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Objective

We investigated common and dissociable neural and psychological correlates of two widely used meditation-based stress reduction programs.

Methods

Participants were randomized to the Relaxation Response (RR; n= 18; 56% female) or the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; n= 16; 56% female) programs. Both programs use a “bodyscan” meditation; however, the RR program explicitly emphasizes physical relaxation during this practice, whereas the MBSR program emphasizes mindful awareness with no explicit relaxation instructions. After the programs, neural activity during the respective meditation was investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Both programs were associated with reduced stress (for RR, from 14.1±6.6 to 11.3±5.5 [Cohen's d= 0.50; for MBSR, from 17.7±5.7 to 11.9±5.0 [Cohen's d= 1.02]). Conjunction analyses revealed functional coupling between …