Contemplative Training and Psychological Stress: an Analysis of First-person Accounts

Abstract Objectives Several studies have investigated the relationship between contemplative approaches and psychobiological stress response; however, this area of research is still new, mechanisms response attenuation training not been fully delineated, little known about effects practice on ways psychological experienced. This study aimed to explore first-person experience in meditation practitioners. Methods We conducted short semi-structured interviews with twenty-five practitioners twenty meditation-naïve controls immediately after they had undergone a laboratory task (the Trier Social Stress Test). A mixed-method approach was used analyze interviews. Thematic analysis combined descriptive statistics qualitative information that converted quantitative data. Results Experiences instantiating main themes were identified as follows: (1) primary experiences encountered, describing most salient associated task; (2) reasons for stress, delineating analyses why stressful; (3) affect, dealing emotional during (4) emotion regulation; (5) attention allocation regulatory strategies employed by participants. Responses subjective included use humor, presence positive combinations different types regulation strategies, adaptive allocation. Conclusions elucidates particularities meditators’ provides new insights effect response, proposes directions research.