Cardiovascular Evidence Suggests That Dispositional Mindfulness May Be Ineffective

Mindfulness is present awareness of one's thoughts and feelings and is typically associated with meditation, coping with stress, and peace of mind without judgment. However, new research from the University of Buffalo and the University of Essex suggests that dispositional mindfulness is not an effective way to cope or manage stress.

The study was recently published in the Sage journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Although mindfulness is an ancient practice from Buddism, Zen, Tibetan meditation, and has been adapted into modern times, there is little scientific evidence of its health benefits.

Several studies and experts claim that mindfulness reduces blood pressure, chronic pain, and improves sleep. Psychotherapists also use mindfulness meditation to treat patients with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other conditions.

For example, Harvard researchers said that humans have a wandering mind "and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind." Mindfulness would then help people be happier by learning how to focus on the present instead of daydreaming.

Mindfulness During Times of Stress

During the study, 1,001 participants had their cardiovascular responses measured while they were exposed to challenges or threats such as giving a speech or taking a test. Their response to stressors was assessed and reported if they had a positive or negative psychological experience.

In times of stress, the results revealed, cardiovascular responses showed that the participants were more aware of the stressor. Moreover, even though there were no psychological signs of a positive stress response, people still reported that they had a positive experience.

Thomas Saltsman from the University of Buffalo said that according to their results, it was surprising "that mindfulness didn't seem to affect whether people had a more positive stress response at the moment. Even if the more mindful participants "feel confident, comfortable and capable" during a stressful task, there was no evidence supporting this despite claims that they felt better about the task after it was completed.

However, mindfulness did have certain benefits, noted by the authors. Those who had greater mindfulness had a better perception of stressors afterward. They also claimed to have better stress management and not dwell in the past.

Cardiovascular Evidence

The cardiovascular measurements showed that those who cared more about the stressful task had an increased heart rate with a more intense heartbeat, explained Mark Seery. The team also measured how the heart was pumping blood while under stress. How the blood vessels dilated indicated if the person felt more confident or capable while accomplishing the task.

Seery concluded with his interpretation of the results, saying that "what the average person is expecting when they casually get into mindfulness, is that what it's actually doing for them could very well be mismatched from their expectations going in."

Saltsman said that their findings seem to go against the widely accepted belief that dispositional mindfulness is an effective coping mechanism. Instead, the study suggests that its benefits are rather limited.

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