For those who wish to deepen their understanding of mindfulness and for those planning to embark on research in this field, we strongly recommend obtaining this book, in which a pioneer of empirical mindfulness research has infused his heartfelt dedication.

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In recent years, self-compassion, the concept of treating oneself with the same kindness as one treats others in various difficult situations, has attracted attention. Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) has been developed as a specialized program for the development of self-compassion, and findings are accumulated in Europe and the United States. However, no evidence of MSC is found for the Japanese. We examined the effect of an online MSC program on psychological variables in a Japanese sample. This study was conducted on 13 participants (M = 49.31 years old, SD = 12.19) three times, that is, before, after, and six months after the eight-week online MSC course. The results showed that the Japanese version of the Self-Compassion, Self-Compassion Response, and Mindful Attention Awareness Scales improved before and after the program. These effects persisted six months after the program.

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In this study, we conducted an intervention experiment to examine the effects of yoga breathing and meditation on mood and blood pressure. We recruited 25 healthy adults with no prior yoga experience and divided them into two groups: one group received instruction in yoga breathing and meditation in addition to yoga poses, whereas the other group did yoga poses only. The intervention took place once a week for a total of six sessions. Measurements of blood pressure and pulse rate before and after the intervention showed a tendency for systolic blood pressure to decrease in the group that received breathing and meditation instruction (d = 0.23, p = 0.41). Additionally, when participants completed the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS2) before and after the intervention, the group that received breathing and meditation instruction displayed a tendency for an increase in “Vigor-Activity” scores (d = 0.67, p = 0.06), while the group that did not receive breathing and meditation instruction exhibited a tendency for a decrease in “Friendliness” scores (d = 0.64, p = 0.15). In the open-ended response section after the intervention, participants in the group that had not received breathing and meditation instruction primarily described changes in physical sensations, whereas those in the group that received breathing and meditation instruction also reported changes in emotions, thoughts, and behavior. These findings suggest that incorporating breathing and meditation practices into yoga poses might have a positive impact on psychological functioning.

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In recent years, the use of mental health (MH) applications has increased, with many offering content related to mindfulness. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the quality of smartphone apps related to mindfulness available in Japan and examine the current status of their scientific evidence and privacy policies. In total, 1,638 apps were identified in app stores in December 2022. Twenty-one apps were included in the evaluation based on the following eligibility criteria: (1) the terms “mindfulness” or “meditation” were explicitly stated in both the app title and web description, (2) the app provided sufficient mindfulness-related content, and (3) offered user interface and content in Japanese. App quality was assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), with an average score of 3.380, indicating a moderate level of quality. Regarding scientific evidence, seven apps were cited in academic publications, of which two were evaluated in randomized controlled trials. Additionally, 17 apps publicly disclosed their privacy policies. Future efforts should focus on accumulating scientific evidence such as that from randomized controlled trials. Importantly, information transparency, including improvements in translation accuracy and privacy protection, should be enhanced to improve overall usability.

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The symptoms of auditory hypersensitivity exhibited by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be related to impaired selective attention. Additionally, mindfulness training has been suggested to be effective in improving selective attention. Therefore, this study examined the effects of mindfulness training on individuals with ASD and the symptoms of auditory hypersensitivity. The participants included 30 male and female adults with a diagnosis of or a tendency toward ASD and a tendency toward auditory hypersensitivity. The intervention results showed a significant improvement in mindfulness skills and a significant decrease in the tendency toward auditory hypersensitivity for those in the intervention group. However, there was no significant change in selective attention function scores. Additional analysis revealed that learning to accept unpleasant feelings associated with unpleasant sounds and reducing anticipatory anxiety about unpleasant sounds can help treat the symptoms of auditory hypersensitivity effectively.

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This study aimed to examine the mediating role of nonduality in the relationship between aloneliness and compassion for others. In total, 680 people in Japan responded to an Internet survey. Ultimately, data from 495 individuals (235 men and 260 women; M_age = 41.20, SD = 10.82) were analyzed. Mediation analysis (bias-corrected method with 5,000 iterations) revealed a nonsignificant mediating effect of nonduality on the relationship between aloneliness and compassion for others (b = -0.02, SE = 0.04, p = .503, 95% CI [-0.10, 0.05]), whereas the direct effect of aloneliness on compassion for others was significant (b = 0.13, SE = 0.05, p = .007, 95% CI [0.03, 0.22]). Additionally, exploratory analyses not included in our preregistration indicated a significant mediating effect of compassion for others between nonduality and aloneliness (b = 0.14, SE = 0.06, p = .009, 95% CI [0.04, 0.26]). These findings suggest that negative states due to a lack of alone time do not necessarily inhibit prosocial tendencies. Further investigation of the interplay between aloneliness and compassion for others is warranted.

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