Psychobehavioral Effects of Meditation

An Eight-Week Zen Meditation and Music Programme for Mindfulness and Happiness: Qualitative Content Analysis

Mental wellness can be related to healthier living, the learning process and working environments for people in the university community. A wide range of mental wellness programmes have been explored to provide students with pleasant and satisfying experiences. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of integrating Zen meditation and music listening on the mindfulness and happiness levels of university music therapy students. A qualitative methodology was used, and data were collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews. To investigate various aspects of data regarding the role of the meditation and music (MM) programme for mindfulness and happiness, this study used thematic analysis within a qualitative research design. The findings of this study suggest that the 8-week Mindfulness Meditation (MM) programme is a potential approach for enhancing mindfulness, happiness and stress management. These results carry broader implications, particularly in terms of supporting mental health resources in higher education. Furthermore, the study contributes to the ongoing discussion regarding the positive impact of combining meditation and music to promote mental well-being. This integrated approach has the potential to strengthen coping strategies and further promote the integration of music and meditation practices in various contexts, including higher education.

Web-Based Physical Activity Interventions to Promote Resilience and Mindfulness Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Study

College students faced unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implementing a physical activity intervention can help support the physical and mental health of college students. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an aerobic-strength training exercise intervention (WeActive) and a mindful exercise intervention (WeMindful) in improving resilience and mindfulness among college students. Seventy-two students from a major public university in the Midwest participated in a two-arm experimental study over the course of ten weeks. One week before and after the 8-week interventions, participants completed the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-15), Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and demographic and background questionnaire via Qualtrics. Both groups also participated in bi-weekly Peer Coaching sessions, which utilized reflective journaling and goal-setting exercises. ANCOVA showed a significant main effect of time for total mindfulness score (F = 5.177, p < 0.05, η² = 0.070), mindfulness Acting with Awareness (F = 7.321, p < 0.05, η² = 0.096), and mindfulness Non-Judging of Inner Experience (F = 5.467, p < 0.05, η² = 0.073). No significant main effect of group and interaction effects of time with group were observed for the total mindfulness and the five facets of mindfulness as well as resilience. In addition, no significant main effect of time for resilience was found. We conclude that aerobic-strength exercises and mindful yoga exercises, together with reflective journaling, may be effective in increasing mindfulness in the college population.

Personality traits and pattern of beliefs of near-death(-like) experiencers

Introduction

Little is known about the potential personality and psychological predictors of near-death experiences (NDEs), and fewer yet those of near-death-like experiences (NDEs-like; similar phenomenology reported after a non-life-threatening context). This study investigated whether personality traits (Openness, Extraversion, Pleasantness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism), dissociative experiences, Fantasy proneness, disposition toward auditory hallucinations, absorption trait, and endorsement of paranormal and spiritual beliefs could be associated with the recall of NDEs(-like).

Methods

To this aim, we invited four groups of people to retrospectively fill in questionnaires assessing the following factors: NDE experiencers (n = 63), NDE(-like) experiencers (n = 31), controls with a life-threatening situation but no NDE(-like) (n = 43), and controls without a life-threatening situation or an NDE(-like) (n = 44). We carried out univariate analyses for each factor and then performed a multiple regression analysis and a discriminant analysis.

Results

The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the endorsement of spiritual beliefs was associated with the recall of NDEs-like while Openness and Fantasy proneness were associated with the recall of NDEs. The discriminant analysis showed that these variables produce 35% of correct classification.

Discussion

Albeit retrospective, these results pave the way for future research on psychological predictors of NDEs(-like) by highlighting the influence of Spirituality, Openness, and Fantasy proneness on these phenomena.

Predictors and potentiators of psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences

Mystical experiences are often described as being among the most profound and meaningful events of a person’s life. Their occurrence, while a normal but uncommon phenomenon, is reliably occasioned by psychedelic substances under the appropriate conditions, although care is needed around the context of usage to help ensure safe and beneficial experiences. The occurrence of mystical experiences in psychedelic sessions is a key mediator of the sustained psychological benefits reported in both healthy and clinical populations. Certain factors including set and setting, drug dosage, trait absorption, drug type, intention and states of surrender and acceptance all predict or influence the occurrence of mystical experiences. Various additional factors may further contribute to the occurrence and intensity of mystical experiences and enhance their long-term benefits, including music, meditation and spiritual practices and nature-based settings. This review examines these factors and considers how they might be optimised to increase the chances of a mystical experience occurring, while also considering factors that are negatively associated with mystical experiences with suggestions on how these might be mitigated where applicable. Finally, potential future research avenues for furthering our knowledge of psychedelic mystical experiences and how their benefits might be enhanced is suggested. Maximising the potential for the occurrence of mystical experiences is an important aspect of the beneficial application of psychedelics.

Effect of different conditioning methods of traditional Chinese health exercise on lung function in healthy middle-aged and elderly people: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Lung function is highly age-dependent as it decreases in varying degrees with age, even in healthy people. Decreased lung function results in less elastic lung tissue, reduced chest wall compliance, reduced area for gas exchange, and even a variety of chronic diseases. Traditional Chinese health exercise (TCHE) has three components: “breath regulation,” “body regulation,” and “heart regulation,” which play an important role in the improvement of lung function. However, which component has the most significant effect on lung functioning remains unclear. Therefore, depending on the modality of conditioning, TCHEs will be divided into three exercise intervention groups: breath regulation group, body regulation group, and heart regulation group, in order to explore the magnitude of the effect of the different modalities of conditioning on the improvement of lung function.

Methods

The prospective, parallel, single-blind, randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effects of different conditioning methods of TCHE on lung function in middle-aged and elderly people. The study subjects are healthy middle-aged and elderly adults, who will be randomly divided into the “breath regulation group,” “body regulation group,” “heart regulation group,” and “control group.” The control group will receive health education. Health education and exercise intervention in the three intervention groups will be provided for 6 months, 5 times a week, with each session lasting 60 min. The outcomes of interest include changes in the pulmonary function tests measured at baseline and 3 and 6 months after the beginning of the intervention. The primary outcome is the forced vital capacity (FVC), while the secondary outcomes include forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FVC/FEV1 ratio, vital capacity (VC), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV).

Discussion

This study will assess the effects of different conditioning methods of TCHE on lung function in middle-aged and elderly people. The final findings of this study will validate the effectiveness and safety of TCHE on lung function interventions in middle-aged and elderly people.

Trial registration

China Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100052687. Registered on November 3, 2021

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-021-05980-5.

Can the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) of Health Behavior Change Explain the Intent for People to Practice Meditation?

Meditation is gaining popularity as adjuvant therapy for many chronic ailments, mental well-being, and spiritual growth. Behavioral theories have been underutilized in understanding meditation behavior. This study aimed to test if a fourth-generation multi-theory model (MTM) could explain the intent for starting and maintaining meditation behavior in a sample of US adults. A face and content valid 48-item instrument based on MTM was administered in a cross-sectional design through an online survey (n = 330). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.70) and construct validation using structural equation modeling of the subscales were all acceptable. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that, after controlling for demographic covariates, the MTM constructs of participatory dialogue (β  =  0.153; P  =  .002) and behavioral confidence (β  =  0.479; P < .001) were statistically significant in predicting intent for starting meditation behavior and accounted for 32.9% of the variance. Furthermore, after controlling for demographic covariates, the MTM constructs of emotional transformation (β  =  0.390; P < .001) and changes in the social environment (β  =  0.395; P < .001) were statistically significant and accounted for 52.9% of the variance in the intent for maintaining meditation behavior. Based on this study, it can be concluded that MTM offers a pragmatic framework to design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based (theory-based) meditation behavior change interventions.

Influences of Lavender Essential Oil Inhalation on Stress Responses during Short-Duration Sleep Cycles: A Pilot Study

Lavender essential oil (LEO) was reported to improve sleep quality. We investigated the influence of aromatherapy by testing the effects of LEO on stress responses during a short-duration sleep in a single-blind, randomized, crossover trial. The subjects were twelve healthy adults who were nonsmokers without any known disease and who were not prescribed medications, and nine of these completed the study. After the subjects had fallen asleep, they were sprayed with LEO using an aroma diffuser. Before and after 90 min of sleep, α-amylase, chromogranin A (CgA), and cortisol levels in saliva were measured as objective stress indicators, and the Japanese version of the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist was used as a subjective indicator. A comparison of changes before and after sleep, with and without LEO, revealed that the cortisol level did not significantly change; however, α-amylase (p < 0.05) and CgA (p < 0.01) levels significantly decreased after LEO inhalation. A mood test indicated no change in mood before and after sleep, with or without LEO. Since α-amylase and CgA reflect the sympathetic nervous system response, these results indicate that LEO aromatherapy during a short-duration sleep cycle suppresses the stress response, especially that of the sympathetic nervous system.

Cognitive performance in high school students after short treatment of zazen meditation technic

Zazen is one of several meditation technics that pretends to reach calmness, reducing interference, and controlling awareness practiced by many people in the world. Zazen practitioners claim that a natural sense of wellbeing, spontaneous joy and self-fulfilling is achieved with its practice. Neuroscientific evidence shows that important modifications in the neuronal electric activity with compromise of several brain structures has been observed, especially those that are involved in modulation of attention. Our laboratory was interested to study the possible behavioural effects of a short time zazen practice to a group of secondary students of public or private high schools, with no previous training in any meditation technics. Two groups, 15-17 years old coursing the 4th or 5th year of their secondary study, one receiving zazen training (n = 31), and the other one recreation activities (n = 45) were selected. All subjects were tested with the Tower of London, Tower of Hanoi, Wisconsin Card Sorting and Stroop test to evaluate the cognitive abilities, at the beginning of the experiment (t₀) and at the end of the experiment (t₁, about 3 months later). Results showed that in the Tower of London and Tower of Hanoi, zazen group displayed significant less movements to solve the task, compared to Control. No differences were found between both groups in solving the Wisconsin Card Sorting test, but in the Stroop test zazen group was superior to Control in making significant less mistakes during solving the task. Results are compatible with a positive effect of zazen training in behavioural abilities of attention and planning strategies in secondary students.

Meditation Increases the Entropy of Brain Oscillatory Activity

We address the hypothesis that the entropy of neural dynamics indexes the intensity and quality of conscious content. Previous work established that serotonergic psychedelics can have a dysregulating effect on brain activity, leading to subjective effects that present a considerable overlap with the phenomenology of certain meditative states. Here we propose that the prolonged practice of meditation results in endogenous increased entropy of brain oscillatory activity. We estimated the entropy of band-specific oscillations during the meditative state of traditions classified as 'focused attention' (Himalayan Yoga), 'open monitoring' (Vipassana), and 'open awareness' (Isha Shoonya Yoga). Among all traditions, Vipassana resulted in the highest entropy increases, predominantly in the alpha and low/high gamma bands. In agreement with previous studies, all meditation traditions increased the global coherence in the gamma band, but also stabilized gamma-range dynamics by lowering the metastability. Finally, machine learning classifiers could successfully generalize between certain pairs of meditation traditions based on the scalp distribution of gamma band entropies. Our results extend previous findings on the spectral changes observed during meditation, showing how long-term practice can lead to the capacity for achieving brain states of high entropy. This constitutes an example of an endogenous, self-induced high entropy state.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of Therapeutic Role of Meditation Interventions

This review is an attempt to provide a comprehensive view of post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD) and its therapy, focusing on the use of meditation interventions. PTSD is a multimodal psycho-physiological-behavioral disorder, which calls for the potential usefulness of spiritual therapy. Recent times witness a substantial scientific interest in an alternative mind-to-body psychobehavioral therapy; the exemplary of which is meditation. Meditation is a form of mental exercise that has an extensive, albeit still mostly empiric, therapeutic value. Meditation steadily gains an increasing popularity as a psychobehavioral adjunct to therapy in many areas of medicine and psychology. While the review does not provide a final or conclusive answer on the use of meditation in PTSD treatment we believe the available empirical evidence demonstrates that meditation is associated with overall reduction in PTSD symptoms, and it improves mental and somatic quality of life of PTSD patients. Therefore, studies give a clear cue for a trial of meditation-associated techniques as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy or standalone treatment in otherwise resistant cases of the disease.

Mindfulness-Based Meditation Versus Progressive Relaxation Meditation: Impact on Chronic Pain in Older Female Patients With Diabetic Neuropathy

Chronic pain, the most common complication of diabetes, is treated with medication often to no avail. Our study aimed to compare the use of mindfulness meditation and progressive relaxation to reduce chronic pain in older females with diabetes. Methods The 105 study participants were divided randomly into 3 groups: Group MM (mindfulness meditation), Group CM (control meditation), and Group PM (progressive relaxation meditation). Assessment of analgesic effectiveness required changes in average daily pain Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) modified for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy and Patient Global Impression of Change using descriptive statistics, Student's t test, and analysis of variance where applicable. Results Both Groups MM and PM experienced significant (P < .05) reduction in average daily pain in last 24 hours at study end compared to baseline (28.7% and 39.7%, respectively). Group MM had more significant (P < .01) reduction of pain compared to control, a score of 5.2 ± 1.2 dropped to 3.0 ± 1.1 by week 12 of treatment. Groups MM and PM showed significant improvement in patients' impression at study end, 75 ± 5.1% (n = 36) and 61 ± 6.5% (n = 32), respectively. In Group MM, patient satisfaction scores increased significantly (P < .05) to 3.8 ± 1.9 by week 12. Conclusion Integrative therapies such as mindfulness meditation can be part of a comprehensive pain management plan. Benefits include reduction of pain-related medication consumption, better treatment outcomes, improvement in comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression as well as no risk of addiction or abuse.

Effects of Tai Chi Exercise on Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

CONTEXT

Tai Chi exercise has been shown to improve cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) balance in some cancer patients or survivors; however, such effects are yet to be verified in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the effects of Tai Chi exercise on CRF in NPC patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy and then to evaluate ANS information indicated by heart rate variability parameters and their association with CRF.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi exercise was conducted from January 2014 to August 2015. Participants in the Tai Chi group practiced Tai Chi a one-hour session, five sessions/week during chemoradiotherapy. Participants in the control group received usual care. The primary end points were scores of the multidimensional fatigue symptom inventory-short form (MFSI-SF). Secondary end points were heart rate variability parameters, including normalized low-frequency (nLF) power, normalized high-frequency (nHF) power, and the nLF/nHF ratio, and their association with CRF.

RESULTS

One hundred fourteen patients were recruited in this study, and 83 patients completed the trial. The Tai Chi group and the control group had comparable baseline characteristics. After chemoradiotherapy, the Tai Chi group exhibited lower MFSI-SF total score and three negative subscale (general, physical, and emotional fatigue) scores and higher vigor score compared with the control group (P < 0.01 for all). The nLF/nHF ratio was significantly lower in the Tai Chi group compared to the control group after chemoradiotherapy. The MFSI-SF total score was markedly correlated with the nLF/nHF ratio.

CONCLUSION

Tai Chi exercise is conducive to alleviate CRF in NPC patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. The improvement in ANS balance might fit into the process of Tai Chi for CRF management in this population.

Preoperative Rehabilitation in Lung Cancer Patients: Yoga Approach

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Surgical removal remains the best option for most tumors of this type. Reduction of cigarette consumption in patients with lung cancer candidates for the surgery could limit the impact of tobacco on postsurgical outcomes. Breathing exercises appear to help combat cigarette cravings. Yoga exercise benefits have been studied in lung cancer survivors, rather than in the preoperative setting. In this study, we have recruited 32 active smokers affected by lung cancer and being candidates for pulmonary surgery. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: one treated by standard breathing and the other treated by yoga breathing (YB). The groups were evaluated at times T0 (baseline) and T1 (after 7 days of treatment) to compare the effects of the two breathing treatments on pulmonary performance in a presurgery setting. Pulmonary and cardiocirculatory functions have been tested using a self-calibrating computerized spirometer and a portable pulse oximetry device. The findings demonstrate appreciable short-term improvement in lung function assessed by spirometry. We conclude that yoga breathing can be a beneficial preoperative support for thoracic surgery.