Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Combining Behavior and EEG to Study the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Episodic Memory

Combining Behavior and EEG to Study the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Episodic Memory

Published on: May 11, 2020

Dose-response Relationship of Reported Lifetime Meditation Practice with Mental Health and Wellbeing: a

Nicholas I Bowles¹, Jonathan N Davies¹, Nicholas T Van Dam¹

¹Contemplative Studies Centre, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

|October 4, 2022

Abstract

Objectives:

Meta-analyses of meditation studies have revealed mixed modest evidence of benefits across a range of outcomes. However, because this evidence-base is predominantly from brief interventions, it is unclear whether it accurately reflects how contemporary meditators practice or the dose-response relationship between amount of practice and outcome. This study sought to characterize how contemporary meditators practice, examine any possible dose-response relationships between historical practice and measures of psychological wellbeing, and explore which characteristics of practice most strongly predict favorable psychological outcomes.

Methods:

One thousand six hundred and sixty-eight meditators (M = 1095 h practice, SD = 2365) responded to advertisements in meditation practice communities and social media. We explored associations between demographics, meditation practice characteristics, and outcomes including positive and negative affect, psychological distress, and life satisfaction in a cross-sectional study design.

Results:

Historical meditation practice (accumulated lifetime hours) was significantly associated with favorable psychological outcomes (|r| ranging from .18 to .28). Model fit was optimized with a generalized additive model (average increase in R ² = 2.22), indicating non-linear effects. The strength of association between practice time and outcomes was generally strongest for approximately the first 500 h, before plateauing. Several practice types including Vipassana (as taught by S.N. Goenka) and cultivating practices (e.g. compassion, lovingkindness) were more strongly predictive of favorable psychological outcomes.

Conclusions:

Benefits of meditation accrue over time in a non-linear manner, and show variation based on practice context. These results highlight the importance of understanding how the benefits of meditation accrue over longer time durations than typical standardized programs.

Supplementary Information:

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-022-01977-6.

Keywords:

Dose Meditation Mindfulness Response Vipassana

More Related Videos

Using Wavelet Entropy to Demonstrate how Mindfulness Practice Increases Coordination between Irregular Cerebral and Cardiac Activities

Using Wavelet Entropy to Demonstrate how Mindfulness Practice Increases Coordination between Irregular Cerebral and Cardiac Activities

Published on: May 10, 2017

Mindfulness in Motion MIM: An Onsite Mindfulness Based Intervention MBI for Chronically High Stress Work Environments to Increase Resiliency and Work Engagement

Mindfulness in Motion MIM: An Onsite Mindfulness Based Intervention MBI for Chronically High Stress Work Environments to Increase Resiliency and Work Engagement

Published on: July 1, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III

Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III

Regular exercise and meditation serve as essential tools in managing stress and promoting physical and mental well-being.
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...

Stress and Mental Health

Stress and Mental Health

Chronic stress profoundly affects mental health, significantly influencing mood, behavior, and overall quality of life. Research closely links chronic stress with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Ongoing exposure to stress can lead to physiological and psychological changes, initiating a cycle of emotional distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...

Dose-Response Relationship: Overview

Dose-Response Relationship: Overview

Agonists can bind with and activate receptors, resulting in the formation of drug-receptor complexes. Once formed, these complexes catalyze many biochemical processes at the cellular level and subsequently induce a pharmacologic response. The degree of response is directly proportional to the fraction of activated receptors, which in turn, depends on the concentration of the drug at the receptor site as well as the sensitivity of the receptor. An increase in the administered dose contributes to...

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method

Research is what makes the difference between facts and opinions. Facts are observable realities, and opinions are personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may or may not be accurate. In the scientific community, facts can be established only using evidence collected through empirical research.

Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy

Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy

The potency of a drug is the measure of its ability to produce a biological response and can be compared by looking at the half-maximum effective concentration or EC50 values of different drugs. A lower EC50 value indicates higher potency of the drug. In the dose–response curve of two antihypertensive drugs, candesartan and irbesartan, a significant difference is observed in their EC50 values. A lower EC50 value for candesartan indicates that it is more potent than irbesartan, as it...

Altered States of Awareness

Altered States of Awareness

Altered states of consciousness represent significant deviations from one's normal mental state. These deviations can range from subtle changes in awareness to profound transformations in perception, thought processes, and sensory experiences. Altered states of consciousness can be triggered by various factors, including drug use, meditation, hypnosis, illness, or even intense fatigue.
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

The Effectiveness and Exploratory Cost-Effectiveness of Regular Meditation for Improving Quality of Life: Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

JMIR research protocols·2026

Validation of the EQ-HWB-9 in a mental health sample and an investigation of modifications to items.

Health and quality of life outcomes·2026

Real-World Meditation App Engagement: Longitudinal Study of the Medito Meditation App.

JMIR mHealth and uHealth·2026

Contemplative practices serve as complementary mental health strategies in nationally representative samples from Australia and New Zealand.

Scientific reports·2026

Engagement With Meditation Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey of Use and Associations.

Journal of medical Internet research·2026

The psychometric performance of the EQ-HWB-9 for measuring health and wellbeing in a general population sample from Australia and New Zealand.

Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2025

See all related articles