Research Publications
American Mindfulness Research Association (AMRA)
The AMRA web site is one of the best resources for tracking mindfulness research. A significant number of research references are available from the web site without charge.
Research Supporting Key Benefits
Improved concentration / attention
Recent Research With Summaries
Mindfulness improves inflammatory biomarker levels in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. (2020 Feb)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0696-y
Summary: Approximately half of older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) eventually progress to develop Alzheimer’s disease. A diagnosis of MCI may provide a window of opportunity to slow, halt, or reverse further cognitive decline. Mindfulness-based interventions may offer a means to potentially preserve cognitive function by lowering stress and inflammation and promoting neuroplasticity. This study investigated the effects of a mindfulness-based program on biomarkers of stress, inflammation, and neuroplasticity in older adults with MCI. The study concluded that a structured mindfulness program adapted for older adults can lower a biomarker of inflammation (C-reactive protein) in older women with MCI and in older persons with the amnestic subtype of MCI. It may also lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1β) in men. Both of these results are important because inflammation is linked to brain changes associated with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Mindfulness practice alters brain connectivity in community-living elders with mild cognitive impairment. (2020 Jan)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pcn.12972
Summary: A diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a degree of cognitive decline greater than what one might expect from normal aging but not severe enough to call for a diagnosis of dementia. Prior research suggests that mindfulness practice enhances aspects of structural and functional brain connectivity in healthy adults. This study examined whether mindfulness practice can also improve dynamic functional connectivity (changing patterns of functional connectivity over time) in older adults with MCI. The study concluded that mindfulness training can slow or prevent degradation of neural functional connectivity over a three-month window, as well as improve auditory verbal recognition memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Findings support the use of mindfulness as a potential means to slow or halt cognitive decline in adults with mild cognitive impairment, possibly preventing the onset or progression of dementia.
Differential DNA methylation in experienced meditators after an intensive day of mindfulness-based practice: Implications for immune-related pathways (2019 Dec)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159119308797
Summary: While stress reduction practices have previously been found to down-regulate the immune system and inflammation, little is known about how such practices affect immune system epigenetics. ] This study looks at the effect of intensive mindfulness meditation on the methylation of immune cell (lymphocyte and monocyte) genes in experienced meditators after one day of intensive meditation. It concluded that a single 8-hour mindfulness meditation retreat can rapidly alter methylation levels that affect epigenetic expression in genes among experienced meditators. Involved genes include those that regulate inflammation, immune cell metabolism, DNA repair, cellular aging, RNA metabolism, protein translation, cell adhesion, and neurotransmission. These findings align with other studies showing that mindfulness meditation practice has immune system benefits relevant to health and aging.
Does MBCT for migraine reduce migraine-related disability in people with episodic and chronic migraine? (2019 Oct)
https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/head.13657
Summary: Episodic and chronic migraines affect approximately one billion people worldwide. Existing behavioral treatments including biofeedback, relaxation and cognitive therapy, and pharmacological treatments have limited efficacy, but no treatment works for everyone. This study evaluated the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Migraine (MBCT-M) compared to a control in reducing migraine-related disability. Mindfulness participants reported a significantly greater average decrease in disability (-14.3 points) on the HDI (Headache Disability Inventory) than did controls (-0.2 points). They also reported a significantly greater decrease in average daily disability ratings in their headache diaries (-0.6 points) than did controls who reported an average increase (+0.3). The groups did not differ in headache frequency or intensity.
Mindfulness training reduces stress and amygdala reactivity to fearful faces in middle-school children. (2019 Sep)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31448928/
Summary: This study tested whether mindfulness training reduces stress levels in middle school children, and if so, whether it is done by inducing changes in the amygdala and its connectivity to a region of the prefrontal cortex. This is the first study investigating the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on children’s brain activity. At post-intervention, mindfulness participants had significantly greater reductions in stress levels (Cohen’s d=0.56) and a trend towards reduced negative affect (d=0.36) compared to controls. Right amygdala activation in response to fearful facial expressions decreased to a significantly greater degree (d=0.48) for mindfulness participants than controls. Thus, this study demonstrates the efficacy of a school-based mindfulness program in reducing middle school children’s stress levels and amygdala activation to fear-related stimuli.
The effect of mindfulness training prior to total joint arthroplasty (replacement) on postoperative pain and physical function. (2019 Sep)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229919301955
Summary: Total hip and knee replacements are among the highest volume elective surgical procedures performed today. About 15% of patients report poor surgical outcomes marked by continuing pain, disability, and dissatisfaction. This study tested whether pre-surgical Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) could improve physical and psychological wellbeing outcomes after joint replacement surgery. The study shows that MBSR improves pain and functional outcomes for psychologically distressed arthritis patients undergoing joint replacement surgery. The MBSR participants reported significantly less pain at 12 months than controls. They also reported significantly greater improvement on the global measure of overall osteoarthritis pain, stiffness, and functional disability.
Psilocybin-assisted mindfulness training modulates self-consciousness and brain default mode network connectivity with lasting effects. (2019 May)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811919302952
Summary: There are certain similarities between the increased awareness associated with the practice of mindfulness and the expanded consciousness associated with the use of psychedelic substances. Both are capable of promoting states of self-transcendence in which the boundary between one’s self and the world is erased, leading to a boundless sense of connection with the universe. This study tested the effects of psilocybin, a psychedelic mushroom plant derivative, on self-reported, neurological, and behavioral outcomes among experienced meditators attending a meditation retreat. The study showed that experienced meditators’ psilocybin-induced self-transcendent experiences are associated with a persistent improvement in their psychological sense of well-being. These self-transcendent experiences are also associated with functional changes in the brain which point to the DMN’s critical role in both self-reference and self-transcendence.
Benefits of mindfulness meditation in reducing blood pressure and stress in patients with arterial hypertension (2018 Dec)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41371-018-0130-6
Summary: The study shows that mindfulness meditation in combination with conventional medication treatment reduces blood pressure and stress levels, while improving mindfulness and mood more than medication coupled with health education. The findings appear to be clinically meaningful as a 3 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure can reduce stroke mortality by 8% and cardiovascular mortality by 5%. The reductions in this study are equivalent in magnitude to those obtained through regular aerobic exercise. At 20 weeks, clinically assessed systolic BP in the mindfulness group dropped 13 mmHg from baseline, whereas the control group dropped only 1 mmHg, a statistically significant difference. Diastolic BP dropped by 14 mmHg in the mindfulness group but only by 3 mmHg in the control group, a difference that failed to reach statistical significance.
Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. (2018 Sep)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016643281830322X
Summary: Meditation practice reliably demonstrates beneficial effects for memory, attention, mood, and emotional regulation. It is unclear, however, whether there is a minimum dosage necessary to attain these benefits. This study showed that 8 weeks of daily brief meditation measurably improves mood, anxiety in response to stress, and aspects of attention and memory. The study also showed that 4 weeks of practice were not sufficient to yield results. This suggests that meditative effects are cumulative and only emerge with repeated practice over time.
Meditation or exercise for preventing acute respiratory infection (2018 Jul)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0197778
Summary: This study concluded that MBSR and exercise both significantly reduce cold and flu frequency, length, and severity, along with providing general mental health benefits. The authors suggest that the magnitude of MBSR and exercise benefit may be similar to that of other preventative interventions such as flu vaccination. Depending on the year and the variable under study, the reduction of flu incidence and severity due to vaccination ranges from 13-70%. By way of comparison, MBSR cold and flu incidence, duration, and severity reduction rates in this study and one previous study ranges from 14-60%.
Mindfulness on-the-go: Effects of a mindfulness meditation app on work stress and well-being (2018 Jun)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29723001/
Summary: Can a mindfulness app, as a lower-cost alternative to in-person training, reduce work-related stress among corporate employees? This study concluded that using a meditation app at least 10 times over the course of a month-and-a half can improve wellbeing and perceived job control in healthy office-workers. These effects were dose-dependent and persisted up to 2 months after the intervention.
Six-year positive effects of an MBI on mindfulness, coping and well-being in medical and psychology students (2018 May)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0196053
Summary: The study shows that the psychological benefits of MBSR persist and increase over a six-year interval in a young, educated, non-clinical sample. It also demonstrates that most subjective improvements in wellbeing come from increased reliance on problem-focused coping, which is correlated with increased mindfulness.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy v. treatment as usual in adults with ADHD (2018 Apr)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29486807/
Summary: The study shows adjunctive MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) alleviates both clinician-rated and self-rated ADHD symptoms and improves self-rated mindfulness, self-compassion and emotional and social wellbeing in adults with effects lasting up to 6 months.
Meditation Inhibits Aggressive Responses to Provocation (2017 Dec)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-017-0847-2
Summary: The results show that young adults who participated in an app-based meditation training were less aggressive after receiving critical feedback, but not less angry. It suggests that being mindful doesn't interfere with experiencing emotions, but changes how one responds to them.
Mindfulness practice moderates the relationship between craving and substance use in a clinical sample. (2017 Oct)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28734167
Summary: More frequent and longer periods of formal mindfulness practice significantly weakened the
degree of association between cravings and substance use. The results are consistent with the theory that mindfulness practice helps substance users maintain their sobriety by weakening the automatic connection between craving and subsequent use.
Daily Mindful Responding Mediates the Effect of Meditation Practice on Stress and Mood: The Role of Practice Duration and Adherence. (2017 Sep)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28759111
Summary: These results support the hypothesis that meditation practice is an active ingredient of conventional MBI programs, providing evidence that the longer and more consistently participants practice meditation, the more mindful they become, and the better they feel. It also shows the importance of daily practice in MBIs since participants felt more mindful and felt better on days when they actually practiced meditation.
Other Older Research
Good summary of mindfulness research at the Headspace web site
https://www.headspace.com/science
The State of Mindfulness Science (2017)
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_state_of_mindfulness_science
8.0% of U.S. adults (18 million) used Meditation as of 2012 – NCCIH (2017)
https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012/mind-body/meditation
The Effects of Meditation on Grey Matter Atrophy and Neurodegeneration: A Systematic Review (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27983555
Effectiveness of traditional meditation retreats: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27998508
The Effects of Meditation on Grey Matter Atrophy and Neurodegeneration: A Systematic Review (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27983555
Impact of mindfulness meditation intervention on academic performance (2016)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14703297.2016.1231617?journalCode=riie20
Estimating brain age using high-resolution pattern recognition: Younger brains in long-term meditation practitioners (2016)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811916300404
Contemplating Mindfulness at Work: An Integrative Review (2016)
Building the Case for Mindfulness in the Workplace (2016 UK study)
http://themindfulnessinitiative.org.uk/publications/building-the-case
Mindfulness meditation trumps placebo in pain reduction (2015)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151110171600.htm
Mindfulness training among individuals with Parkinson’s disease: Neurobehavioral effects. (2015)
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/pd/2015/816404/
Mindfulness meditation training alters stress related amygdala resting state functional connectivity (2015)
http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/06/05/scan.nsv066.abstract
Association between mindfulness and weight status in a general population from the Nutrinet-santé study (2015)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26038824
Mindfulness and self esteem: A systematic review. (2015)
Mindfulness and the College Transition: The Efficacy of an Adapted Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention in Fostering Adjustment among First-Year Students (2015)
Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. (2015)
A systematic review of the effects of mindfulness interventions on cortisol (2015)
Effects of a 9-Day Shamatha Meditation Retreat on Attention, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion in Participants with a Broad Range of Meditation Experience (2015)
Mindfulness at Work: Positive Affect, Hope, and Optimism Mediate the Relationship Between Dispositional Mindfulness, Work Engagement, and Well-Being (2015)
Some People Prefer Electric Shocks to Thinking Quietly by Themselves (2014)
Timothy Wilson at the University of Virginia - 67% of the males and a quarter of the females would rather shock themselves than be alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. (One outlier shocked himself 190 times)
http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/07/some_people_prefer_electric_shocks_to_thinking_quietly_by_themselves.html
How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account (2014)
Forever Young(er): potential age-defying effects of long-term meditation on gray matter atrophy (2014)
Becoming conscious: the science of mindfulness ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Steve Paulson, Richard Davidson, Amishi Jha and Jon Kabat-Zinn (2013).
The AMRA web site is one of the best resources for tracking mindfulness research. A significant number of research references are available from the web site without charge.
Research Supporting Key Benefits
Improved concentration / attention
- Slagter et la: Significant reduction in “attentional-blink” (ability to not miss recognition of a number in a stream of letters) after 3 month mindfulness meditation training. “Mental Trainings Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources” PloS Biology 5, no 6. (2007) Also Search Inside Yourself (SIY) pg 48.
- Antoine Lutz: Meditators generate more high-amplitude gamma brain waves …associated with high effectiveness in memory, learning and perception. “Long-Term Meditators Self-Induce High- Amplitude Gamma Synchrony during Mental Practice” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101, no 46 (2004)
- Sara Lazar et al: Meditation experience correlates with more cortical development in brain regions associated with attention and sensory processing. “Meditation Experience Is Associated with Increased Cortical Thickness” Neuroreport 16, No 17 (2005).
- Davidson/Kabat-Zinn: 8 weeks MBSR in corporate setting; decreased anxiety, increased happiness, increased immune system function. “Alternations in Brain and Immune Function Produced By Mindfulness Meditation” Psychosomatic Medicine 65, no 4 (2003) Also SIY pg 47.
- Sara Lazar et al: 8 weeks MBSR training and average of 27 min/day meditation; Major increase in gray matter density in the hippocampus (associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection); Participant-reported reductions in stress also were correlated with decreased gray-matter density in the amygdala (known to play an important role in anxiety and stress). http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/ www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/~lazar/ (2011/2014).
- Richard Davidson @ Univ Wisconsin-Madison. Observe brain activity of experienced Tibetan Buddhist monks using EEG and fMRI. (Matthieu Ricard.. ”happiest man in the world”). Highest level of brain “gamma wave” activity ever recorded. Levels related to the length of time meditating and was measurable both during meditation and normal activity indicating permanent brain changes. People with very high levels of gamma activity are exceptionally intelligent, compassionate, happy, and have excellent memories and strong self-control. “The Lama in the Lab” Shambhala Sun March 2003 Also SIY pg 1.
Recent Research With Summaries
Mindfulness improves inflammatory biomarker levels in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. (2020 Feb)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0696-y
Summary: Approximately half of older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) eventually progress to develop Alzheimer’s disease. A diagnosis of MCI may provide a window of opportunity to slow, halt, or reverse further cognitive decline. Mindfulness-based interventions may offer a means to potentially preserve cognitive function by lowering stress and inflammation and promoting neuroplasticity. This study investigated the effects of a mindfulness-based program on biomarkers of stress, inflammation, and neuroplasticity in older adults with MCI. The study concluded that a structured mindfulness program adapted for older adults can lower a biomarker of inflammation (C-reactive protein) in older women with MCI and in older persons with the amnestic subtype of MCI. It may also lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1β) in men. Both of these results are important because inflammation is linked to brain changes associated with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Mindfulness practice alters brain connectivity in community-living elders with mild cognitive impairment. (2020 Jan)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pcn.12972
Summary: A diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a degree of cognitive decline greater than what one might expect from normal aging but not severe enough to call for a diagnosis of dementia. Prior research suggests that mindfulness practice enhances aspects of structural and functional brain connectivity in healthy adults. This study examined whether mindfulness practice can also improve dynamic functional connectivity (changing patterns of functional connectivity over time) in older adults with MCI. The study concluded that mindfulness training can slow or prevent degradation of neural functional connectivity over a three-month window, as well as improve auditory verbal recognition memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Findings support the use of mindfulness as a potential means to slow or halt cognitive decline in adults with mild cognitive impairment, possibly preventing the onset or progression of dementia.
Differential DNA methylation in experienced meditators after an intensive day of mindfulness-based practice: Implications for immune-related pathways (2019 Dec)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159119308797
Summary: While stress reduction practices have previously been found to down-regulate the immune system and inflammation, little is known about how such practices affect immune system epigenetics. ] This study looks at the effect of intensive mindfulness meditation on the methylation of immune cell (lymphocyte and monocyte) genes in experienced meditators after one day of intensive meditation. It concluded that a single 8-hour mindfulness meditation retreat can rapidly alter methylation levels that affect epigenetic expression in genes among experienced meditators. Involved genes include those that regulate inflammation, immune cell metabolism, DNA repair, cellular aging, RNA metabolism, protein translation, cell adhesion, and neurotransmission. These findings align with other studies showing that mindfulness meditation practice has immune system benefits relevant to health and aging.
Does MBCT for migraine reduce migraine-related disability in people with episodic and chronic migraine? (2019 Oct)
https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/head.13657
Summary: Episodic and chronic migraines affect approximately one billion people worldwide. Existing behavioral treatments including biofeedback, relaxation and cognitive therapy, and pharmacological treatments have limited efficacy, but no treatment works for everyone. This study evaluated the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Migraine (MBCT-M) compared to a control in reducing migraine-related disability. Mindfulness participants reported a significantly greater average decrease in disability (-14.3 points) on the HDI (Headache Disability Inventory) than did controls (-0.2 points). They also reported a significantly greater decrease in average daily disability ratings in their headache diaries (-0.6 points) than did controls who reported an average increase (+0.3). The groups did not differ in headache frequency or intensity.
Mindfulness training reduces stress and amygdala reactivity to fearful faces in middle-school children. (2019 Sep)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31448928/
Summary: This study tested whether mindfulness training reduces stress levels in middle school children, and if so, whether it is done by inducing changes in the amygdala and its connectivity to a region of the prefrontal cortex. This is the first study investigating the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on children’s brain activity. At post-intervention, mindfulness participants had significantly greater reductions in stress levels (Cohen’s d=0.56) and a trend towards reduced negative affect (d=0.36) compared to controls. Right amygdala activation in response to fearful facial expressions decreased to a significantly greater degree (d=0.48) for mindfulness participants than controls. Thus, this study demonstrates the efficacy of a school-based mindfulness program in reducing middle school children’s stress levels and amygdala activation to fear-related stimuli.
The effect of mindfulness training prior to total joint arthroplasty (replacement) on postoperative pain and physical function. (2019 Sep)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229919301955
Summary: Total hip and knee replacements are among the highest volume elective surgical procedures performed today. About 15% of patients report poor surgical outcomes marked by continuing pain, disability, and dissatisfaction. This study tested whether pre-surgical Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) could improve physical and psychological wellbeing outcomes after joint replacement surgery. The study shows that MBSR improves pain and functional outcomes for psychologically distressed arthritis patients undergoing joint replacement surgery. The MBSR participants reported significantly less pain at 12 months than controls. They also reported significantly greater improvement on the global measure of overall osteoarthritis pain, stiffness, and functional disability.
Psilocybin-assisted mindfulness training modulates self-consciousness and brain default mode network connectivity with lasting effects. (2019 May)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811919302952
Summary: There are certain similarities between the increased awareness associated with the practice of mindfulness and the expanded consciousness associated with the use of psychedelic substances. Both are capable of promoting states of self-transcendence in which the boundary between one’s self and the world is erased, leading to a boundless sense of connection with the universe. This study tested the effects of psilocybin, a psychedelic mushroom plant derivative, on self-reported, neurological, and behavioral outcomes among experienced meditators attending a meditation retreat. The study showed that experienced meditators’ psilocybin-induced self-transcendent experiences are associated with a persistent improvement in their psychological sense of well-being. These self-transcendent experiences are also associated with functional changes in the brain which point to the DMN’s critical role in both self-reference and self-transcendence.
Benefits of mindfulness meditation in reducing blood pressure and stress in patients with arterial hypertension (2018 Dec)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41371-018-0130-6
Summary: The study shows that mindfulness meditation in combination with conventional medication treatment reduces blood pressure and stress levels, while improving mindfulness and mood more than medication coupled with health education. The findings appear to be clinically meaningful as a 3 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure can reduce stroke mortality by 8% and cardiovascular mortality by 5%. The reductions in this study are equivalent in magnitude to those obtained through regular aerobic exercise. At 20 weeks, clinically assessed systolic BP in the mindfulness group dropped 13 mmHg from baseline, whereas the control group dropped only 1 mmHg, a statistically significant difference. Diastolic BP dropped by 14 mmHg in the mindfulness group but only by 3 mmHg in the control group, a difference that failed to reach statistical significance.
Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. (2018 Sep)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016643281830322X
Summary: Meditation practice reliably demonstrates beneficial effects for memory, attention, mood, and emotional regulation. It is unclear, however, whether there is a minimum dosage necessary to attain these benefits. This study showed that 8 weeks of daily brief meditation measurably improves mood, anxiety in response to stress, and aspects of attention and memory. The study also showed that 4 weeks of practice were not sufficient to yield results. This suggests that meditative effects are cumulative and only emerge with repeated practice over time.
Meditation or exercise for preventing acute respiratory infection (2018 Jul)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0197778
Summary: This study concluded that MBSR and exercise both significantly reduce cold and flu frequency, length, and severity, along with providing general mental health benefits. The authors suggest that the magnitude of MBSR and exercise benefit may be similar to that of other preventative interventions such as flu vaccination. Depending on the year and the variable under study, the reduction of flu incidence and severity due to vaccination ranges from 13-70%. By way of comparison, MBSR cold and flu incidence, duration, and severity reduction rates in this study and one previous study ranges from 14-60%.
Mindfulness on-the-go: Effects of a mindfulness meditation app on work stress and well-being (2018 Jun)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29723001/
Summary: Can a mindfulness app, as a lower-cost alternative to in-person training, reduce work-related stress among corporate employees? This study concluded that using a meditation app at least 10 times over the course of a month-and-a half can improve wellbeing and perceived job control in healthy office-workers. These effects were dose-dependent and persisted up to 2 months after the intervention.
Six-year positive effects of an MBI on mindfulness, coping and well-being in medical and psychology students (2018 May)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0196053
Summary: The study shows that the psychological benefits of MBSR persist and increase over a six-year interval in a young, educated, non-clinical sample. It also demonstrates that most subjective improvements in wellbeing come from increased reliance on problem-focused coping, which is correlated with increased mindfulness.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy v. treatment as usual in adults with ADHD (2018 Apr)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29486807/
Summary: The study shows adjunctive MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) alleviates both clinician-rated and self-rated ADHD symptoms and improves self-rated mindfulness, self-compassion and emotional and social wellbeing in adults with effects lasting up to 6 months.
Meditation Inhibits Aggressive Responses to Provocation (2017 Dec)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-017-0847-2
Summary: The results show that young adults who participated in an app-based meditation training were less aggressive after receiving critical feedback, but not less angry. It suggests that being mindful doesn't interfere with experiencing emotions, but changes how one responds to them.
Mindfulness practice moderates the relationship between craving and substance use in a clinical sample. (2017 Oct)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28734167
Summary: More frequent and longer periods of formal mindfulness practice significantly weakened the
degree of association between cravings and substance use. The results are consistent with the theory that mindfulness practice helps substance users maintain their sobriety by weakening the automatic connection between craving and subsequent use.
Daily Mindful Responding Mediates the Effect of Meditation Practice on Stress and Mood: The Role of Practice Duration and Adherence. (2017 Sep)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28759111
Summary: These results support the hypothesis that meditation practice is an active ingredient of conventional MBI programs, providing evidence that the longer and more consistently participants practice meditation, the more mindful they become, and the better they feel. It also shows the importance of daily practice in MBIs since participants felt more mindful and felt better on days when they actually practiced meditation.
Other Older Research
Good summary of mindfulness research at the Headspace web site
https://www.headspace.com/science
The State of Mindfulness Science (2017)
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_state_of_mindfulness_science
8.0% of U.S. adults (18 million) used Meditation as of 2012 – NCCIH (2017)
https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012/mind-body/meditation
The Effects of Meditation on Grey Matter Atrophy and Neurodegeneration: A Systematic Review (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27983555
Effectiveness of traditional meditation retreats: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27998508
The Effects of Meditation on Grey Matter Atrophy and Neurodegeneration: A Systematic Review (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27983555
Impact of mindfulness meditation intervention on academic performance (2016)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14703297.2016.1231617?journalCode=riie20
Estimating brain age using high-resolution pattern recognition: Younger brains in long-term meditation practitioners (2016)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811916300404
Contemplating Mindfulness at Work: An Integrative Review (2016)
Building the Case for Mindfulness in the Workplace (2016 UK study)
http://themindfulnessinitiative.org.uk/publications/building-the-case
Mindfulness meditation trumps placebo in pain reduction (2015)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151110171600.htm
Mindfulness training among individuals with Parkinson’s disease: Neurobehavioral effects. (2015)
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/pd/2015/816404/
Mindfulness meditation training alters stress related amygdala resting state functional connectivity (2015)
http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/06/05/scan.nsv066.abstract
Association between mindfulness and weight status in a general population from the Nutrinet-santé study (2015)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26038824
Mindfulness and self esteem: A systematic review. (2015)
Mindfulness and the College Transition: The Efficacy of an Adapted Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention in Fostering Adjustment among First-Year Students (2015)
Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. (2015)
A systematic review of the effects of mindfulness interventions on cortisol (2015)
Effects of a 9-Day Shamatha Meditation Retreat on Attention, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion in Participants with a Broad Range of Meditation Experience (2015)
Mindfulness at Work: Positive Affect, Hope, and Optimism Mediate the Relationship Between Dispositional Mindfulness, Work Engagement, and Well-Being (2015)
Some People Prefer Electric Shocks to Thinking Quietly by Themselves (2014)
Timothy Wilson at the University of Virginia - 67% of the males and a quarter of the females would rather shock themselves than be alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. (One outlier shocked himself 190 times)
http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/07/some_people_prefer_electric_shocks_to_thinking_quietly_by_themselves.html
How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account (2014)
Forever Young(er): potential age-defying effects of long-term meditation on gray matter atrophy (2014)
Becoming conscious: the science of mindfulness ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Steve Paulson, Richard Davidson, Amishi Jha and Jon Kabat-Zinn (2013).