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De Oliveira P, Juneau C, Stinus C, Corman M, Michelli N, Pellerin N, Shankland R, Dambrun M. Cultivating Self-Transcendence Through Meditation Practice: A Test of the Role of Meta-Awareness, (Dis)identification and Non-Reactivity. Psychol Rep 2024:332941241246469. [PMID: 38669443 DOI: 10.1177/00332941241246469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In this paper, we present a study comprising two distinct stages to examine the extent to which metacognitive processes of decentering facilitate the emergence of self-transcendence experiences in everyday life (i.e., the frequency of self-transcendent emotions, flow proneness, and adopting an interconnected identity). In the course of conducting this research, the first stage (N = 374) focused on assessing the structure and validity of the French version of the Metacognitive Processes of Decentering Scale (MPoD-t). Building on this, the second stage (N = 294) examined the potential relationship between meditative practices and psychological decentering processes (i.e., meta-awareness, (dis)identification with internal experiences, and (non)reactivity to thought content) and explored whether these mechanisms explain the association between meditative practices and the experience of self-transcendent states. Overall, the results demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties of the French version of the MPoD and provided enhanced insights into the distinct mediating roles played by various decentering components in the manifestation of self-transcendence experiences in daily life. Indeed, the findings revealed that the relationship between practice and the occurrence of self-transcendent emotions or flow was mediated by the meta-awareness component, while the association between practice and the development of an interconnected identity was explained by the (dis)identification with internal experiences component. The implications of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Céline Stinus
- C2S, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Maya Corman
- LAPSCO CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA), Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Noemi Michelli
- LabPsy UR 4139, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | - Michael Dambrun
- LAPSCO CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA), Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Golec de Zavala A, Keenan O, Ziegler M, Ciesielski P, Wahl JE, Mazurkiewicz M. App-based mindfulness training supported eudaimonic wellbeing during the COVID19 pandemic. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2024; 16:42-59. [PMID: 37432062 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
A randomized-controlled-trial study (N = 219) tested two pre-registered hypotheses that mobile-phone app-based mindfulness training improves wellbeing and increases self-transcendent emotions: gratitude, self-compassion, and awe. Latent change score modeling with a robust maximum likelihood estimator was used to test how those changes are associated in the training versus the waiting-list group. The training increased wellbeing and all self-transcendent emotions regardless of interindividual variance in the changes across time. Changes in all self-transcendent emotions were positively associated with changes in wellbeing. The strength of those associations was comparable in the waiting-list group and the training group. More studies are needed to test whether the effects of mindfulness practice on wellbeing are driven by increases in self-transcendent emotions. The study was conducted over 6 weeks during the COVID19 pandemic. The results indicate that the mindfulness training can be an easily accessible effective intervention supporting eudaimonic wellbeing in face of adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Julia E Wahl
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poznań, Poland
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Edwards DJ. Functional contextual implementation of an evolutionary, entropy-based, and embodied free energy framework: Utilizing Lagrangian mechanics and evolutionary game theory's truth vs. fitness test of the veridicality of phenomenological experience. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1150743. [PMID: 37113127 PMCID: PMC10126492 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1150743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Bayesian approach of cognitive science largely takes the position that evolution drives perception to produce precepts that are veridical. However, some efforts utilizing evolutionary game theory simulations have shown that perception is more likely based on a fitness function, which promotes survival rather than promoting perceptual truth about the environment. Although these findings do not correspond well with the standard Bayesian approach to cognition, they may correspond with a behavioral functional contextual approach that is ontologically neutral (a-ontological). This approach, formalized through a post-Skinnerian account of behaviorism called relational frame theory (RFT), can, in fact, be shown to correspond well with an evolutionary fitness function, whereby contextual functions form that corresponds to a fitness function interface of the world. This fitness interface approach therefore may help provide a mathematical description for a functional contextual interface of phenomenological experience. Furthermore, this more broadly fits with a neurological active inference approach based on the free-energy principle (FEP) and more broadly with Lagrangian mechanics. These assumptions of how fitness beats truth (FBT) and FEP correspond to RFT are then discussed within a broader multidimensional and evolutionary framework called the extended evolutionary meta-model (EEMM) that has emerged out of the functional contextual behavioral science literature to incorporate principles of cognition, neurobiology, behaviorism, and evolution and are discussed in the context of a novel RFT framework called "Neurobiological and Natural Selection Relational Frame Theory" (N-frame). This framework mathematically connects RFT to FBT, FEP, and EEMM within a single framework that expands into dynamic graph networking. This is then discussed for its implications of empirical work at the non-ergodic process-based idiographic level as applied to individual and societal level dynamic modeling and clinical work. This discussion is framed within the context of individuals that are described as evolutionary adaptive and conscious (observer-self) agents that minimize entropy and can promote a prosocial society through group-level values and psychological flexibility.
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Wang Y, Farb NAS. Web-based training for post-secondary student well-being during the pandemic: a randomized trial. Anxiety Stress Coping 2023; 36:1-17. [PMID: 35615957 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2022.2079637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a highly stressful period where post-secondary education moved to online formats. Coping skills like decentering and reappraisal appear to promote stress resilience, but limited research exists on cultivating these skills in online learning contexts.Methods: In a three-arm randomized trial design, we evaluated three-week, web-based interventions to gauge how to best cultivate mindfulness and stress-reappraisal skills and whether the proposed interventions led to improved mental health. Undergraduate participants (N = 183) were randomly assigned to stress mindset, mindfulness meditation, or mindfulness with choice conditions.Results: At the study level (baseline vs. post-intervention), decentering improved across all conditions. Mindfulness with choice significantly decreased negative affect and rumination compared to stress mindset, while stress mindset significantly enhanced stress mindset skills compared to both mindfulness groups. At the daily level (three sessions per week), stress mindset significantly increased positive affect compared to mindfulness meditation.Conclusions: Results suggest that student mental health can be remotely supported through brief web-based interventions. Mindfulness practices seem to be effective in improving students' negative mood and coping strategies, while stress mindset training can help students to adopt a stress-is-enhancing mindset. Additional work on refining and better matching students to appropriate interventions is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Toronto, Canada
| | - Norman A S Farb
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Canada
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Isham A, Elf P, Jackson T. Self-transcendent experiences as promoters of ecological wellbeing? Exploration of the evidence and hypotheses to be tested. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1051478. [PMID: 36452396 PMCID: PMC9701724 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1051478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, much has been written on the role of different mental states and their potential to influence our way of thinking and, perhaps more importantly, the way we act. With the recent acceleration of environmental and mental health issues, alongside the limited effectiveness of existing interventions, an exploration of new approaches to deliver transformative change is required. We therefore explore the emerging potential of a type of mental state known as self-transcendent experiences (STEs) as a driver of ecological wellbeing. We focus on four types of STEs: those facilitated by experiences of flow, awe, and mindfulness, as well as by psychedelic-induced experiences. Some of these experiences can occur naturally, through sometimes unexpected encounters with nature or during immersion in every-day activities that one intrinsically enjoys, as well as through more intentional practices such as meditation or the administration of psychedelics in controlled, legal settings. We explore the evidence base linking each of the four types of STE to ecological wellbeing before proposing potential hypotheses to be tested to understand why STEs can have such beneficial effects. We end by looking at the factors that might need to be considered if STEs are going to be practically implemented as a means of achieving ecological wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Isham
- Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP), Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Elf
- Middlesex University Business School, Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR), Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Jackson
- Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP), Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
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Chirico A, Pizzolante M, Kitson A, Gianotti E, Riecke BE, Gaggioli A. Defining Transformative Experiences: A Conceptual Analysis. Front Psychol 2022; 13:790300. [PMID: 35814064 PMCID: PMC9263695 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.790300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of transformative experience (TE) has been widely explored by several disciplines from philosophy to neurobiology, and in different domains, from the spiritual to the educational one. This attitude has engendered heterogeneous models to explain this phenomenon. However, a consistent and clear understanding of this construct remains elusive. The aim of this work is to provide an initial comprehensive interdisciplinary, cross-domain, up-to-date, and integrated overview on the concept of TEs. Firstly, all the models and theories on TEs were reviewed to extract and analyze TEs’ main components emerging from different disciplines. Then, this preliminary analysis was integrated with an in-depth examination of redundancies and particularities across domains and disciplines, to provide an integrated theoretical framework of TEs and a preliminary interdisciplinary operational definition of TEs. This examination, in turn, can help organize current research and theories, thus providing suggestions for operationalizing TEs as well as encouraging new interdisciplinary research endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Chirico
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Alice Chirico,
| | - Marta Pizzolante
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Alexandra Kitson
- School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT), Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada
| | - Elena Gianotti
- Department of Psychology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Bernhard E. Riecke
- School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT), Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada
| | - Andrea Gaggioli
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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Hartelius G, Likova LT, Tyler CW. Self-Regulation of Seat of Attention Into Various Attentional Stances Facilitates Access to Cognitive and Emotional Resources: An EEG Study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:810780. [PMID: 35282214 PMCID: PMC8912941 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.810780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study provides evidence supporting the operation of a novel cognitive process of a somatic seat of attention, or ego-center, whose somatic location is under voluntary control and that provides access to differential emotional resources. Attention has typically been studied in terms of what it is directed toward, but it can also be associated with a localized representation in the body image that is experienced as the source or seat of attention-an aspect that has previously only been studied by subjective techniques. Published studies of this phenomenon under terms such as egocenter or self-location suggest that the seat of attention can be situated in various ways within the experienced body, resulting in what are here referred to as different attentional stances. These studies also provide evidence that changes in attentional stance are associated with differences in cognitive skill, emotional temperament, self-construal, and social and moral attitudes, as well as with access to certain states of consciousness. In the present study, EEG results from multiple trials of each of 11 specific attentional stances confirmed that patterns of neural activity associated with the voluntarily control of attentional stances can be reliably measured, providing evidence for a differential neural substrate underlying the subjective location of the seat of attention. Additionally, brain activation patterns for the attentional stances showed strong correlations with EEG signatures associated with specific positive emotional states and with arousal, confirming that differential locations of the seat of attention can be objectively associated with different emotion states, as implied in previous literature. The ability to directly manage the seat of attention into various attentional stances holds substantial potential for facilitating access to specific cognitive and emotional resources in a new way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Hartelius
- California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Lora T Likova
- Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Goldin D, Maltseva T, Scaccianoce M, Brenes F. Holistic Psychosocial Approaches in the Care of Hispanic Victims of Trauma: An Overview. J Holist Nurs 2022; 41:7-16. [PMID: 35234058 DOI: 10.1177/08980101221083162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The collapse of the Champlain Towers South (CTS), a condominium in Miami, Florida, left a diverse group of survivors and healthcare clinicians tasked with finding ways of coping with the disaster. Within seconds, the CTS collapse became a global tragedy due to the coastal neighborhood's rich international mix of residents. Although this tragedy impacted communities across globe, a large population of Hispanic victims lived in CTS that were deeply affected. Culturally adaptive interventions and holistic healthcare for Hispanic individuals are highly relevant because Hispanic Americans represent one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the United States. To reach, engage, and address the needs of Hispanic victims, this article provides an overview of psychosocial factors that influence Hispanic victims with trauma and discusses holistic psychotherapeutic approaches in nursing care that can be applied to improve victims' well-being. Culture is an important consideration in health; therefore, this article highlights and operationalizes culturally tailored holistic nursing care that draws from the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of health and well-being that can be used in clinical settings with Hispanic clients who have experienced trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deana Goldin
- 5450Florida International University, 15803Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Tatayana Maltseva
- 5450Florida International University, 15803Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Monica Scaccianoce
- 5450Florida International University, 15803Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Francisco Brenes
- 5450Florida International University, 15803Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Miami, Florida, USA
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Britton WB, Desbordes G, Acabchuk R, Peters S, Lindahl JR, Canby NK, Vago DR, Dumais T, Lipsky J, Kimmel H, Sager L, Rahrig H, Cheaito A, Acero P, Scharf J, Lazar SW, Schuman-Olivier Z, Ferrer R, Moitra E. From Self-Esteem to Selflessness: An Evidence (Gap) Map of Self-Related Processes as Mechanisms of Mindfulness-Based Interventions. Front Psychol 2021; 12:730972. [PMID: 34880805 PMCID: PMC8645694 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.730972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-related processes (SRPs) have been theorized as key mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), but the evidence supporting these theories is currently unclear. This evidence map introduces a comprehensive framework for different types of SRPs, and how they are theorized to function as mechanisms of MBIs (target identification). The evidence map then assesses SRP target engagement by mindfulness training and the relationship between target engagement and outcomes (target validation). Discussion of the measurement of SRPs is also included. The most common SRPs measured and engaged by standard MBIs represented valenced evaluations of self-concept, including rumination, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Rumination showed the strongest evidence as a mechanism for depression, with other physical and mental health outcomes also supported. Self-compassion showed consistent target engagement but was inconsistently related to improved outcomes. Decentering and interoception are emerging potential mechanisms, but their construct validity and different subcomponents are still in development. While some embodied self-specifying processes are being measured in cross-sectional and meditation induction studies, very few have been assessed in MBIs. The SRPs with the strongest mechanistic support represent positive and negative evaluations of self-concept. In sum, few SRPs have been measured in MBIs, and additional research using well-validated measures is needed to clarify their role as mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willoughby B. Britton
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Gaëlle Desbordes
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rebecca Acabchuk
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Sarah Peters
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Jared R. Lindahl
- Department of Religious Studies and Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Nicholas K. Canby
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- Department of Psychology, Clark University, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - David R. Vago
- Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Travis Dumais
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Jonah Lipsky
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Hannah Kimmel
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Lauren Sager
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Hadley Rahrig
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Aya Cheaito
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Pamela Acero
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Jodi Scharf
- School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Sara W. Lazar
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Zev Schuman-Olivier
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Rebecca Ferrer
- Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ethan Moitra
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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Marson F, Fano A, Pellegrino M, Pesce C, Glicksohn J, Ben-Soussan TD. Age-Related Differential Effects of School-Based Sitting and Movement Meditation on Creativity and Spatial Cognition: A Pilot Study. Children (Basel) 2021; 8:583. [PMID: 34356562 DOI: 10.3390/children8070583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Psychophysical well-being can be supported during development by the integration of extra-curricular activities in scholastic settings. These activities can be implemented in different forms, ranging from physical activities to sitting meditation practices. Considering that both such activities are thought to affect children’s psychophysical development, a movement-based meditation that combines the two approaches−in the form of a short daily activity−could represent a powerful tool to promote healthy physical and mental development. Consequently, the current pilot study aimed to examine the effect of short daily school-based sitting and movement meditation trainings on creativity and spatial cognition. Utilizing a crossover design, we evaluated their feasibility and efficacy at different ages among children (n = 50) in 5th to 8th grade. We observed that 5 weeks of daily training in sitting and movement meditation techniques improved children’s cognition differently. Specifically, younger children showed greater creativity and better spatial cognition following the movement-based meditation, while older children showed greater enhancement in these areas following sitting meditation training. This suggests that training can affect children’s cognition differently depending on their developmental stage. We discuss these results within the framework of embodied and grounded cognition theories. Information on feasibility and age-related effect sizes derived from the current study paves the way for future well-powered larger-scale efficacy studies on different forms of school-based interventions to cognitive development promotion.
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Hudak J, Hanley AW, Marchand WR, Nakamura Y, Yabko B, Garland EL. Endogenous theta stimulation during meditation predicts reduced opioid dosing following treatment with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:836-843. [PMID: 32919401 PMCID: PMC8026958 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00831-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Veterans experience chronic pain at greater rates than the rest of society and are more likely to receive long-term opioid therapy (LTOT), which, at high doses, is theorized to induce maladaptive neuroplastic changes that attenuate self-regulatory capacity and exacerbate opioid dose escalation. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to modulate frontal midline theta (FMT) and alpha oscillations that are linked with marked alterations in self-referential processing. These adaptive neural oscillatory changes may promote reduced opioid use and remediate the neural dysfunction occasioned by LTOT. In this study, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to assess the effects of a mindfulness-based, cognitive training intervention for opioid misuse, Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), on alpha and theta power and FMT coherence during meditation. We then examined whether these neural effects were associated with reduced opioid dosing and changes in self-referential processing. Before and after 8 weeks of MORE or a supportive psychotherapy control, veterans receiving LTOT (N = 62) practiced mindfulness meditation while EEG was recorded. Participants treated with MORE demonstrated significantly increased alpha and theta power (with larger theta power effect sizes) as well as increased FMT coherence relative to those in the control condition-neural changes that were associated with altered self-referential processing. Crucially, MORE significantly reduced opioid dose over time, and this dose reduction was partially statistically mediated by changes in frontal theta power. Study results suggest that mindfulness meditation practice may produce endogenous theta stimulation in the prefrontal cortex, thereby enhancing inhibitory control over opioid dose escalation behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Hudak
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention
Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA ,grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Adam W. Hanley
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention
Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA ,grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - William R. Marchand
- grid.280807.50000 0000 9555 3716Veterans Health Care Administration VISN 19 Whole Health Flagship site
located at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, 500 Foothill, Salt Lake City, UT 84148 USA ,grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, 501 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA
| | - Yoshio Nakamura
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention
Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA ,grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine, Pain Research
Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA
| | - Brandon Yabko
- grid.280807.50000 0000 9555 3716Veterans Health Care Administration VISN 19 Whole Health Flagship site
located at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, 500 Foothill, Salt Lake City, UT 84148 USA ,grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, 501 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA
| | - Eric L. Garland
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention
Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA ,grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA ,grid.280807.50000 0000 9555 3716Veterans Health Care Administration VISN 19 Whole Health Flagship site
located at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, 500 Foothill, Salt Lake City, UT 84148 USA
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