Psychological effects of a one-month meditation retreat on experienced meditators: the role of nonattachment
Background. There are few studies devoted to assessing the impact of meditation-intensive retreats on the well-being, positive psychology and personality of experienced meditators. We aimed to assess whether a 1-month Vipassana retreat: a) would increase mindfulness and well-being; b) would increase...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2016-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01935/full |
| _version_ | 1828484785368989696 |
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| author | Jesus Montero-Marin Marta Puebla-Guedea Paola Herrera-Mercadal Ausias Cebolla Joaquim Soler Marcelo Demarzo Marcelo Demarzo Carmelo Vazquez fernando Rodríguez-Bornaetxea Javier Garcia Campayo |
| author_facet | Jesus Montero-Marin Marta Puebla-Guedea Paola Herrera-Mercadal Ausias Cebolla Joaquim Soler Marcelo Demarzo Marcelo Demarzo Carmelo Vazquez fernando Rodríguez-Bornaetxea Javier Garcia Campayo |
| author_sort | Jesus Montero-Marin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background. There are few studies devoted to assessing the impact of meditation-intensive retreats on the well-being, positive psychology and personality of experienced meditators. We aimed to assess whether a 1-month Vipassana retreat: a) would increase mindfulness and well-being; b) would increase prosocial personality traits; and c) whether psychological changes would be mediated and/or moderated by non-attachment.Method. A controlled, non-randomized, pre-post-intervention trial was used. The intervention group was a convenience sample (n=19) of experienced meditators who participated in a 1-month Vipassana meditation retreat. The control group (n=19) comprised matched experienced meditators who did not take part in the retreat. During the retreat, the mean duration of daily practice was 8-9 hours, the diet was vegetarian and silence was compulsory. The Experiences Questionnaire (EQ), Non-Attachment Scale (NAS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Temperament Character Inventory Revised (TCI-R-67), Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Self-Other Four Immeasurables (SOFI) and the MINDSENS Composite Index were administered. ANCOVAs and linear regression models were used to assess pre-post changes and mediation/moderation effects.Results. Compared to controls, retreatants showed increases in non-attachment, observing, MINDSENS, positive-affect, balance-affect and cooperativeness; and decreases in describing, negative-others, reward-dependence and self-directedness. Non-attachment had a mediating role in decentring, acting aware, non-reactivity, negative-affect, balance-affect and self-directedness; and a moderating role in describing and positive others, with both mediating and moderating effects on satisfaction with life.Conclusions. A 1-month Vipassana meditation retreat seems to yield improvements in mindfulness, well-being and personality, even in experienced meditators. Non-attachment might facilitate psychological improvements of meditation, making it possible to overcome possible ceiling effects ascribed to non-intensive practices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:01:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3bed39ff6b4743a096bfb45cfc4edffb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:01:43Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-3bed39ff6b4743a096bfb45cfc4edffb2022-12-22T01:13:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782016-12-01710.3389/fpsyg.2016.01935209001Psychological effects of a one-month meditation retreat on experienced meditators: the role of nonattachmentJesus Montero-Marin0Marta Puebla-Guedea1Paola Herrera-Mercadal2Ausias Cebolla3Joaquim Soler4Marcelo Demarzo5Marcelo Demarzo6Carmelo Vazquez7fernando Rodríguez-Bornaetxea8Javier Garcia Campayo9Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences. Primary Care Prevention and Health Promotion Research Network (RedIAPP), Zaragoza. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain.Primary Care Prevention and Health Promotion Research Network (RedIAPP), Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain.Primary Care Prevention and Health Promotion Research Network (RedIAPP), Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain.Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Universitat de València, Spain. CIBERObn Ciber Fisiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition. Santiago de Compostela. Spain.Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau–IIB Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain.Mente Aberta – Brazilian Center for Mindfulness and Health Promotion, Department of Preventive Medicine, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, UNIFESP, Brazil.Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinProfessor of Psychopathology. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Red PROMOSAM, SpainPsychologist and Vipassana Master. President of Baraka Institute, San Sebastián, Spain.Miguel Servet Hospital and University of Zaragoza. RedIAPP, Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud, Zaragoza. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain.Background. There are few studies devoted to assessing the impact of meditation-intensive retreats on the well-being, positive psychology and personality of experienced meditators. We aimed to assess whether a 1-month Vipassana retreat: a) would increase mindfulness and well-being; b) would increase prosocial personality traits; and c) whether psychological changes would be mediated and/or moderated by non-attachment.Method. A controlled, non-randomized, pre-post-intervention trial was used. The intervention group was a convenience sample (n=19) of experienced meditators who participated in a 1-month Vipassana meditation retreat. The control group (n=19) comprised matched experienced meditators who did not take part in the retreat. During the retreat, the mean duration of daily practice was 8-9 hours, the diet was vegetarian and silence was compulsory. The Experiences Questionnaire (EQ), Non-Attachment Scale (NAS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Temperament Character Inventory Revised (TCI-R-67), Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Self-Other Four Immeasurables (SOFI) and the MINDSENS Composite Index were administered. ANCOVAs and linear regression models were used to assess pre-post changes and mediation/moderation effects.Results. Compared to controls, retreatants showed increases in non-attachment, observing, MINDSENS, positive-affect, balance-affect and cooperativeness; and decreases in describing, negative-others, reward-dependence and self-directedness. Non-attachment had a mediating role in decentring, acting aware, non-reactivity, negative-affect, balance-affect and self-directedness; and a moderating role in describing and positive others, with both mediating and moderating effects on satisfaction with life.Conclusions. A 1-month Vipassana meditation retreat seems to yield improvements in mindfulness, well-being and personality, even in experienced meditators. Non-attachment might facilitate psychological improvements of meditation, making it possible to overcome possible ceiling effects ascribed to non-intensive practices.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01935/fullMeditationPersonalitywellbeingPositive PsychologyVipassanaRetreat |
| spellingShingle | Jesus Montero-Marin Marta Puebla-Guedea Paola Herrera-Mercadal Ausias Cebolla Joaquim Soler Marcelo Demarzo Marcelo Demarzo Carmelo Vazquez fernando Rodríguez-Bornaetxea Javier Garcia Campayo Psychological effects of a one-month meditation retreat on experienced meditators: the role of nonattachment Frontiers in Psychology Meditation Personality wellbeing Positive Psychology Vipassana Retreat |
| title | Psychological effects of a one-month meditation retreat on experienced meditators: the role of nonattachment |
| title_full | Psychological effects of a one-month meditation retreat on experienced meditators: the role of nonattachment |
| title_fullStr | Psychological effects of a one-month meditation retreat on experienced meditators: the role of nonattachment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychological effects of a one-month meditation retreat on experienced meditators: the role of nonattachment |
| title_short | Psychological effects of a one-month meditation retreat on experienced meditators: the role of nonattachment |
| title_sort | psychological effects of a one month meditation retreat on experienced meditators the role of nonattachment |
| topic | Meditation Personality wellbeing Positive Psychology Vipassana Retreat |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01935/full |
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