An interventional study of Mindfulness Meditation and Mind-Wandering Task in Unresolved Event Memories and Psychological Closure, sponsored by University of Windsor. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-02.
Sponsored by University of Windsor · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
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The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if mindfulness meditation can improve closure and emotion towards unresolved memories in an undergraduate student population. This will be tested through a brief, novel intervention called Mindful Recollection, where participants transition immediately from mindfulness meditation into the recollection of an unresolved memory. The secondary aim of the study is to investigate the mechanisms of change underlying Mindful Recollection. Overall then, the main questions this study aims to answer are:
Researchers will compare the Mindful Recollection intervention to a mind-wandering control task to see if mindfulness meditation uniquely produces positive changes in emotion and closure above and beyond placebo. Mindful Recollection will involve a 13-minute audio-guided mindfulness meditation followed immediately by 2 minutes of memory recollection. The control task will involve 13-minutes of audio-guided mind-wandering followed immediately by 2 minutes of memory recollection.
Participants will:
University of Windsor is the lead sponsor of 9 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Behavioral: Mindfulness Meditation
Behavioral: Mind-Wandering Task
Mindful Recollection consists of a 15-minute audio-guided task (13 minutes of guided meditation followed immediately by 2 minutes of unresolved event recollection). The 13-minute guided meditation is intended to facilitate a broad mindful awareness by working through sensations of the breath, body, and mind (in that respective order), eventually coming together in a practice of open monitoring - the non-selective observation of any and all aspects of experience. The 2-minute recollection period will have participants transition from meditating to recalling and reflecting on an unresolved memory they identified during the pretest period (approximately 24-72 hours prior).
The mind-wandering control task consists of a 15-minute audio-guided task (13 minutes of mind-wandering followed immediately by 2 minutes of unresolved event recollection). Mind-wandering is a common sham mindfulness technique that repeatedly prompts participants to let their thoughts flow freely, thinking about whatever comes to mind. This exposes participants to the same procedure (i.e., listening to a 13-minute audio-recording) without receiving guided mindful meditation instructions. Thus, this condition will guide participants to have a typical mental experience of thinking freely about whatever comes to mind, without developing a mindful awareness of their internal experience.
Pre- to Post-Test Changes in Psychological Closure using the Closure and Resolution Scale (CRS)
Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Completely disagree, 7 = Completely agree), with higher scores reflecting greater levels of closure and resolution.
Time frame: Baseline (24-72 hours prior to the intervention) and post-test (immediately after intervention)
Pre- to Post-Test Changes in Negative Emotion using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Not at all, 5 = Extremely), with higher scores reflecting a stronger endorsement of that emotional experience.
Time frame: Baseline (24-72 hours prior to the intervention) and post-test (immediately after intervention)
Experiential Acceptance Towards Thoughts and Emotions
Using the acceptance subscale of The Southampton Experiential Avoidance and Acceptance Scale. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree, 7 = Strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater levels of openness towards internal experience.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention (post-test)
Reappraisal
Using the Regulation of Emotion Systems Survey. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater engagement in reappraisal during the assigned task.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention (post-test)
State Decentering
Using the Metacognitive Processes of Decentering-state scale. Items are rated on an 11-point Likert scale (0 = Not at all, 10 = Very much), with higher scores reflecting greater levels of state decentering (i.e., being aware of, disidentified with, and nonreactive to thoughts and emotions).
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention (post-test)
Memory Characteristics
Using the Memory Experience Questionnaire Short-Form. Measures distinct qualities of autobiographical memory (e.g., coherence, vividness, visual perspective). Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater endorsement of a given memory characteristic.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention (post-test)
State Mindfulness (Manipulation Check)
Using the State Mindfulness Scale. Administered as a manipulation check to measure participants' reports of mindful states during the assigned tasks. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Not at all, 5 = Very well), with higher scores indicating greater states of mindfulness.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention (post-test)
Start is estimated for Mar 2026; primary completion for Aug 2027, 17 months later.
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This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Windsor