Meditation experience is associated with lower levels of repetitive negative thinking: The key role of self-compassion

Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between meditation experience and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) in regular meditators with a wide range of experience, and to examine the extent to which self-compassion and mindfulness mediate this relationship. RNT is a transdiagnostic process that is implicated in the development and maintenance of several mental health disorders. Converging evidence suggests that meditation practice is associated with improved mental health and may reduce levels of RNT. Increased levels of self-compassion and mindfulness have been associated with decreased levels of RNT and proposed as theoretically consistent mediators by which meditation practice exerts its beneficial effects; however, they are seldom considered in combination. In a cross-sectional design, 1281 meditators (mean age = 44.7 years, SD = 13.9, 53.7% female) completed questionnaires about meditation experience, RNT, self-compassion, and mindfulness. Linear regression and generalised structural equation models were used to examine the data. Longer duration of meditation experience was associated with lower levels of RNT and higher levels of self-compassion and mindfulness. Meditation experience was associated with RNT indirectly through self-compassion, but not through mindfulness. The results offer preliminary support for longer-term meditation as a potential means for reducing the maladaptive process of RNT. Clinically, self-compassion could be identified as a promising treatment target for interventions.

Repetitive negative thinking is associated with subjective cognitive decline in older adults: a cross-sectional study

“…Future research is needed that assesses participants' meditation practice more comprehensively, including type of practice, duration, retreat experience, and intention to practice. Relatedly, recent theory and research discusses the potential benefits of meditation for (brain) health and cognition in ageing and for repetitive negative thinking in the context of a longerterm commitment to a regular meditation practice [36,55,56]. Shorter-term meditation-based interventions tend to focus primarily on affective outcomes such as anxiety and depressive symptoms [8], which In the multivariable logistic regression model, for binary explanatory variables (sex), the estimate describes the odds of memory complaints in one group relative to the reference category (indicated in parentheses) when controlling for all other variables in the model.…”

Is a meditation retreat the better vacation? effect of retreats and vacations on fatigue, emotional well-being, and acting with awareness

“…This result is in line with several studies finding practice related increases in mindfulness to be associated with increases in well-being both during meditation programs [ 23 , 26 , 60 ] as well as during retreats [ 38 ] and implies that one factor explaining the increased and prolonged effect of the leisure episodes in the present study is indeed an increase in mindfulness. It should be noted that other psychological processes associated with meditation practice not included in this study might also play a role in improving well-being, such as self-compassion [ 61 , 62 ], neuroticism, and perceived control [ 31 ]. We suggest that future research on vacation, meditation retreats, and regular meditation practice should consider a broader range of potential mediators.…”

Assessing self-criticism and self-reassurance: Examining psychometric properties and clinical usefulness of the Short-Form of the Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS-SF) in Spanish sample

“…Although the implicit teaching of self-compassion might have a lower impact on it [ 87 ]. In fact, meditation experience (time of regular practice) was associated with lower levels of repetitive negative thinking, a similar psychological process to SC, being this association mediated by both self-compassion and mindfulness [ 88 ]. However, differences in SC between active meditators and meditators who abandoned the practice have not been previously investigated.…”