Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
09:00
Quantifying Pain Location and Intensity with Multimodal Pain Body Diagrams
Published on: July 7, 2023
Nondual Awareness as a Novel Chronic Pain Relieving Mechanism
Kush V Bhatt1, Adam W Hanley2, Chantal Martin-Soelch3
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Psychology of Consciousness (Washington, D.C.)
|July 30, 2026
Summary
Mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduce chronic pain by increasing nondual awareness. This study shows nondual awareness, a state of connectedness, mediates pain relief more effectively than nonreactivity.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Pain Management
Background:
- Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are effective for chronic pain but their psychological mechanisms are not fully understood.
- Nondual awareness, characterized by reduced self-focus and increased connectedness, is a potential mediator.
- Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) is an 8-week MBI for chronic pain patients on opioid therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if nondual awareness mediates the pain-relieving effects of MORE.
- To compare the mediating role of nondual awareness with the mindfulness facet of nonreactivity.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of pooled data from two randomized controlled trials (N=480).
- Measured nondual awareness using the Non-Dual Awareness Dimensional Assessment (NADA).
- Employed multivariate path analyses to assess mediation.
Main Results:
- MORE significantly reduced chronic pain severity and interference compared to supportive group therapy.
- Participants in the MORE group showed significant increases in nondual awareness.
- Increased nondual awareness significantly mediated reductions in pain severity and interference.
Conclusions:
- Mindfulness-induced nondual awareness is linked to chronic pain alleviation.
- Nondual awareness is a more potent mediator of mindfulness' pain-relieving effects than nonreactivity.
- Future research should explore neurobiological mechanisms and other nondual awareness-inducing interventions for chronic pain.
More Related Videos
08:33A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Fibromyalgia Pain and Physical Function, Using Brain Imaging Biomarkers
Published on: January 5, 2024
09:03Optimizing Photoneuromodulation Techniques to Evaluate the Role of Green Light-Emitting Diodes in Pain Management
Published on: March 28, 2025
Related Concept Videos
01:44Nociception
Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain. Thus, pain helps the...
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
01:20Pain
Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
01:15Subconsciousness and No Awareness
The concept of subconscious awareness refers to the processing of information below the level of conscious thought, which significantly influences both behaviors and decisions. It is also known as waking subconscious awareness. This complex level of cognition operates without the direct awareness of the individual, facilitating rapid and simultaneous handling of multiple information streams.
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
01:06Altered 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 that...
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain that...
01:24Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance
Primary motives such as sleep, sex, and pain avoidance are crucial drivers of behavior in humans and animals. These motives ensure survival, reproductive success, and overall well-being by prompting actions that meet essential bodily needs.
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...