Palmer Timothy, Kadri Kenza, Fakra Eric, Scholl Jacqueline, Fouragnan Elsa
Faculty of Health, School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.
Brain Research Imaging Center, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2024 Dec 5;19(12):e0309357. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309357. eCollection 2024.
Much work has investigated beneficial effects of mindfulness-based meditation methods, but less work has investigated potential risks and differences across meditation methods. We addressed this in a large pre-registered online survey including 613 mediators where we correlated participants' experience with fifty meditation techniques to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and mystical experiences. We found a positive correlation for both PLEs and mystical experiences with techniques aiming at reducing phenomenological content ('null-directed', NDM) or classified as non-dual or less embodied. In contrast, methods aiming at achieving an enhanced cognitive state (CDM), also described as 'attentional' or strongly embodied, showed negative correlations with PLEs. Interestingly, participants' subjectively perceived that all types of meditation techniques were preventative of PLEs but less so for NDM. Participants differed in their reasons for meditating, broadly grouped into associated with spiritual exploration and associated with health. Participants who meditated for spiritual reasons were more likely to choose NDM techniques and more likely to experience PLEs. In contrast, participants who meditated for health-related reasons were more likely to choose CDM techniques. This study provides important information for meditators about the relationship of different techniques with PLEs and the moderating influences of individual traits.
许多研究探讨了基于正念的冥想方法的有益效果，但较少有研究调查其潜在风险以及不同冥想方法之间的差异。我们在一项大规模的预先注册的在线调查中解决了这个问题，该调查涵盖了613名冥想者，我们将参与者对五十种冥想技巧的体验与类精神病体验（PLEs）和神秘体验进行了关联。我们发现，旨在减少现象学内容（“无指向性”，NDM）或归类为非二元或具身性较低的技巧与PLEs和神秘体验均呈正相关。相比之下，旨在实现增强认知状态（CDM）的方法，也被描述为“注意力集中型”或具身性较强的方法，与PLEs呈负相关。有趣的是，参与者主观上认为所有类型的冥想技巧都能预防PLEs，但对NDM技巧的预防效果较差。参与者的冥想原因各不相同，大致可分为与精神探索相关和与健康相关两类。出于精神原因冥想的参与者更有可能选择NDM技巧，也更有可能体验到PLEs。相比之下，出于健康相关原因冥想的参与者更有可能选择CDM技巧。这项研究为冥想者提供了关于不同技巧与PLEs之间关系以及个体特质调节作用的重要信息。
