Previous research links contemplative practices, such as meditation, with stress reduction. However, little is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship. This study compares the physiological stress response (reactivity and recovery) measured by changes in salivary cortisol, heart rate, heart rate variability, and the associated stress-related ratings in long-term meditation practitioners (N = 29) and age- and sex- matched meditation naïve controls (N = 26). The participants were administered the Trier Social Stress Test in its active and placebo versions. The results demonstrated that long-term meditation practitioners had faster cortisol recovery from stress, and experienced less shame and higher self-esteem after the exposure to social-evaluative threat. In addition, long-term meditation practitioners scored higher on adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, such as acceptance and positive reappraisal, and lower on maladaptive ones, such as catastrophizing. The cognitive emotion regulation strategy of acceptance mediated the relationship between meditation practice and cortisol recovery. These results suggest that meditation practice is associated with faster recovery from stress due to the employment of adaptive emotion regulation strategy of acceptance, delineating a pathway underlying the positive effects of meditation on stress.

中文翻译：

---

长期冥想练习者减轻压力反应的心理机制探索

先前的研究将冥想练习（例如冥想）与减压联系起来。然而，人们对这种关系背后的心理机制知之甚少。本研究比较了长期冥想练习者 (N = 29) 和年龄和性别通过唾液皮质醇、心率、心率变异性和相关压力相关评级的变化测量的生理压力反应（反应性和恢复）匹配的冥想幼稚控制（N = 26）。参与者接受了活性和安慰剂版本的特里尔社会压力测试。结果表明，长期冥想练习者从压力中恢复皮质醇的速度更快，在暴露于社会评价威胁后，羞耻感更少，自尊心更高。此外，长期冥想练习者在适应性认知情绪调节策略（如接受和积极重新评估）上得分较高，而在适应不良策略（如灾难化）上得分较低。接受的认知情绪调节策略介导了冥想练习与皮质醇恢复之间的关系。这些结果表明，由于采用了接受的适应性情绪调节策略，冥想练习与压力的更快恢复有关，描绘了冥想对压力产生积极影响的潜在途径。接受的认知情绪调节策略介导了冥想练习与皮质醇恢复之间的关系。这些结果表明，由于采用了适应性情绪调节策略，冥想练习与压力的更快恢复有关，描绘了冥想对压力产生积极影响的潜在途径。接受的认知情绪调节策略介导了冥想练习与皮质醇恢复之间的关系。这些结果表明，由于采用了接受的适应性情绪调节策略，冥想练习与压力的更快恢复有关，描绘了冥想对压力产生积极影响的潜在途径。