Mindfulness Training

Mindfulness training (MT) is now a heavily researched practice that is seeing a resurgence in western culture. Mindfulness can broadly be defined as a practice in which a person uses techniques to help train the mind to reduce stress and increase awareness. Researchers Farb, Anderson, Bean, McKeon, Mayberg, and Segal are the first to look at a reduction in the expression of sadness through MT by looking at fMRI images of the brain to locate specific regions that have been associated with sadness in previous studies. Farb and his associates looked at 36 participants that made up a control group and an experimental group for their study. Each group was measured with three different types of scored evaluations to determine their start and ending points while logging scored data during the study. Sadness was …show more content…
The two groups were then compared to each other to find which parts of the brain showed variation in activity. The study consisted of 36 participants that were all right-handed with 20 being assigned to the experimental group and 16 being assigned to the control group. Each participant was scanned prior to MBSR training and also filled out 3 questionnaires to assess each participant 's emotional levels. The Beck Depression Inventory- Second Edition (BDI-II) was used to assess depression levels and consisted of a clinical cut off if the score was 17 to 20. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to assess anxiety levels and the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) was used as a canvassing tool for psychopathology in participants. Training in MBSR was conducted weekly for 2 hours for 8 weeks and lead by an instructor. Classes consisted of lying, sitting, walking, eating meditations as well as yoga. In the time between classes, participants were asked to conduct CD guided mindfulness practices to reinforce metacognition that mindfulness aims to improve. To provoke a sadness response in participants they were shown neutral and