Psychological effects of a training in serenity and mindful awareness (Mindfulness-based Mental Balance Program) in inexperienced meditators

Background: The Mindfulness-based Mental Balance (MBMB) is an original and Spanish Mindfulness-based program developed in the Faculty of Psychology of the Spanish National University of Distance Education (UNED) as consequence of the teaching of mindfulness-based meditation for 13 years (1999-2012) in a weekly workshop during the academic course. The mindfulness-based interventions have traditionally focused on reducing symptoms associated with stress or clinical conditions. However, the original aim of meditation has a soteriological sense focused on the development of human potential and the reduction of suffering. The MBMB program is closed to this original sense of meditation and focuses its aim into de human growth or development context. Methods: The present study was performed to assess the effects of level 1 of MBMB on the improvement of variables related to psychological flexibility and the reduction of human suffering. A multiple baseline across subjects design was followed, with episodic measurements in the pre- and post-training phases, and ecological measures. Findings: At the end of the training, significant improvements were found in mindfulness and life satisfaction scores. Likewise, cognitive fusion, state-anxiety, stress, and neuroticism scores decreased. Conclusions: The results of the study show evidence of the preliminary efficacy of MBMB to promoting psychological flexibility and well-being. Keywords: Mindfulness; meditation; psychological flexibility; human suffering; well-being; personal growth