Effectiveness of Four Deconstructive Meditative Practices on Well-being and Self-deconstruction

NCT ID: NCT05317754

Last Updated: 2025-09-16

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 240 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-02-11
• Study Completion Date: 2025-12-30

Brief Summary

The efficacy of interventions based on mindfulness and compassion has been demonstrated in both clinical and general population, and in different social contexts. These interventions include so-called attentional and constructive meditation practices, respectively. However, unlike these, there is a third group, known as deconstructive meditation practices, which has not been scientifically studied. Deconstructive practices aim to undo maladaptive cognitive patterns and generate knowledge about internal models of oneself, others and the world. Although there are theoretical and philosophical studies on the origin of addiction to the self or on the mechanisms of action associated with the deconstruction of the self, there are no randomized controlled trials evaluating these techniques in either a healthy population or clinical samples. This study aims to evaluate the effect of three deconstructive techniques by comparing them to the practice of mindfulness in the general population.

A randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) will be conducted with about 240 participants allocated (1:1:1:1) to four groups: a) mindful breathing, b) prostrations, according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition; c) the Koan Mu, according to Zen Buddhist tradition; and d) the mirror exercise, according to Toltec tradition. The primary outcome will be the qualities of the non-dual experience and spiritual awakening, measured by the Nondual Embodiment Thematic Inventory, assessed at pre and post-treatment and at 3 and 6-month follow ups. Other outcomes will be mindfulness, happiness, compassion, affectivity and altered state of consciousness. Outcomes at each time point will be compared using mixed-effects linear regression models adjusted for baseline scores, sex and age.

This is the first RCT to apply deconstructive meditation techniques to evaluate their effect on the general population. The positive results of this project may have an important impact on the development of new interventions, not only to improve happiness and well-being in healthy populations but also potentially for the prevention and treatment of psychological and medical disorders, creating a new paradigm in the context of third-generation psychological interventions.

Conditions

Mental Health Wellness

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Mindful breathing

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mindful breathing

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

• Formal practice should take 30-60 minutes/day. It can be divided into as many as 4 sessions/day at times of participants' choosing, but the recommended times are after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
• There is no limit to the number of times informal practice can be performed during the day.
• Use of a diary is necessary to record the time and duration of all formal and informal practices.
• The intervention will have a duration of 60 days. During this period, participants are to take part only in the intervention to which they have been randomized and no other. After this period of time and during the follow-up, participants will be able to practise any kind of meditation and at times of their choosing, but this information must always be recorded in their diary.

Prostrations, according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Prostrations, according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

• Formal practice should take 30-60 minutes/day. It can be divided into as many as 4 sessions/day at times of participants' choosing, but the recommended times are after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
• There is no limit to the number of times informal practice can be performed during the day.
• Use of a diary is necessary to record the time and duration of all formal and informal practices.
• The intervention will have a duration of 60 days. During this period, participants are to take part only in the intervention to which they have been randomized and no other. After this period of time and during the follow-up, participants will be able to practise any kind of meditation and at times of their choosing, but this information must always be recorded in their diary.

The Koan Mu, according to Zen Buddhist tradition

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

The Koan Mu, according to Zen Buddhist tradition

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

• Formal practice should take 30-60 minutes/day. It can be divided into as many as 4 sessions/day at times of participants' choosing, but the recommended times are after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
• There is no limit to the number of times informal practice can be performed during the day.
• Use of a diary is necessary to record the time and duration of all formal and informal practices.
• The intervention will have a duration of 60 days. During this period, participants are to take part only in the intervention to which they have been randomized and no other. After this period of time and during the follow-up, participants will be able to practise any kind of meditation and at times of their choosing, but this information must always be recorded in their diary.

The mirror exercise, according to Toltec tradition

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

The mirror exercise, according to Toltec tradition

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

• Formal practice should take 30-60 minutes/day. It can be divided into as many as 4 sessions/day at times of participants' choosing, but the recommended times are after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
• There is no limit to the number of times informal practice can be performed during the day.
• Use of a diary is necessary to record the time and duration of all formal and informal practices.
• The intervention will have a duration of 60 days. During this period, participants are to take part only in the intervention to which they have been randomized and no other. After this period of time and during the follow-up, participants will be able to practise any kind of meditation and at times of their choosing, but this information must always be recorded in their diary.

Interventions

Mindful breathing

• Formal practice should take 30-60 minutes/day. It can be divided into as many as 4 sessions/day at times of participants' choosing, but the recommended times are after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
• There is no limit to the number of times informal practice can be performed during the day.
• Use of a diary is necessary to record the time and duration of all formal and informal practices.
• The intervention will have a duration of 60 days. During this period, participants are to take part only in the intervention to which they have been randomized and no other. After this period of time and during the follow-up, participants will be able to practise any kind of meditation and at times of their choosing, but this information must always be recorded in their diary.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Prostrations, according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition

• Formal practice should take 30-60 minutes/day. It can be divided into as many as 4 sessions/day at times of participants' choosing, but the recommended times are after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
• There is no limit to the number of times informal practice can be performed during the day.
• Use of a diary is necessary to record the time and duration of all formal and informal practices.
• The intervention will have a duration of 60 days. During this period, participants are to take part only in the intervention to which they have been randomized and no other. After this period of time and during the follow-up, participants will be able to practise any kind of meditation and at times of their choosing, but this information must always be recorded in their diary.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The Koan Mu, according to Zen Buddhist tradition

• Formal practice should take 30-60 minutes/day. It can be divided into as many as 4 sessions/day at times of participants' choosing, but the recommended times are after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
• There is no limit to the number of times informal practice can be performed during the day.
• Use of a diary is necessary to record the time and duration of all formal and informal practices.
• The intervention will have a duration of 60 days. During this period, participants are to take part only in the intervention to which they have been randomized and no other. After this period of time and during the follow-up, participants will be able to practise any kind of meditation and at times of their choosing, but this information must always be recorded in their diary.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The mirror exercise, according to Toltec tradition

• Formal practice should take 30-60 minutes/day. It can be divided into as many as 4 sessions/day at times of participants' choosing, but the recommended times are after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
• There is no limit to the number of times informal practice can be performed during the day.
• Use of a diary is necessary to record the time and duration of all formal and informal practices.
• The intervention will have a duration of 60 days. During this period, participants are to take part only in the intervention to which they have been randomized and no other. After this period of time and during the follow-up, participants will be able to practise any kind of meditation and at times of their choosing, but this information must always be recorded in their diary.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Older than 18 years of age

2. No psychiatric diagnosis (self-reported)

3. More than 1 year's experience of daily meditation practice

4. Having a computer and Internet connection at home

5. Being able to read and understand the Spanish language

6. Willingness to participate in the study and sign the written informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria

1. Any diagnosis of a disease that may affect the central nervous system (pathological condition affecting the brain, traumatic brain injury, dementia) or other psychiatric diagnoses or acute psychiatric illnesses (severe range of depression, substance dependence or abuse, history of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, eating disorders), except for anxiety disorder

2. Any medical, infectious or degenerative disease that may affect mood; presence of delusional ideas; and hallucinations consistent or not with mood and suicide risk

3. Taking any psychiatric medication.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Hospital Miguel Servet

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Javier Garcia Campayo

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Department of Psychiatry. Miguel Servet University Hospital

Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

Countries

Spain

References

Garcia-Campayo J, Hijar-Aguinaga R, Lopez-Del-Hoyo Y, Magallon-Botaya R, Fernandez-Martinez S, Barcelo-Soler A, Soler-Ribaudi J, Montero-Marin J. Effectiveness of four deconstructive meditative practices on well-being and self-deconstruction: study protocol for an exploratory randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2023 Feb 20;24(1):125. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07151-0.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 36805694 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

PI22/110

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id