Can Inner Peace be Improved by Mindfulness Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Liu X., Xu W., Wang Y., Williams JMG., Geng Y., Zhang Q., Liu X.

This article reports a randomized controlled trial to investigate whether mindfulness training can successfully improve inner peace in participants with no known mental disorder. Fifty-seven participants were randomized to either mindfulness training (n = 29) or wait-list control (n = 28). The experience sampling method was used to measure the fleeting momentary experience of inner peace in participants. In addition, we used an experimental approach to assessing ability to focus attention: the Meditation Breath Attention Score, as well as the self-report Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Compared with the wait-list control group, mindfulness training led to an increase in scores of inner peace, Meditation Breath Attention Score and FFMQ, using analysis of repeated measures analysis of variance. Change in inner peace was not, however, mediated by changes in self-rated mindfulness (FFMQ) nor by increased attentional focus. The findings provide first evidence suggesting that using mindfulness training improves the participants' inner peace. The focus here was on the immediate effects and future studies need to use follow-up.

DOI

10.1002/smi.2551

Type

Journal article

Journal

Stress Health

Publication Date

08/2015

Volume

31

Pages

245 - 254

Keywords

ESM, inner peace, mindfulness, randomized controlled trial, Adult, Attention, Female, Humans, Male, Meditation, Mindfulness, Stress, Psychological, Surveys and Questionnaires, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult

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