ABSTRACT

Dissociation is an involuntary defensive mechanism to protect oneself by avoiding unbearable internal conflicts or overwhelming emotions. Cultivating mindful awareness could allow the development of voluntary processes that can offer part of the self-protective function of dissociation while favoring internal integration processes. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of a 7-week Mindfulness Oriented Meditation (MOM) training on healthy individuals’ self-reported dissociative experience, mindfulness skills and interoceptive awareness. After the training, in comparison to a waiting-list control group (N = 102), the MOM group (N = 110) showed reduced dissociative tendencies (p < .05), increased dispositional mindfulness (p < .001) and increased interoceptive awareness (in the aspects of not-worrying, self-regulation and body listening; p < .001). Moreover, correlational evidence showed that the more MOM participants increased in mindfulness skills after the training the more they reported increased interoceptive awareness and decreased dissociative functioning (p < .05). Mindfulness skills also improved with more home meditation practice executed by MOM participants (p < .05). These findings were attributed to a possible role of mindfulness meditation in enabling the development of volitional processes that afford psychological safety and integration, in contrast with the involuntary nature of dissociation.

摘要

分离是一种非自愿的防御机制，通过避免无法忍受的内部冲突或压倒性的情绪来保护自己。培养正念意识可以促进自愿过程的发展，这些过程可以提供分离的部分自我保护功能，同时有利于内部整合过程。本研究的目的是探讨为期 7 周的正念导向冥想 (MOM) 培训对健康个体自我报告的分离体验、正念技能和内感受意识的影响。培训结束后，与等待名单对照组 (N = 102) 相比，MOM 组 (N = 110) 表现出分离倾向减少 ( p < .05)，性格正念增加 ( p< .001）和增强的内感受意识（在不担心、自我调节和身体倾听方面；p < .001）。此外，相关证据表明，培训后 MOM 参与者的正念技能提高越多，他们报告的内感受意识增强和分离功能下降的越多 ( p < .05)。MOM 参与者进行的更多家庭冥想练习也提高了正念技能 ( p < .05)。这些发现归因于正念冥想在促进能够提供心理安全和整合的意志过程中的可能作用，与分离的非自愿性质形成对比。