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Stress reduction through mindfulness meditation. Effects on psychological symptomatology, sense of control, and spiritual experiences
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: Nov 30, 1996
Pages: 97 - 106
Sources ID: 63211
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
Examined the effects of an 8-wk stress reduction program based on training in mindfulness meditation among 28 undergraduates who were randomized into either an experimental group or a nonintervention control group. Following participation, experimental Ss, when compared with controls, evidenced significantly greater changes in terms of (1) reductions in overall psychological symptomatology; (2) increases in overall domain-specific sense of control and utilization of an accepting or yielding mode of control in their lives; and (3) higher scores on a measure of spiritual experiences. It is concluded that the techniques of mindfulness meditation, with their emphasis on developing detached observation and awareness of the contents of consciousness, may represent a powerful cognitive behavioral coping strategy for transforming the ways in which we respond to life events. They may also have potential for relapse prevention in affective disorders.