Effects of a Neuroscience-Based Mindfulness Meditation Program on Psychological Health: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background Mindfulness and meditation have a rich historical tradition, and a growing scientific base of evidence supports their use in creating positive psychological and neuroplastic changes for practitioners. Although meditation can be taught in various ways, the scientific community has yet to systematically study the impact of different types of meditation on neuropsychological outcomes, especially as it pertains to digital implementation. Therefore, it is critical that the instruction of mindfulness be evidence based because meditation is being used in both scientific and clinical settings. Objective This study investigated the use of teacher cueing and the integration of neuroscience education into a meditation program. Compassion cueing was chosen as the element of experimental manipulation because traditional lineages of Buddhist meditation teach compassion for self and others as one of the primary outcomes of meditation. We hypothesized that participants receiving compassion cueing would have enhanced neuropsychological outcomes compared with those receiving functional cueing and that gains in neuroscience knowledge would relate to positive neuropsychological outcomes. Methods Participants (n=89) were randomized to receive either functional cueing (control group) or compassion cueing (experimental group) and engaged with five 10-minute meditation sessions a week for 4 weeks. All intervention sessions were administered through digital presentation. All participants completed ecological momentary assessments before and after the daily intervention, as well as pre- and postintervention questionnaires. Results Participants demonstrated significant benefits over time, including increased mindfulness and self-compassion, decreased depression, and gains in neuroscience content (all P<.001); however, no significant between-group differences were found. Daily scores from each day of the intervention showed a statistically significant shift from active toward settled. Importantly, long-term increases in mindfulness were positively correlated to changes in compassion (r=0.326; P=.009) and self-compassion (r=0.424; P<.001) and negatively correlated to changes in anxiety (r=–0.266; P=.03) and depression (r=–0.271; P=.03). Finally, the acute effects of meditation were significantly correlated to the longitudinal outcomes (with a small-to-medium effect size), especially those relevant to mindfulness. Conclusions We developed a novel neuroscience-based education–meditation program that enhanced self-regulation as evidenced by improved mindfulness, self-compassion, and mood state. Our findings demonstrate the behavioral importance of engaging with mindfulness meditation and reinforce the idea that the benefits of meditation are independent of teacher cueing behavior. Future studies will need to investigate the brain-based changes underlying these meditation-induced outcomes.

Senior Mental Health Scenarios in Thai Buddhist Contexts: A Qualitative Study

“…These results corroborate the findings of prior studies, which highlighted the beneficial effects of various interventions such as meditation with mindfulness, breathing techniques, religious or spiritual practices, resilience-building strategies, animal-assisted therapy, recollection therapy, humor therapy, and group therapy among seniors. Additionally, seniors should have access to traditional healers such as herbalists, Buddhist shamans, spiritual healers, blessed shamans, fortune tellers, and mystical shamans to provide solace and support (Gonçalves et al 2015;Lynn and Basso 2023;Iwano et al 2022;Giebel et al 2022;Pechburi et al 2017;Photipim et al 2021;Wongkwanklom 2018). The keys to effective strategies include maintaining a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, fostering a positive mindset, managing feelings of worry and tension, enhancing self-esteem, employing diverse approaches, pursuing lifelong learning, active participation in society, volunteering, and seeking support from close friends, family members, and relevant organizations (Suttharat and Meungkhwa 2018;Chansuvarn et al 2021;Giebel et al 2022).…”

“…These practices have shown notable and meaningful connections with the mental well-being of the elderly demographic. Additionally, seniors sought traditional sources of comfort, including recourse to traditional herbalists, Buddhist shamans, spiritual healers, blessed shamans, fortune tellers, and mystical shamans (Gonçalves et al 2015;Lynn and Basso 2023;Iwano et al 2022;Wongkwanklom 2018;Sudbhado et al 2022;Klangrit et al 2021;Wongsala et al 2021). Buddhism emphasizes the cultivation of self-awareness to develop concentration and wisdom, leading to a profound understanding of the mind and self-nature, transformative changes in habits, and the realization of Life's Truth through experiential engagement.…”