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•LTMs exhibit improved executive, orienting, alerting, and sustained attention.•Meditative growth is non-linear, multidimensional, and requires balanced practice.•Attentional neurobiological changes seemed practice-specific and transferable.•Future studies may aim to better understand state, trait, and interaction effects.•Attention is a promising domain for empirically testing contemplative constructs. Attention regulation is a core mechanism of mindfulness meditation and has been proposed to underlie many of its health-related benefits. Here, we review and synthesize behavioral findings on attentional outcomes in long-term meditators, integrating neurocognitive evidence within a meditative development framework. Key findings indicate trait-level improvements across attentional functions—executive attention, sustained attention, hierarchical and general orienting—and attentional phenomena, such as the attentional blink. Preliminary evidence also identifies trait enhancements in response inhibition, alertness, and reduced mind-wandering. Interaction effects were found for response inhibition, sustained attention, reduced mind-wandering, and alertness, with alertness benefiting most strongly from long-term and intensive acute practice. As expected, attention-based outperformed non-attention-based techniques, while observe-and-release techniques facilitated attentional orienting and detection of closely spaced or unexpected stimuli during sustained attention tasks. These findings suggest that long-term meditation may enhance attention regulation in accordance with training specificity principles; the cognitive functions most directly targeted are the most likely to improve. Nevertheless, broader findings indicate that meditative development may depend on the balanced cultivation of multiple faculties over time, highlighting the non-linear and multidimensional nature of long-term meditative change. Consistent with traditional goals of cultivating mental faculties, the present findings may reflect attentional adaptations that support the development of advanced meditative states. Despite considerable consistency in empirical results, methodological limitations—including heterogeneous study designs and insufficient differentiation between states and traits—complicate interpretations. Future research should prioritize operationalizing and measuring contemplative constructs within integrative frameworks and using rigorous factorial designs to clarify state-trait interactions and meditation predictors.

•Advanced meditative frameworks such as the stages of insight (SoI) remain understudied despite their potential for supporting mental health.•SoI deactivated brain regions associated with self-related processing and activated regions associated with perception and perceptual sensitivity.•Levels of equanimity correlated with deactivations in the medial prefrontal cortex and activations in the posterior cingulate cortex. The stages of insight (SoI) are a series of psychological realizations experienced through advanced investigative insight meditation (AIIM). SoI provide a powerful structured framework of AIIM for understanding and evaluating insight-based meditative development through changes in perception, experiences of self, cognition, and emotional processing. Yet, the neurophenomenology of SoI remains unstudied due to methodological difficulties, rarity of suitable advanced meditation practitioners, and dominant research emphasis on attention-based meditative practices. We investigated the neurophenomenology of SoI in an intensively sampled adept meditator case study (4 hr 7T fMRI collected in 26 runs with concurrent phenomenology) who performed SoI and rated specific aspects of experience immediately thereafter. Linear mixed models and correlations were used to examine relations among the cortex, subcortex, brainstem, and cerebellum, and SoI phenomenology. We identified distinctive whole-brain activity patterns associated with specific SoI, and that were different from two non-meditative control states. SoI consistently deactivated regions implicated in self-related processing, including the medial prefrontal cortex and temporal poles, while activating regions associated with awareness and perception, including the parietal and visual cortices, caudate, several brainstem nuclei, and cerebellum. Patterns of brain activity related to affective processing and SoI phenomenology were also identified. Our study presents the first neurophenomenological evidence that SoI shifts and deconstructs self-related perception and conceptualization, and increases general awareness and perceptual sensitivity and acuity. Our study provides SoI as a foundation for investigative, and advanced meditation in particular. [Display omitted]

Advanced meditation such as jhana meditation can produce various altered states of consciousness (jhanas) and cultivate rewarding psychological qualities including joy, peace, compassion, and attentional stability. Mapping the neurobiological substrates of jhana meditation can inform the development and application of advanced meditation to enhance well‐being. Only two prior studies have attempted to investigate the neural correlates of jhana meditation, and the rarity of adept practitioners has largely restricted the size and extent of these studies. Therefore, examining the consistency and reliability of observed brain responses associated with jhana meditation can be valuable. In this study, we aimed to characterize functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reliability within a single subject over repeated runs in canonical brain networks during jhana meditation performed by an adept practitioner over 5 days (27 fMRI runs) inside an ultra‐high field 7 Tesla MRI scanner. We found that thalamus and several cortical networks, that is, the somatomotor, limbic, default‐mode, control, and temporo‐parietal, demonstrated good within‐subject reliability across all jhanas. Additionally, we found that several other relevant brain networks (e.g., attention, salience) showed noticeable increases in reliability when fMRI measurements were adjusted for variability in self‐reported phenomenology related to jhana meditation. Overall, we present a preliminary template of reliable brain areas likely underpinning core neurocognitive elements of jhana meditation, and highlight the utility of neurophenomenological experimental designs for better characterizing neuronal variability associated with advanced meditative states. Graphical illustration of the most reliable brain areas associated with advanced and rare meditation states, called jhanas, determined from an intensively sampled 7 T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) dataset, using an approach of intraclass correlation modified for estimating within‐subject fMRI reliability at the level of canonical brain networks.

Advanced meditation consists of states and stages of practice that unfold with mastery and time. Dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) analysis of fMRI could identify brain states underlying advanced meditation. We conducted an intensive DFC case study of a meditator who completed 27 runs of advanced absorptive concentration meditation (ACAM-J), concurrently with 7-T fMRI and phenomenological reporting. We identified three brain states that marked differences between ACAM-J and nonmeditative control conditions. These states were characterized as a DMN-anticorrelated brain state, a hyperconnected brain state, and a sparsely connected brain state. Our analyses indicate higher prevalence of the DMN-anticorrelated brain state during ACAM-J than control states, and the prevalence increased significantly with deeper ACAM-J states. The hyperconnected brain state was also more common during ACAM-J and was characterized by elevated thalamocortical connectivity and somatomotor network connectivity. The hyperconnected brain state significantly decreased over the course of ACAM-J, associating with self-reports of wider attention and diminished physical sensations. This brain state may be related to sensory awareness. Advanced meditators have developed well-honed abilities to move in and out of different altered states of consciousness, and this study provides initial evidence that functional neuroimaging can objectively track their dynamics. Advanced meditation research investigates states and stages of practice that unfold with increasing mastery and time, which may include altered states of consciousness such as a diminished sense of self. In the current study, we examined a 7-T fMRI case study of , an advanced concentrative absorptive meditation (ACAM-J). Specifically, we examined the temporal properties of dynamic connectivity brain states that could reflect mental states and phenomena during ACAM-J. We identified two brain states that were more prevalent during ACAM-J than control conditions. One state, involving default-mode network anticorrelations with the rest of the brain, increased across ACAM-J. Another state, involving hyperconnectivity across many cortical networks, was correlated with reports of narrow attention and greater sensory awareness, as well as diminished across ACAM-J.

Mindfulness has become an area of great interest in Western psychology, but it has been criticized for its de-religionization. Based on Chinese Confucianist Liu Zongzhou’s concept of shendu (慎独; vigilance in solitude), this study attempts to present a complete overview of the Confucian mindfulness meditation system from the theoretical basis and training method. The unique value of Confucian mindfulness meditation is that it directly points to morality, which can make up for the deficiency of mindfulness in Western psychology. Furthermore, Confucian mindfulness meditation can provide more suitable training methods for individuals who are culturally Chinese.

Student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) experience high levels of stress related to the level of difficulty and time commitment associated with an integrated Doctor of Nursing Practice anesthesia program. Although some degree of stress is necessary for motivation, unmanaged stress can contribute to illness, dissatisfaction, and substance use. A search of the literature showed that mindfulness meditation training reduces stress and improves academic performance in graduate student populations. An evidence-based practice project was developed and implemented to provide SRNAs with a novel stress management mechanism. A guided mindfulness meditation application for smart phones (Headspace, Headspace) was chosen as the intervention modality. Research shows that this application is an effective and convenient delivery system for mindfulness meditation training, decreasing stress during a 10-day trial. SRNAs attended a mindfulness presentation and completed an introductory guided mindfulness meditation module using the Headspace application on their personal smart phone. Preintervention and postintervention surveys (N=33) using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21-item questionnaire were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results showed significant reductions (P<.01) in depression (Z=-3.36), anxiety (Z=-3.07), and stress (Z=-3.46) scores, representing reductions of 32%, 32%, and 47%.

Background: Lung cancer patients and partners show high rates of impaired quality of life and heightened distress levels. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction has proven to be effective in reducing psychological distress in cancer patients. However, studies barely included lung cancer patients. Aim: We examined whether Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction might be a feasible and effective intervention for patients with lung cancer and partners. Design: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a training in which mindfulness practices are combined with psycho-education to help participants cope with distress. In this mixed methods pilot study, questionnaires on psychological distress and quality of life were administered before, directly after and 3 months after the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training, in combination with semi-structured interviews. Setting/participants: Patients with lung cancer and partners were recruited at one tertiary care academic medical centre. A total of 19 lung cancer patients and 16 partners participated in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training. Results: Most patients were diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer. Vast majority completed the training. Those receiving anti-cancer treatment did not miss more sessions than patients who were not currently treated. Patients and partners felt positive about participating in a peer group and with their partner. Among participants no significant changes were found in psychological distress. Caregiver burden in partners decreased significantly after following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. The qualitative analysis showed that the training seemed to instigate a process of change in participants. Conclusion: The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training seemed to be feasible for patients with lung cancer and their partners. A randomized controlled trial is needed to examine the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in reducing psychological distress in lung cancer patients and partners.

Objectives Studies that have examined why people begin to meditate and why they stay with it are few and inconclusive. We looked at these questions in two comprehensive exploratory studies. Methods In study 1, meditation teachers were asked why participants in their courses might begin to meditate and why they might continue to do so. A qualitative analysis of their responses, together with suggestions from the literature, yielded 77 distinct reasons that were applicable to both beginners and advanced meditators. In study 2, 245 meditators (49 who had practiced for less than 1 year) rated how strongly these reasons applied to themselves. Exploratory factor analyses of the reasons both to begin and to continue meditation were conducted. Results We found a large number of different categories that go beyond those identified in previous research. Reasons changed with increasing meditation practice, although spiritual goals tended to become more important only for practitioners with a spiritual background. Conclusions Our results indicate that reasons for meditating are much more diverse than previously assumed and that they are influenced by practitioners’ spiritual background and their personality characteristics.

Caring for people with chronic kidney disease, let alone during a pandemic, can place nurses at risk for burnout. This study explored the effects of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) 8-week training on nephrology nurses' levels of self-compassion, burnout, and resilience. Twelve nurses participated. Surveys were completed before, immediately after, and three months after training. A focus group was also conducted. Results demonstrated in-creased levels of self-compassion, mindfulness, and resilience while levels of burnout decreased. The central qualitative theme was enhanced resilience. Subthemes were creating a community of support, awareness and dis-covery, and the mastery of the techniques. The MSC train-ing was an effective intervention to build essential skills for maintaining a healthy workforce. Implementation of such training programs within the health care environment are highly encouraged.

Emergency departments (EDs) expose health care workers to occupational stressors that need to be addressed to conserve and protect their quality of life. The objective of this study was to support resilience and quality of life for ED advanced practice providers experiencing increased occupational stress. This quality improvement project tested the effect of a 1-hour Community Resiliency Model training on pre-post resilience and quality of life, including burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Survey responses trended toward improvement; most notably, self-reported secondary traumatic stress decreased from baseline. Findings indicated this was a feasible intervention to support ED advanced practice providers. •The primary aim of this evaluation was to assess improvements in ED APP’s resilience and quality of life (e.g., burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction), believed to be protective for healthcare workers with occupational stress, after attending a training.•The project used a pre-post evaluation to examine the relationship of burnout, compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and resilience after participation in Community Resilience Model (CRM) training.•This evaluation observed positive trends in CD-RISC-2 and PROQOL subscale scores indicating implementation of evidence-based interventions to increase resilience and quality of life for APPs in the ED are feasible.