spiritual behaviour while nursing. CONCLUSION: The results revealed the meaning of spirituality and the necessary characteristics for spirituality in palliative care for the participants, which could serve as a basis for further development.

Examining Individual Differences in Wellbeing, Anxiety and Depression in Psoriasis Using a Clinically Modified Buddhist Psychological Model.

Psoriasis patients can experience a range of psychosocial difficulties, which can lead to issues with wellbeing, anxiety and depression. Mindfulness-based interventions have positive impacts on these outcomes; however, there is a need to identify the mechanisms of action of such interventions. This study attempts to do so by examining individual differences in psoriasis patients' wellbeing, anxiety and depression using a clinically modified Buddhist psychological model (CBPM). Psoriasis patients (N = 285) and (N = 209) completed measures of each CBPM component at time 1 and 2. SEM analyses found that a direct and mediated effect of CBPM model was a good fit to the participant's data. This study suggests that non-attachment, aversion, acceptance and self-compassion could have a direct effect on the wellbeing, anxiety and depression of psoriasis patients and an indirect effect through reduced worry and rumination. This study provided preliminary evidence for the CBPM as being a useful explanatory framework of psoriasis patients' anxiety, depression and wellbeing.

Beyond Buddhism and animism: A psychometric test of the structure of Burmese Theravada Buddhism.

Anthropologists and religious scholars have long debated the relationship between doctrinal Theravada Buddhism, so-called 'animism', and other folk practices in southeast Asian societies. A variety of models of this relationship have been proposed on the basis of ethnographic evidence. We provide the first psychometric and quantitative evaluation of these competing models, using a new scale developed for this purpose, the Burmese Buddhist Religiosity Scale. Having tested existing hypotheses in our first study (n = 2285) we formulated an alternative model, which was then tested in our second study (n = 3377). We argue that this model provides support for a two-dimensional distinction between great and little traditions, shedding light on decades-old theoretical debates. Far from being in conflict, the transnational religious tradition of the literati and the variegated religious practices of locals appear to be reflected in two complementary dimensions of religiosity. This distinction has been heretofore neglected in psychometric research, but arguably merits attention beyond Buddhism, in the psychology of religion more generally. Our findings suggest that, insofar as research on religiosity relies on doctrinal pronouncements denigrating little traditions as mere superstition, it may be blinded to a crucial dimension of religious life.

Bem-estar psicológico e meditação: um estudo associativo / Psychological well-being and buddhist meditation: an associative study / Bienestar psicológico y meditación budista: un estudio de asociación

A meditação budista é amplamente estudada devido aos benefícios percebidos pelos meditadores. Todavia, quando o tema é bem-estar psicológico em relação à prática de meditação budista a literatura ainda é escassa. Essa pesquisa verificou a associação entre o bem-estar psicológico e indicadores de envolvimento com a meditação (tempo, frequência de prática e sentidos da prática para a vida do meditador) em dois centros de meditação budista Vajrayana. Foram avaliados 50 meditadores, maiores de 18 anos (M = 41,2 anos, DP=13,7) e que praticavam há pelo menos um mês completo. Os dados foram coletados por meio de três instrumentos de autorrelato e submetidos a análises descritivas e inferenciais. Percebeu-se a relação positiva entre o tempo de meditação e o domínio autoaceitação da escala de bem-estar utilizada, indicando que os anos de prática meditativa parecem estar relacionados a um maior autoconhecimento e uma maior atitude positiva em relação a si mesmo (AU).

Buddhist meditation is widely studied mainly because of the benefits perceived by meditators. Although, when the subject is psychological well-being compared to the practice of Buddhist meditation literature is still little. The study verified the association between psychological well-being and indicators of involvement with meditation (time, frequency and meanings of practice for the life of the meditator) in two Vajrayana Buddhist meditation centers. 50 meditators (A= 41,2 years, SD =13,7), over 18 years of age and practicing for at least one full month, were evaluated. Data was collected through three self-report instruments, and subjected to descriptive analyzes. A positive relationship between the time of meditation and the selfacceptance domain of the well-being instrument was perceived, indicating that the years of meditative practice seem to be related to a greater self-knowledge and a greater positive attitude toward oneself (AU).

La meditación budista es ampliamente estudiada debido a los beneficios percibidos por los meditadores. En relación con el tema del bienestar psicológico en relación a la práctica meditativa budista la literatura es todavía escasa. Se verificó la asociación entre el bienestar psicológico e indicadores de participación con la meditación (tiempo, frecuencia y sentidos de la práctica para la vida del meditador) en dos centros de meditación budista Vajrayana. Fueron evaluados 50 meditadores, mayores de 18 años (M = 41,2 años, DE=13,7) y que practicaban por lo menos desde hace un mes completo. Los datos fueron recolectados mediante tres instrumentos de auto relato, y sometidos a análisis descriptivos. Se percibió la relación positiva entre el tiempo de meditación y el dominio auto acepción del instrumento de bienestar psicológico, indicando que los años de práctica meditativa parecen estar relacionados con mayores índices de autoconocimiento y actitud positiva hacia uno mismo (AU).

Sex Work and the Karmic Wheel: How Buddhism Influences Sex Work in China.

As prostitution is widely condemned as a form of criminality in China, there is a need to examine how Buddhism functions not as a form of therapy for the purposes of rehabilitating or deterring prostitution but as a force that encourages participation in prostitution. In this work, we argue that rural-urban migrant sex workers who are Buddhists appropriate the religion's teachings of compassion, mindfulness, and karma to find a renewed sense of meaning and purpose in their livelihoods. We illustrate how Buddhism allows sex workers to cultivate the affective labor required for the purposes of servicing male clients in conjunction with finding positive purpose in their lives. In doing so, their bodies gain affirmative value in the form of helping their heterosexual male clients address deficits in their masculinities.

Tibetan Buddhist monastic debate: Psychological and neuroscientific analysis of a reasoning-based analytical meditation practice.

Analytical meditation and monastic debate are contemplative practices engaged in by Tibetan Buddhist monastics that have up to now been largely unexplored in Western contemplative science. The highly physical form of contemplative debating plays an important role in the monastic curriculum. Based on discussions and recorded interviews Tibetan monastic teachers and senior students at Sera Jey Monastic University and preliminary experiments, we outline an initial theory that elucidates the psychological mechanisms underlying this practice. We then make predictions about the potential effects of this form of debating on cognition and emotion. On the basis of initial observations, we propose that successful debating requires skills that include reasoning and critical thinking, attentional focus, working memory, emotion regulation, confidence in your own reasoning skills, and social connectedness. It is therefore likely that the many cumulative hours of debate practice over 20+ years of monastic training helps to cultivate these very skills. Scientific research is needed to examine these hypotheses and determine the role that monastic debate may play in terms of both psychological wellbeing and educational achievement.

An Investigation of Moral Principles and Mental Training in the Pali Nikayas and Their Implications for Behaviour Modification and Mental Health.

This article explicates the fundamental moral principles and mental training of Buddhism that have implications for behavioural transformation and mental health promotion. These techniques are considered to be effective for transforming the unwholesome thoughts and overcoming the afflictions (asavas). It investigates some methods of mental training that can be designed to fit the behaviour of a practitioner. It also investigates the three key interdependent elements of mindfulness techniques and, in particular, how a simple practice of mindfulness (sati), full awareness (sampajañña), and proper attention (yoniso-manasikara) can help us modify our behaviour and achieve mental health.

Reducing defensive responses to thoughts of death: Meditation, mindfulness, and Buddhism.

Three studies investigated the effects of meditation on responses to reminders of death. Study 1 took a quasi-experimental approach, comparing defensive responses to mortality salience (MS) of South Korean participants with varying levels of experience with Buddhism and meditation. Whereas non-Buddhists without meditation showed the typical increase in worldview defense after mortality salience (MS), this effect was not found among non-Buddhists immediately after an initial meditation experience, nor among lay Buddhists who meditated regularly or Buddhist monks with intensive meditation experience. Study 2, a fully randomized experiment, showed that MS increased worldview defense among South Koreans at a meditation training who were assessed before meditating but not among participants assessed after their first meditation experience. Study 3 showed that whereas American students without prior meditation experience showed increased worldview defense and suppression of death-related thoughts after MS, these effects were eliminated immediately after an initial meditation experience. Death thought accessibility mediated the effect of MS on worldview defense without meditation, but meditation eliminated this mediation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Integrating clients' religion and spirituality within psychotherapy: A comprehensive meta-analysis.

Some religious or spiritual (R/S) clients seek psychotherapy that integrates R/S values, while others may be reticent to disclose R/S-related aspects of struggles in a presumably secular setting. We meta-analyzed 97 outcome studies (N = 7,181) examining the efficacy of tailoring treatment to patients' R/S beliefs and values. We compared the effectiveness of R/S-tailored psychotherapy with no-treatment controls, alternate secular treatments, and additive secular treatments. R/S-adapted psychotherapy resulted in greater improvement in clients' psychological (g = 0.74, p < 0.000) and spiritual (g = 0.74, p < 0.000) functioning compared with no treatment and non R/S psychotherapies (psychological: g = 0.33, p < 0.001; spiritual: g = 0.43, p < 0.001). In more rigorous additive studies, R/S-accommodated psychotherapies were equally effective to standard approaches in reducing psychological distress (g = 0.13, p = 0.258), but resulted in greater spiritual well-being (g = 0.34, p < 0.000). We feature several clinical examples and conclude with evidence-based therapeutic practices.

Ontological addiction theory: Attachment to me, mine, and I.

BACKGROUND: Ontological addiction theory (OAT) is a novel metaphysical model of psychopathology and posits that human beings are prone to forming implausible beliefs concerning the way they think they exist, and that these beliefs can become addictive leading to functional impairments and mental illness. The theoretical underpinnings of OAT derive from the Buddhist philosophical perspective that all phenomena, including the self, do not manifest inherently or independently. AIMS AND METHODS: This paper outlines the theoretical foundations of OAT along with indicative supportive empirical evidence from studies evaluating meditation awareness training as well as studies investigating non-attachment, emptiness, compassion, and loving-kindness. RESULTS: OAT provides a novel perspective on addiction, the factors that underlie mental illness, and how beliefs concerning selfhood are shaped and reified. CONCLUSION: In addition to continuing to test the underlying assumptions of OAT, future empirical research needs to determine how ontological addiction fits with extant theories of self, reality, and suffering, as well with more established models of addiction.

Effect of an intervention based on basic Buddhist principles on the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of an intervention based on basic Buddhist principles on the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal cancer. METHODS: This quasi-experimental research study had pre- and post-test control groups. The experimental group received conventional care and an intervention based on basic Buddhist principles for three consecutive days, including seven activities based on precept activities, concentration activities and wisdom activities. The control group received conventional care alone. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients participated in this study: 23 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. Their mean age was 53 (standard deviation 10) years. The spiritual well-being of participants in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of participants in the control group at the second post-test (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An intervention based on basic Buddhist principles improved the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal cancer. This result supports the beneficial effects of implementing this type of intervention for patients with terminal cancer.

Zen and the Art of Living Mindfully: The Health-Enhancing Potential of Zen Aesthetics.

Amidst the burgeoning enthusiasm for mindfulness in the West, there is a concern that the largely secular 'de-contextualized' way in which it is being harnessed is denuding it of its potential to improve health and well-being. As such, efforts are underway to 're-contextualize' mindfulness, explicitly drawing on the wider framework of Buddhist ideas and practices in which it was initially developed. This paper aims to contribute to this, doing so by focusing on Zen Buddhism, and in particular on Zen aesthetic principles. The article concentrates on the seven principles identified by Hisamatsu (1971) in his classic text Zen and the Fine Arts: kanso (simplicity); fukinsei (asymmetry); koko (austere sublimity); shizen (naturalness); daisuzoku (freedom from routine); sei-jaku (tranquillity); and yugen (profound grace). The presence of these principles in works of art is seen as reflecting and communicating insights that are central to Buddhism, such as non-attachment. Moreover, these principles do not only apply to the creation and appreciation of art, but have clear applications for treating health-related issues, and improving quality of life more generally. This paper makes the case that embodying these principles in their lives can help people enhance their psychosomatic well-being, and come to a truer understanding of the essence of mindful living.

Psychological effects of meditation at a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar.

BACKGROUND: Meditation is widely used as a therapeutic measure because it can effectively reduce stress, pain, and improve the mental health, but there are many unclear points about the psychological effects of meditation. AIMS: The purpose of this study is to verify the psychological effects of meditation. METHOD: The short version of Profile of Mood States (POMS-SF) and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) were conducted to compare 97 Myanmar people practicing Vipassana contemplation training with 81 Myanmar nurses who did not have any experience with meditation. RESULTS: The results of our study revealed that meditation mitigated depressive mood, anger, hostility, and fatigue and increased vigor. The enhancement of psychological flexibility occurred only after practicing meditation for more than a year. CONCLUSIONS: It can be considered that meditation mitigates anger, hostility and fatigue and increases vigor at a relatively early stage after starting meditation practice, and if meditation practice is continued for more than a year, enhancement of psychological flexibility can also be expected.

[Assess spirituality with adolescent outpatients: taboo or necessity?]. / Aborder la spiritualité avec les adolescents en consultation ambulatoire: tabou ou nécessité?

Spirituality affects adolescents' as well as adults' daily life. It is usually considered to be a protective factor in physical and psychological health outcomes, but might also be a cause of suffering. In the perspective of an holistic approach, health professional should assess this subject with tact and sensitivity. Until there is a suitable instrument adapted to this age group and European culture, the exploration of spirituality and religious practices can be evaluated while taking the clinical history. Nevertheless, resistance which is common in health professionals, could be overcome by appropriate training.