NCT07325448

Assessing MB-Spirit for Psychological Well-being

Assessing MB-Spirit: A Novel Intervention for Promoting Spiritual Development and Psychological Well-being

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 44 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Sara W Lazar · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a new behavioral intervention, MB-Spirit, can improve well-being in stressed adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Can MB-Spirit improve well-being? 2. What brain changes accompany participation in MB-Spirit? Participants will: 1. Be enrolled in an online course that meets for two hours every week for 8-weeks. 2. Complete questionnaires before and after the course. 3. Complete an MRI scan of their brain before and after the course. Participants will be randomized to either take the course right away, or be put on a wait-list. Those on the wait-list will undergo the testing at 2 timepoints before they start the program.

Detailed description

Forty-four individuals with high stress will be randomized 1:1, stratified by sex, to either MB-SPIRIT or wait-list. Participants will receive daily email with a link to a REDCap database to record minutes of formal meditation practice. Pre and post testing will occur within a 21-day testing period before or after the intervention. We will assess changes in spiritual well-being (Primary outcome), mindfulness, and use of character/virtue strengths (secondary outcomes). Changes in clinical symptoms will be explored. Participants will also complete a structured interview to assess developmental stage at the baseline time-point. Participants randomized to MB-Spirit will also undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning before and after their program. Scans consist of a high-resolution gray matter scan, a 10-minute resting state scan and three 10-minute guided meditation scans. Participants will rate the 'depth' of each spiritual state they experience while they are in the scanner on a 5-point scale. As a manipulation check, after exiting the scanner they will be asked to describe the non-dual states and which virtues arose. We will also assess the acceptability of the task.

Conditions

• Stress

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	MB-Spirit	8-week online course that uses character strengths and mindfulness to promote well-being. Based on 3-part model of spirituality

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-15
• Primary completion: 2026-11-01
• Completion: 2026-11-01
• First posted: 2026-01-08
• Last updated: 2026-03-20

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States