Contemplative Science

What would an artificial system need to have to be a serious candidate for consciousness? Not behaviourally, but structurally?
This book addresses that question by bringing together three bodies of knowledge that rarely meet: Buddhist phenomenological analysis (Abhidhamma, Madhyamaka, and Dzogchen), contemporary neuroscience (predictive processing, integrated information theory, global workspace theory, and temporo-spatial dynamics), and neuromorphic engineering. Rather than claiming convergence between these traditions, the book employs a structural resonance strategy, mapping the formal echoes between first-person phenomenological maps and third-person scientific frameworks to derive a set of architectural requirements for any serious candidate for machine consciousness.
The book argues that current large language models are not conscious, not due to insufficient intelligence, but due to the absence of temporal integration, embodied coupling, interoceptive grounding, and a genuine self-model. A candidate architecture called Mira is proposed and evaluated against these requirements, drawing on neuromorphic spiking hardware and a layered self-model derived partly from Longchenpa's Dzogchen ontology.
The book concludes by distinguishing two fundamentally separate projects: the engineering of a structurally complete mind-like process, and the first-person recognition of awareness as understood in contemplative traditions. Whether phenomenal consciousness can be produced by any causal process remains genuinely open. The book's contribution is to specify, as precisely as current knowledge allows, what a serious candidate would require, and to show that this specification is both achievable in principle and deeply informed by the oldest first-person science we have.

A quantitative study explored for 515 adults in the US and UK, self-assessed attitude scores on the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, the Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Wellbeing, Thanissaro’s Scale of Attitude toward Buddhism and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, as a function of how long they had been practising Dhammakāya meditation. The study found that, compared to those who had not practised meditation, those who had practiced Dhammakāya Meditation for more than six weeks showed significantly higher scores on attitude to Buddhism, Eudaimonic well-being and mindfulness, and significantly lower scores for depression, anxiety and stress.

Scientific objectivity is traditionally understood as a regulative ideal achieved through methodological rigor, intersubjective verification, and empirical testing. However, this conception presupposes relatively stable cognitive conditions under which observation and interpretation occur. Drawing on insights from cognitive neuroscience, predictive processing, and contemplative research, this paper argues that epistemic limitation is not only methodologically but also structurally grounded in neurocognitive architecture, particularly in self-referential and predictive processes. Building on empirical findings demonstrating modulation of large-scale brain networks-most notably attenuation of Default Mode Network (DMN) activity and increased global integration-this paper introduces the concept of perspective attenuation to describe structured reductions in egocentric and self-referential weighting within cognitive processing. Such modulation is hypothesized to alter the organization of perspective by reducing the influence of entrenched priors and habitual interpretive filters. Importantly, this claim remains conditional: altered states are not assumed to yield truth or privileged access to reality, but to function as potential regulators of bias structure. Their epistemic relevance depends on preserving coherence, reality testing, and intersubjective validation. The paper proposes a reformulation of objectivity as the minimization of perspective-bound distortion, integrating external methodological controls with the possibility of internally modulated cognitive constraints. This framework situates altered states not as epistemic endpoints, but as experimentally tractable variables within a broader research program. By combining philosophical analysis with empirical evidence, the paper outlines a model of objectivity as a graded and structurally embedded feature of cognitive systems, thereby opening new avenues for interdisciplinary investigation in epistemology, cognitive science, and contemplative research.

Mystical movements have often been viewed as rather bizarre at best, and downright heretical at worst, by more ‘orthodox’ religious institutions. Is it valid to use the word ‘mystical’ in a Buddhist context? In theistic religions a mystic is usually seen as one who aims at a personal communion with God, or perhaps even at an ecstatic union with God. I examine the force of such objections of the idea of Buddhist mysticism, with a view to bringing into clearer focus the significance of the phenomena and practices we call mystical.

Bokomtale av Dragestrid, Trond Skaftnesmo, Paradigmeskifte Forlag 2022

En bok fylt av fascinerende møter med motstandermaktene og deres virke. Det dreier seg om det ondes nødvendighet for den kosmiske evolusjonen i henhold til antroposofien. Temaet til tross er boken både lettlest og underholdende – innimellom også humoristisk.

Buddhist meditations have become a prominent subject in modern science, often approached with respect and reverence. However, this study reveals controversial aspects of research on Buddhist meditations, which lead to a uniform portrayal of these practices as a panacea. The study reveals the historical background of Buddhist meditation research and points out where the overly positive image of Buddhist meditations, lacking reporting on their side effects, comes from. It focuses on engaged scientists associated with the mindfulness movement and the Mind and Life Institute, which are creating a new missionary effort to promote religious interests through a scientific framework. The rise of positive psychology and the influence of social media also play a crucial role in perpetuating this idealized image. Consequently, the article sheds light on the current dynamics between science and Buddhism, in which scientific inquiry investigates Buddhism, while Buddhism also utilizes science to advance its interests.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a framework designed for stress management. But its weak features, such as limited efficacy and short-term focus on identifying symptoms within exact root causes, create low results in healing, especially for Chronic Stress. This results in a lack of long-term healing. It is observed that it neglects existential suffering (Dukkha). To propose a results-oriented Buddhist management system is the objective of this study.
This paper argues that Buddhist meditation practices may critically provide a strategic framework. And the study may fill the missing Buddhist mode of the process represented by MBSR. This exploration of (Buddhist) mindfulness can open a thinking platform to traditional contemporary psychotherapy. While suggesting additional insights based on Buddhist ethics. This study is an effort to create flexibility in modern psychotherapy to speed it up. Through this theoretical analysis, the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta in Dīgha Nikāya may find the tools to refine the Chronic Stress of potential clients.
Commentaries & Kobat Zinn’s academic works support cross analytics. This study presents a psychological framework as a supplement to MBSR by practicing mindfulness-based insight meditation (Vipassanā), promoting long term resilience. Findings suggest that Buddhist insights like mindfulness (Sati) and wisdom (Paññā) are capable of identifying the facts of the most common Stressors. The experiment is to build the right healing criteria even for Chronic Stress. While addressing gaps in long-term resilience for potential clients, the paper argues for integrating with fundamental Buddhist teachings to refine methodical approaches in healing. This work on advanced inquiry into MBSR’s role may suggest sustainable recovery and self-healing from mental difficulties. The Buddhist approach to psychotherapy is scientific (cause/effect). The research discusses mind purification that could support positive momentum by addressing the root cause of Chronic Stress. The core energy of mindfulnessbased meditation applications may determine realistic results. It can cover untouched future mental health challenges. It may enhance refuge for those who feel uncomfortable due to mental distractions. Opens a gateway to well-being spiritually.
Keywords: MBSR, meditation,
Satipaṭṭhāna, Vipassanā, Chronic Stress

Happiness is pursued as an ultimate aim, but its conception is quite diverse in philosophical theory. The role of Buddhism in adding deep cognitive meaning to happiness, as relief from suffering due to the elimination of desire and attachment, must be noted. In contrast to this concept, happiness in the contemporary West refers to subjective well-being and satisfaction of individual desire. The paper discusses the Buddhist vision of happiness and explores in what ways the introduction of Buddhist insights into contemporary philosophical thinking may help to transcend some grave shortcomings of contemporary philosophical accounts of well-being. A critical review of the literature is done, where over peer-reviewed studies and authoritative texts compare Buddhist teachings with modern theories. It now seems that while the concerns of modern philosophies have harnessed externality and hedonic pleasures, Buddhism looks directly upon internal states and mindfulness practices, cultivating compassion. Probably, integrating Buddhist principles with contemporary practices will allow looking closer at happiness in a much wider perspective, addressing causes for dissatisfaction that will foster enduring well-being. This paper will argue that taken together, these philosophical perspectives can have a rich understanding of happiness contribute to practical strategies for achieving general happiness.

Non-dual contemplative paradigms, while originating in ancient Asian philosophical traditions, can be reframed in empirically grounded terms that resonate with modern understandings of cognition, emotion, and self-referential processing. This paper outlines Nonduality-Based Stress Reduction (NDSR), an 8-week intervention aimed at alleviating stress by restructuring the foundational self-model, rather than simply altering cognitive content or enhancing attentional control. Informed by program-specific materials—including analyses of misidentification, seer-seen distinctions, interbeing frameworks, somatic anchoring, and awareness inquiries—NDSR integrates timeless contemplative insights with contemporary psychological research. Theoretical considerations indicate that NDSR could effectively address cognitive fusion, hyperactivation of the default mode network (DMN), trauma-induced hypervigilance, interpersonal tensions, and existential unease. Modeled after the clinical structure of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), yet emphasizing a unique mechanism of change through the deconstruction of an isolated, imperiled self, NDSR emerges as a promising contemplative approach deserving of rigorous empirical scrutiny.

INTRODUCTION: This protocol paper describes the methodology used in designing and conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR) to estimate the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) among Tibetan Buddhist monks. The CBPR approach laid the groundwork to examine monastic lifestyles, including meditative and cognitive practices. METHODS: The study used a CBPR approach to examine the prevalence of ADRD and assess lifestyle and meditative and cognitive practices among Tibetan Buddhist monks. RESULTS: The study recruited 205 monks and collected a wide range of data, including monastic lifestyle, meditative and cognitive practices, mental health, sleep quality, physical measures, biospecimens, and other information. DISCUSSION: The study was a first of its kind to use CBPR in estimating the prevalence of ADRD among Tibetan monks. The CBPR approach enabled us to engage with the monastic community at every phase of the study and provided a framework to design culturally sensitive surveys and cognitive measures.

This article reconstructs late antique gnōsis as a noetic epistemology grounded in classical philosophical structures rather than as a doctrinal aberration or marginal esoteric current. It argues that gnōsis participates in the Platonic trajectory from doxa to noēsis, where intellectual illumination constitutes direct participation in intelligible reality. Replacing inherited, polemically driven taxonomies with a testable model, it defines a four-condition schema (ethical purification, contemplative discipline, participatory ontology, reflexive unity) as necessary and jointly sufficient for noetic instantiation. It further clarifies how third-and fourth-century developments reoriented public validation toward institutional mediation without logically negating interior noetic possibility, thereby reframing early Christian thought as a mature expression of classical epistemology.

Note on versioning:

This paper represents an earlier core synthesis of Amrita Field Theory (AFT).
A substantially expanded and updated framework is available as a separate publication:

Amrita Field Theory (AFT) v2.0
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17529471

The present document (v1.5) is retained for historical continuity and for readers interested in the earlier formulation.

Amrita Field Theory (AFT) is a unifying framework in which consciousness, matter, life and meaning arise as different expressions of a single informational field. Consciousness is modeled as a nonlocal compression process, while matter and biology appear as stable projection patterns of the same underlying field. Souls are defined as persistent, self-referential nodes that accumulate experience and continue beyond physical embodiment.

AFT is structured as a three-layer architecture:
(0L) a fully coherent light-domain in which all events coexist;
(1L) the Amrita informational field encoding memory and meaning;
(2L) the phenomenal domain of brains, bodies and empirical measurement.

Version 1.4 introduces a unified account of the cycle of souls, a geometric model of emergent time, and a clarified definition of subtle Amrita as an interface between soul and nervous system. AFT also proposes simple laboratory protocols (resonance walking, central-channel induction, all-directional convergence meditation) that allow empirical and neurophenomenological testing.

Keywords: consciousness, informational field, Amrita, soul, embodiment, emergent time, neurophenomenology, meditation

This paper examines the role of a savings culture as a foundation for economic sustainability through the comparative lenses of Buddhist economics and Keynesian economic theory. While both frameworks acknowledge the importance of saving, they diverge in purpose and philosophical grounding. Keynesian economics, developed during the Great Depression, emphasizes spending and government intervention to sustain aggregate demand and full employment, viewing excessive saving as potentially harmful to economic growth. In contrast, Buddhist economics regards saving as a moral and spiritual discipline rooted in moderation, mindfulness, and non-attachment, aligning with the principles of the Middle Path and Right Livelihood. Drawing upon canonical texts such as the Sigalovada Sutta and Dighajanu Sutta, this study highlights how Buddhist teachings promote balanced consumption, ethical wealth management, and community well-being. The paper further discusses the relevance of integrating Buddhist ethical thrift with Keynesian pragmatic policies, particularly in the context of developing economies like Sri Lanka. Ultimately, it argues that harmonizing moral and material dimensions of saving can foster long-term economic resilience and sustainable development.

This essay proposes that the Law of Λ (Lambda), as articulated by Kindermann, Kolesnikov, and Alvarez in The Single Anchor: The Law of Lambda and Beyond Lambda: A Polyphonic Canon of Being, finds an experiential octave in the author's own fieldwork with probability anchors and synthesis nodes. By translating Λ from metaphysical topology into embodied practice-through breath, intention, and energetic weight-bearing points-this paper describes how polarity (order/ chaos, pain/joy) gives birth to a third tone: a braided synthesis that generates new harmonics of reality. The result is an emergent cosmology where theory and embodiment, science and spirit, meet as co-creative symphony.

The scientific study of lucid sleep, defined as the ability to retain critical self-awareness during ongoing sleep, has traditionally focused on lucid dreaming and induction techniques that specifically target REM sleep. Recently, interest has grown to include other forms of lucid sleep, such as out-of-body experiences, sleep paralysis, and "witnessing-sleep" episodes described in Indian philosophical traditions. Empirical data on these states remain limited, primarily due to the lack of specific induction techniques designed for their study. In this case series study, we examine four individuals who reported lucid sleep episodes in a controlled laboratory setting, using a novel induction method combining pre-sleep meditation and visual stimulation. While this method requires future validation, we captured five lucid sleep episodes, including one instance of lucid dreamless sleep, one out-of-body-like experience, and three different types of lucid dreams. Sleep was monitored using wearable EEGs and submental EMGs. A detailed phenomenological analysis provided further context for these experiences, which were reported during both REM and non-REM sleep. Together, the induction protocol and findings described here may inform future research on lucid sleep and altered states of consciousness during sleep.

Many of our practices presuppose moral responsibility. Arguably, agents can only be morally responsible if they are able to act other than they do. Compatibilists and incompatibilists traditionally disagree about whether determinism precludes the ability to do otherwise, often reaching an impasse because they endorse different readings of 'able to do otherwise'. I argue that the correct reading of 'able to do otherwise' depends on the purposes of our responsibility-entailing practices. Practices serving different purposes may warrant different readings. Consequently, there may be no single independently ascertainable definition of freedom to do otherwise that justifies our responsibilityentailing practices wholesale.

During the past two decades, mindfulness meditation has gone from being a fringe topic of scientific investigation to being an occasional replacement for psychotherapy, tool of corporate well-being, widely implemented educational practice, and "key to building more resilient soldiers." Yet the mindfulness movement and empirical evidence supporting it have not gone without criticism. Misinformation and poor methodology associated with past studies of mindfulness may lead public consumers to be harmed, misled, and disappointed. Addressing such concerns, the present article discusses the difficulties of defining mindfulness, delineates the proper scope of research into mindfulness practices, and explicates crucial methodological issues for interpreting results from investigations of mindfulness. For doing so, the authors draw on their diverse areas of expertise to review the present state of mindfulness research, comprehensively summarizing what we do and do not know, while p...

Are free will and moral responsibility possible in a world where choices are the inevitable consequences of past causes governed by physical law? Both libertarian and hard incompatibilist theories suggest not. By contrast, this paper develops an account of freedom as selfgovernment, motivated by the need to address key challenges: the need for a broad understanding of free will beyond the limitation of liability, the charge that it proceeds by equivocation, the problem of the lawful causal origins of choice, the recognition of degrees of freedom and moral responsibility, and the risk of conformist functionalism. The framework of freedom as self-government integrates five key ideas. One, it recognizes a wider realm of autonomy for which freedom is relevant, anchored in non-domination. It holds that it is identified by the cognitive and practical role it has in liberation movements against domination, which aims to protect and secure wide capacities for choice. Two, it does not proceed by equivocation, but rather is grounded in a robust compatibilist tradition of thinking about free will from Plato onwards, present in both common and expert circles today. Three, it acknowledges that relative to all causes governed by physical law, no person has free will and moral responsibility. However, drawing from the model of the physical relativity of motion, it argues that the frame of reference of freedom as self-government is also valid, that relative to it people can be free, and that this frame of reference is the more relevant to adopt. Four, the view presented also suggests that in contrast to libertarian and hard incompatibilist doctrines, it can parsimoniously acknowledge degrees of freedom and proportional responsibility. And five, the present view suggests that the functionalist methodological component of freedom as self-government does not have to lead to conformity with de facto evil, if coupled with moral realism.

For mange kan spørsmålet virke retorisk: Antropologien er per definisjon en humanistisk disiplin, vil de nok si. Andre, og de blir stadig flere, vil imidlertid si at den aldri har vært det, og/eller at den aldri burde ha vært det. Noen vil argumentere mot det de oppfatter som en «humanistisk slagside». Andre igjen vil, for å få til et oppgjør, hevde en ”post-antropisk”
(post-menneskelig) humanisme, eller etterlyse en økologisk ammenfiltring som tenker utover det menneskelige. Andre igjen vil gjøre narr av selve spørsmålet som ligger til grunn for denne intervensjonen: Å tenke på å gjenoppta humanismen er for visse antropologer å uforvarende hente (tilbake) kolonialismen, eller å trekke seg tilbake til forslitte analytiske
skjemaer som er irrelevante i det antropocene.

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Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways in response to experience, provides a biological foundation for understanding how coping skills can mitigate maladaptive trauma responses. This article explores the relationship between neuroplasticity and coping mechanisms, emphasizing how repeated use of adaptive strategies can reshape neural circuits associated with fight-flight-freeze reactions. Biological evidence demonstrates that structured interventions, such as mindfulness-based training, can induce measurable neuroplastic changes within two weeks. A clinical case example illustrates the application of coping skills to foster healthier behavioral outcomes, underscoring the transformative potential of targeted psychoeducation and practice.

Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways in response to experience, provides a biological foundation for understanding how coping skills can mitigate maladaptive trauma responses. This article explores the relationship between neuroplasticity and coping mechanisms, emphasizing how repeated use of adaptive strategies can reshape neural circuits associated with fight-flight-freeze reactions. Biological evidence demonstrates that structured interventions, such as mindfulness-based training, can induce measurable neuroplastic changes within two weeks. A clinical case example illustrates the application of coping skills to foster healthier behavioral outcomes, underscoring the transformative potential of targeted psychoeducation and practice.

Contents
- To the Reader

- What Calm Is

- A Brief History of Calm

- Tranquility and Prowess

- At Marshal Foch’s Headquarters

- Peace Is the Tranquility of Order

- “Psychological Distance”

- How to Lose Tranquility

- Calm, Nervousness and Entertainment

- Inequalities and Calm

- Calm and Pain

- Paying Attention Is an Element of Action and Calm

- Keeping Calm Before Our Faults

- Confidence, a Word that Calms Us Down

- Knowing How to Wait Calmly
https://www.pliniocorreadeoliveira.info/calms-gentle-superiority-only-a-tranquil-lake-reflects-the-stars-excerpts-from-the-thought-of-plinio-correa-de-oliveira-collected-by-leo-daniele/

This article first discusses two narratives that might help to tell the story of the general crisis of experience, and then draws lessons from a critical approach to the concept of experience. Contemplative education will be understood in the broader context of the crisis of experience, and the dangers of conceiving contemplative education as experience will be pointed out. 1. The Crisis of Experience? According to Marianne Janack's What We Mean By Experience, "the concept of experience went from being the most useful concept for philosophical purposes to being one of the most neglected or vilified concepts over the course of the twentieth century" (2012: 21). In contrast, this article will draw on a tradition or traditions that use a specifically sharpened, critical notion of experience. And, fundamentally, I do not agree with the diagnosis: experience is a central concept throughout the 20th century, even if it has sometimes been asserted in an underground way, but its explicitly affirmative use can be also noticed. At the same time, I will not at all suggest that there was a single, homogeneous concept of experience, but I will draw attention to divergences.

Self-care is an important aspect in social work practice, and mindfulness meditation can be used to reduce stress, provide a sense of calmness and increase awareness. Since the benefits of using mindfulness meditation as a form of self-care for social workers has been minimally studied, this research focused on whether mindfulness meditation could have a positive impact on self-care for social workers. This study used mixed methods of data collection and a single subject design methodology using the researchers as the subjects. Pre and post test data on selfcare measures were analyzed following a 6 week mindfulness intervention period. Data suggests that mindfulness interventions did increase self-awareness and compassion satisfaction, as well as decreased the likelihood of burn out and secondary traumatic stress. This research suggests a number of implications for social work students who may benefit by incorporating mindfulness practices into their daily lives.

Self-care is an important aspect in social work practice, and mindfulness meditation can be used to reduce stress, provide a sense of calmness and increase awareness. Since the benefits of using mindfulness meditation as a form of self-care for social workers has been minimally studied, this research focused on whether mindfulness meditation could have a positive impact on self-care for social workers. This study used mixed methods of data collection and a single subject design methodology using the researchers as the subjects. Pre and post test data on selfcare measures were analyzed following a 6 week mindfulness intervention period. Data suggests that mindfulness interventions did increase self-awareness and compassion satisfaction, as well as decreased the likelihood of burn out and secondary traumatic stress. This research suggests a number of implications for social work students who may benefit by incorporating mindfulness practices into their daily lives.

Den foreliggende studien har til hensikt å fremvise og sannsynliggjøre nominalismens omfattende utbredelse i den moderne, vestlige kultur, hvilket ifølge forfatteren er å anse som avgjørende for samtidens selvforståelse. For å kunne gjenkjenne en slik tilstedeværelse må på sin side nominalismens kjennetegn og vesen fremsettes. Studien gjør dette ved å spore nominalismens beveggrunner fra den antikke begrepsrealisme hos Aristoteles, via sen-antikken, frem til høyskolastikken og Thomas Aquinas. Et hovedanliggende er å påpeke at uenigheten mellom realisme og nominalisme i middelalderen – også kjent som ‘universaliestriden’: spørsmålet om det allmennes virkelighetsstatus – ikke må forstås som et rent brudd, men at selve overgangen til den nominalistiske dominans, vel så mye er å betrakte som en videreføring av indre bevegelser i den forutgående begrepsrealistiske tradisjon. Siste kapittel antyder noen av de viktigste konsekvensene den nominalistiske verdensanskuelse får for den moderne ...

Meditation programs continue to proliferate in the modern world, with increasing participation from scientists and many others who seek to improve physical, mental, relational, and social flourishing. In developing such programs, the meditation practices have been adapted to meet the needs of modern cultures. However, through that adaptation, important contextual factors of traditional contemplative cultures are often dropped or forgotten. This article presents a system of compassion and mindfulness training, Sustainable Compassion Training (SCT), which is designed to help people cultivate increasingly unconditional, inclusive, and sustainable care for self and others. SCT aims to recover important contextual factors of meditation that flexibly meet the diverse needs of modern secular and religious participants. SCT draws on Tibetan Buddhism in dialogue with caregivers, other contemplative traditions and relevant scientific theories to inform meditative transformation for secular contexts. We provide an overview of SCT meditations that includes both contemplative and scientific theories that draw out important features of them. Each meditation includes novel hypotheses that are generated from this dialogical process. We also provide links to audio-guided meditations.

Different schools of systematic Buddhist thought disagree on whether joy (pīti) belongs to the bundle of feeling (vedanakkhandha) or to the bundle of conditioning factors (saṅkhārakkhandha). In this paper I suggest this discrepancy may stem from how different traditions solved a scholastic problem concerning the meditative states known as jhāna. Scholars have projected the Theravādin conception of pīti as a saṅkhāra back onto the suttas, interpreting it as a conative element, mostly intense or agitating, and bodily, none of which is apparent in canonical pīti. Instead, I argue we have grounds to read joy in the Pali suttas as a feeling (vedanā), and as roughly synonymous with happiness (somanassa). I base this on texts that show pīti and somanassa as interchangeable, therefore possibly pointing to the same experience; and on how their subtypes—domestic/renunciant (gehasita, nekkhammasita) for somanassa, carnal/spiritual (sāmisa, nirāmisa) for pīti—seem equivalent as well. These equivalences reveal how various early Buddhist practices have basically the same outcome in affective-hedonic terms, allowing us to see the underlying hedonic curve of that soteriology. But they also raise the question of why have different terms, which I explain with recourse to the parallelism between Buddhist pīti and Brahmanical ānanda.

Zergani, M. J., et al. (2024). "Mindfulness-based eating awareness training versus itself plus implementation intention model: a randomized clinical trial." Eating and weight disorders : EWD 29(1): 53. Background: Obesity causes many physical and mental illnesses. This study compares mindfulness-based eating awareness training (MB-EAT) versus MB-EAT plus implementation intention model for effectiveness on body mass index (BMI), weight self-efficacy, and physical activity in obese women with BMIs ≤ 25 (n = 52).; Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, the participants were selected by the simple random sampling method and randomly divided into three groups. A 12-session MB-EAT of 150 min per session was performed for experimental group I. The experimental group II received MB-EAT alone for physical activity planning and MB-EAT plus implementation intention; also, both groups were compared to the control group. Data were measured by the scales, a questionnaire, and a checklist, and the P-values are based on the results of the generalized estimating equation (GEE) test. P < 0.001 were considered the significance level.; Results: The MB-EAT and MB-EAT + implementation intention effectiveness on the two experimental groups' BMI, weight self-efficacy, and physical activity was significantly different from the control group. In the integrated group versus the MB-EAT group, BMI, physical activity, and physical discomfort, were more effective than the weight self-efficacy subscales. Both intervention groups were effective on BMI, weight self-efficacy, and physical activity, but the integrated group's effectiveness was more.; Conclusions: The MB-EAT effectiveness trial is theorybased, reducing weight and the psychological and behavioral consequences of overweight and obese adults. The MB-EAT + the Implementation intention model is to plan regular and daily exercise according to each individual's specific circumstances.; Trial Registration: The trial registration number: (IRCT20200919048767N1).

During the past two decades, mindfulness meditation has gone from being a fringe topic of scientific investigation to being an occasional replacement for psychotherapy, tool of corporate well-being, widely implemented educational practice, and &quot;key to building more resilient soldiers.&quot; Yet the mindfulness movement and empirical evidence supporting it have not gone without criticism. Misinformation and poor methodology associated with past studies of mindfulness may lead public consumers to be harmed, misled, and disappointed. Addressing such concerns, the present article discusses the difficulties of defining mindfulness, delineates the proper scope of research into mindfulness practices, and explicates crucial methodological issues for interpreting results from investigations of mindfulness. For doing so, the authors draw on their diverse areas of expertise to review the present state of mindfulness research, comprehensively summarizing what we do and do not know, while p...

This study conducts a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database on 1,950 articles published in the journal Mindfulness from 2012 to 2022. By constructing a knowledge graph, the research delineates the evolution, stages of development, and emerging trends in the field of mindfulness. Significant growth in the annual publication volume has been observed since 2012, with the research progression segmented into three distinct phases. The United States has emerged as a pivotal contributor to the field, dominating in terms of publication volume, researcher involvement, and institutional contributions. Through the application of keyword co-occurrence and reference co-citation analysis, five principal clusters were identified, focusing on mindfulness, meditation, depression, stress, and self-compassion, underscoring these as focal research areas. Furthermore, the exploration of mindfulness within the educational sphere in Taiwan is still nascent, signaling a critical need for bolstered research support in diverse thematic domains.

Through this research work a sincere effort has been made to explore the complex relationship between mindfulness practices and death anxiety and depression, with an emphasis on identifying the mediating factors that affect this dynamic. Mindfulness is a ability of non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, to lessen many types of psychological discomfort, including death anxiety and depression, is becoming more widely acknowledged. This research is more concerned about identifying mediating factors that can increase the effectiveness of mindfulness programs in reducing death anxiety and depression.Through a narrative literature review, some factors found that mediate the effectiveness of mindfulness practices on death anxiety and depression such as Emotional Regulation, Existential Meaning, Psychological Resilience, Spiritual Intelligence, Cognitive Flexibility, Self-esteem, Perceived Social Support, Doses and Duration of Mindfulness and Well-being, plays a vital role. These revelations deepen our understanding of the psychological processes involved and highlight the potential benefits of mindfulness as a means of therapy for dealing with death anxiety and depression.

For the last few decades, economics and economic policy in the West have focused almost exclusively on the growth and creation of material wealth. Under the influence of the Market Economy; the level of economic activities — material production, consumption, and possession, indicated by index such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — is deemed the measurement of human wellness. (Ims 2013) Increasingly, however, the limitations of such a narrow measure are reflected in modern maladies such as deteriorating mental health and economic crises. Thus, a renewed definition of wealth — one that is more holistic and long-lasting— is called for. This issue can be addressed on the individual, societal/ institutional, and environmental/ ecological levels; this short article focuses on the individual level.

Background: China has experienced a surge period of COVID-19 pandemic since December 2022. Healthcare workers (HCWs) were exposed to huge workload under high risk of being infected, and significant levels of trauma, which might cause Post-traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) symptoms in HCWs.; Objectives: To identify the prevalence of PTSD symptoms among HCWs in the Chinese mainland during the surge period of the COVID-19 pandemic; to explore their psycho-social factors of PTSD symptoms.; Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs in Chinese mainland from January 5 to February 9, 2023, covering seven geographical regions. 6552 participants were recruited by convenience sampling. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, work-related factors, and psychological factors by online questionnaires. Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used to determine the influencing factors of PTSD symptoms.; Results: The prevalence of PTSD symptoms among HCWs was 37.49¬ †%. A higher level of mindfulness, resilience, and perceived social support were protective factors. Female gender, nurses, higher educational attainment, married status, more working years, higher perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 due to work, and higher perceived work intensity were risk factors.; Conclusion: High prevalence of PTSD symptoms among HCWs necessitates psychological interventions. Tailored interventions, designed by professional psychiatrists, should be tailored to address the stressors. A comprehensive approach, incorporating mindfulness, resilience-building, and perceived social support enhancement, is vital to bolster the mental well-being of HCWs exposed to traumatic events, thus mitigating the impact of PTSD effectively. Additionally, it is essential to provide support to HCWs with other potential risk factors.; Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.

Religions contribute both to sustainable and to unsustainable ways of
living. This is one of the conclusions I drew from an Interreligious
climate pilgrimage I helped organize and participated in together with
Anne e Dreyer, Hanna Barth Hake and Harween Kaur in 2018, and
which was the starting point for this article.
The purpose of the article is to explore how one religion can draw on
its perspectives and practices to encourage sustainable ways of living,
as part of a dialog with other religions with the same mission. A
starting point is to reduce intra- and inter-religious fighting or
competitiveness that draws attention away from more pressing questions of how to live sustainably on this planet. Drawing on five foundational Buddhist ethical practices Kjønstad applies this to five UNSDGs

Stimulated by a recent meeting between Western psychologists and the Dalai Lama on the topic of destructive emotions, we report on two issues: the achievement of enduring happiness, what Tibetan Buddhists call sukha, and the nature of afflictive and nonafflictive emotional states and traits. A Buddhist perspective on these issues is presented, along with discussion of the challenges the Buddhist view raises for empirical research and theory.