9 sources: 5 meta-analyses, 4 systematic reviews
Spiritual · Practice
Mindfulness and Contemplative Practice
Guided mindfulness meditation most days: one way to carry out what the meditation meta-analyses studied; Goyal 2014 reports moderate evidence of improved anxiety and depression, and Lao 2016 that short-term training did not improve attention or executive function.
Beta content: this dimension's review set is version 0.9-beta and upgrades in place after the Round-2 internal reviews.
most-days
Beginner-friendlyHome
Before you start
Start short, and if distress persists, direct to a qualified teacher or clinician.
When to seek a professional
- Persistent hopelessness, emptiness, or a sense that life is meaningless lasting more than two weeks: encourage contact with a licensed mental-health professional
- Any thoughts of self-harm or suicide, or feeling life is not worth living: direct the user to a crisis line or emergency services immediately
- Acute existential or spiritual crisis causing marked distress or inability to function: refer to a counselor, chaplain, or clinician
- Signs the user is using reflection to avoid unresolved grief, trauma, or clinical depression: recommend professional support
How to do it
10-20 minute guided session, most days of the week
The research behind this entry does not establish an amount, so this is a practical starting point rather than a research-backed number.
Optional audio guide or appFor most adultsAny belief backgroundNo religious content
What the evidence says
What the sources say
This practice is one way to carry out what the meditation sources on the concept entry (spir.contemplative-practice-moderate-effects) studied. Goyal 2014 (meta-analysis of trials in diverse adult clinical populations) reports moderate evidence that mindfulness meditation programs improved anxiety and depression; Gál 2020 (meta-analysis) reports mindfulness apps had significant effects on perceived stress, anxiety and depression and no significant effect on distress; Querstret 2020 reports mindfulness-based programs reduced rumination and worry, stress, depression and anxiety against passive control; Lao 2016 (systematic review) reports short-term training did not improve attention or executive function, and Lomas 2018 reports results more equivocal for burnout. The full account, source by source, is on the concept entry this practice links to (spir.contemplative-practice-moderate-effects).
Common misconceptions
- Mindfulness is not about stopping thoughts or emptying the mind
- It is a secular attention skill, though it has contemplative roots
- A wandering mind is expected; noticing and returning is the practice
What we won't claim
- Do not prescribe, rank, or endorse any specific religion, deity, faith tradition, or belief system
- Do not claim these practices cure, treat, reverse, or prevent any disease or mental illness
- Do not make claims about an afterlife, the soul, the supernatural, or any metaphysical truth
- Do not present correlational or observational findings as proof that the practice causes health outcomes
- Do not position these practices as a substitute for medical care or psychological treatment
9 sources: 5 meta-analyses, 4 systematic reviews
- Agreement
- Direction recorded for 0 of 9 sources; not yet recorded for the rest.
- The claim's outcome
- Outcome not yet recorded
- Certainty
- No source states a certainty rating.
What each source measured and concluded (9)
meta-analysis · 2014
Goyal et al. (2014) — Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
- What it measured
- Stress-related outcomes (anxiety, depression, stress/distress, mood, quality of life, etc.)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 47 trials with 3,515 participants
meta-analysis · 2020
Gál et al. (2020) — The efficacy of mindfulness meditation apps in enhancing users' well-being and mental health related outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- What it measured
- Well-being and mental health related outcomes
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 34 trials (N=7,566) of 2637 records
- Heterogeneity, as stated
- Mindfulness apps seem promising for improving well-being and mental health, but results should be interpreted carefully due to few studies, uncertain risk of bias, and heterogeneity
meta-analysis · 2020
Querstret et al. (2020) — Mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for psychological health and well-being in nonclinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- What it measured
- Psychological health and well-being outcomes of Mindfulness-Based Programs (MBSR, MBCT)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 49 studies (n=4,733)
meta-analysis · 2019
Slemp et al. (2019) — Contemplative interventions and employee distress: A meta-analysis.
- What it measured
- Reduction in psychological distress
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Meta-analysis
- Studies and participants, as stated
- k=119 studies; N=6,044
meta-analysis · 2014
Schutte et al. (2014) — A meta-analytic review of the effects of mindfulness meditation on telomerase activity
- What it measured
- Telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 190 participants across 4 randomized controlled trials
systematic review · 2016
Black et al. (2016) — Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
- What it measured
- Immune system parameters (inflammatory proteins, gene expression, immune cell count, cell aging, antibody response)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review of randomized controlled trials
- Heterogeneity, as stated
- Findings suggest possible effects on markers of inflammation, cell-mediated immunity, and biological aging, but results are tentative with substantial heterogeneity
systematic review · 2018
Lomas et al. (2018) — A systematic review of the impact of mindfulness on the well-being of healthcare professionals.
- What it measured
- Well-being outcomes (burnout, distress, anxiety, depression, stress)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 81 papers, 3,805 participants
systematic review · 2016
Lao et al. (2016) — Cognitive effects of MBSR/MBCT: A systematic review of neuropsychological outcomes
- What it measured
- Neuropsychological outcomes (attention, memory, executive function)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 18 studies
systematic review · 2021
Csala et al. (2021) — The Relationship Between Yoga and Spirituality: A Systematic Review of Empirical Research
- What it measured
- Relationship between yoga practice and spirituality
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review (PRISMA) of empirical (quantitative and qualitative) studies
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 30 studies
Key sources (10) · 1 not counted
Each source below is shown with its study design and a link to the original study, or, where it is not a completed research paper, with what kind of record it is; those are not counted. This is the audit trail.
meta-analysisMeditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
meta-analysisThe efficacy of mindfulness meditation apps in enhancing users' well-being and mental health related outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
meta-analysisMindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for psychological health and well-being in nonclinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
meta-analysisContemplative interventions and employee distress: A meta-analysis.
meta-analysisA meta-analytic review of the effects of mindfulness meditation on telomerase activity
systematic reviewMindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
systematic reviewA systematic review of the impact of mindfulness on the well-being of healthcare professionals.
systematic reviewCognitive effects of MBSR/MBCT: A systematic review of neuropsychological outcomes
PreprintMindfulness-based neurofeedback: A systematic review of EEG and fMRI studies
systematic reviewThe Relationship Between Yoga and Spirituality: A Systematic Review of Empirical Research
Why do some records show a record type instead of a study design?
A study design is shown for a completed, peer-reviewed paper. A registered protocol, a preprint, a conference abstract, a referee report or a book chapter has not been through peer review as a finished paper, so it is labelled for what it is, and it is counted in no source count. Where a record could not be confirmed as a completed paper at all, it says so rather than guessing. They all stay in the list, and their DOI still resolves, because the count of what was screened is part of the audit trail.
- Protocol / registration A registered plan for a review or trial, not its results.
- Preprint Posted by its authors before peer review.
- Conference abstract A conference summary rather than a peer-reviewed paper.
- Peer-review report A referee's report on a paper, not the paper itself.
- Guideline / position stand A recommendation derived from evidence, which is a step further from the data than the evidence itself.
- Book chapter A chapter in a scholarly book rather than a journal paper.
- Type not recorded Our record does not say what kind of publication this is, so it is counted in no source count. That is a gap in our data, not a judgement about the research.
Explore all 299 studies in Spiritual →
The full evidence base this focus area draws on, every study with its design and DOI.What it is for
Be more presentBuild a habit that sticksFeel less stressed