Crafting Clarity: Transforming Adolescent Perception and Mental Health through Meditation and Cognitive Reappraisal. A Mixed Method Study.

Overview

This study will evaluate how a comprehensive meditation-based program, Inner Engineering, supports teens ages 15–18 in becoming more joyful, focused, resilient, and better equipped to manage stress and thrive. Through this study, researchers will examine whether practices like meditation, yoga, and cognitive reframing can expand adolescents’ Perception Boxes—helping them view and respond to challenges with greater clarity and balance. The study will assess mental and physical impacts through self-report, physiological, and neuroimaging methods.

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by heightened vulnerability to mental health challenges and increased neuroplasticity, making it an ideal window for preventive interventions. This mixed-method randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluates the efficacy of a secular, multimodal contemplative program—Inner Engineering—in enhancing psychological wellbeing, cognitive flexibility, and physiological balance among adolescents aged 15–18. Participants (N=96) will be randomized to either the intervention or a meditation-naïve control group.



The intervention training integrates cognitive reappraisal, breath-based meditation, and yoga-based postures, followed by daily practice. Assessments will occur at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks, and will include self-report questionnaires, behavioral tasks, EEG, fMRI, wearable physiological monitoring (HR, HRV, sleep, respiration, SPO2), and blood-based biomarkers of inflammation and neuroplasticity. Qualitative interviews will provide additional insight into the lived experiences of intervention participants.



Central to this study is the concept of the Perception Box—a dynamic lens through which individuals interpret life events. The intervention aims to support its expansion, enabling more adaptive, inclusive, and empowered ways of perceiving external situations and internal states.



This is the first comprehensive RCT to investigate the multidimensional impact of an integrated contemplative program on the developing adolescent mental health, physiological and neural outcomes and perception . Findings may support scalable, evidence-based contemplative education tools to promote clarity, resilience, and expanded perception in youth.

Broader Impact

This study hopes to create an easy-to-access, science-backed program that supports teen wellbeing and empowers them to thrive as they transition into adulthood.