An increasing number of studies related to LGBT inclusion on university campuses have emerged over the past few years. While a number of these studies address complex challenges encountered in Western religious universities, very little research has investigated religious universities in Eastern, Sinophone communities. This study sheds light on a mentor system at a prominent Buddhist university in Taiwan to investigate mentors\' understandings of and interactions with LGBT students. Through the use of both qualitative and quantitative measures, the researchers found very few mentors were even aware of interactions with LGBT students. A thematic analysis of focus group data found the mentors\' understandings and attitudes could be classified into three distinct categories ranging from very supportive to unintentionally discriminatory. Overall, it seems Confucian values, rather than Buddhist doctrines, is a far more influential factor on mentors\' understandings and attitudes toward LGBT individuals. In particular, conflicts between Confucian thought and LGBT inclusive practices may arise when individuals concurrently display a strong desire to help, Confucian understandings of \"family,\" and very little understanding of gender or sexuality. Finally, this study offers recommendations for future research and universities.

This paper reflects the legacy of Jeremy Safran\'s application of Buddhist principles to clinical practice and supervision. The rebirth of his life and work in the clinical work and supervision of his students is examined. The paper explores transformation or enlightenment in cyclical spaces of loss and suffering or samsara.

The following is a meditative reflection on an anecdote from Jeremy Safran\'s Psychoanalysis and Buddhism. Moving through Safran\'s description of an important moment in his development as a student of Buddhism, the author weaves images, practices, and ways of being and feeling into an homage to Safran\'s legacy integrating psychoanalytic and Buddhist praxis and epistemology.

The prevalence of autism is increasing worldwide. The majority of autism research and development of autism assessments and interventions has been conducted in Western cultures. The prevalence of autism is reportedly lower in Asian versus Western cultures, but this is likely due to lack of personnel and uniform criteria for diagnosing autism. This article describes how two Asian cultures, Taiwan and Thailand, are dealing with the increasing identification of autistic children. National universal healthcare in both Taiwan and Thailand provides a mechanism for assessment and diagnosis of young children, but a lack of a sufficient number of trained professionals limits the availability of intervention services. A focus of research in these cultures has been on parents\' experiences and coping with the stigma and stress of having an autistic child. Cultural values associated with Confucianism and Buddhism influence attitudes toward persons with disability and how parents of autistic children experience and cope with stigma and stress. Both areas have national laws that provide a range of educational opportunities for autistic children, including inclusion into general education classrooms. Special education and general education teachers, however, have little specific training in autism. Speech and language services are rarely offered in public school programs. Available speech and language services are limited to consultation with teachers a few times a year. In general, parents of autistic children are supportive of inclusion programs, but teachers and parents of both autistic and typically developing children express concerns about the ability to implement such programs in ways that are beneficial to all children.

From the perspective of a poet and first-year psychoanalytic training candidate, this paper develops Jeremy Safran\'s ideas about the dialectic between psychoanalysis and Buddhism by drawing an analogy between their processes and those of a poetry practice to define an alternative to pathological dissociation under capitalist systems of value. The paper details the writer\'s experience of working a day job in an office and the pathological dissociation which she subsequently attempts to overcome and critique through writing poetry. Various poems written at work are shared and analyzed as evidence. Drawing from Safran\'s edited volume, Psychoanalysis and Buddhism, the author then identifies aspects of Zen Buddhist meditation practice and the psychoanalytic process that focus on connecting with reality, however conflicted, as opposed to escaping it. This paper was written under the mentorship of the psychoanalyst and Zen teacher Barry Magid.

BACKGROUND: We tested and validated the German version of a new instrument for measuring \"wakefulness,\" defined as \"an expansive, higher-functioning, and stable state of being in which a person\'s vision of and relationship to the world are transformed, along with their subjective experience, their sense of identity and their conceptual outlook\" (Taylor, 2017, p. 22).
METHODS: In order to test the construct validity of the new instrument (Inventory of Secular/Spiritual Wakefulness; WAKE-16), we performed a parametric comparison between a group of expert meditators (n=36) with a history of predominantly meditating in silence and demographically matched non-meditators (n=36) for the WAKE-16 and two conceptually related questionnaires of mindfulness and emotion regulation.
RESULTS: Significantly higher scores for the meditators on the WAKE-16 indicate construct validity of the new instrument. Meditators scored higher on the two mindfulness subscales \"presence\" and \"acceptance,\" as well as on the SEE subscales of emotion regulation and body-related symbolization of emotions. Within the group of meditators, there were significant correlations between wakefulness and mindfulness, accepting one\'s own emotions, and experiencing overwhelming emotions. The only significant correlation in non-meditators was found between wakefulness and accepting one\'s own emotions.
CONCLUSIONS: The new instrument shows construct validity by discriminating between the two groups. Correlations between wakefulness and related psychological constructs indicate convergent validity. Future studies could attempt to increase discriminatory accuracy of the definition of wakefulness, as well as finding objective methods of measuring.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the experiences of individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing haemodialysis and their caregivers, focusing on the disease\'s impact and the treatment process.
BACKGROUND: In Sri Lanka, CKD is a growing health concern, particularly affecting farming communities and contributing to the strain on the biomedical healthcare system. Despite increasing awareness of CKD\'s physical implications, its psychosocial impact remains underexplored. This study seeks to fill this gap, aiming to inform culturally sensitive interventions and improve the healthcare system\'s responsiveness to the unique needs of Sinhala Buddhist individuals with CKD and their caregivers.
METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study.
METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 individuals undergoing haemodialysis and 5 caregivers at a dialysis unit. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using conventional qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS: The analysis revealed three interrelated main themes: (1) impact on standard of living (quality of life), (2) coping strategies and (3) medical experience, with a notable influence of traditional beliefs and practices.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the need for a holistic approach to CKD management that integrates physical, emotional, psychological and social aspects, considering the significant role of traditional influences. Further research is essential to develop effective interventions that can enhance the quality of life for CKD.
UNASSIGNED: The lived experiences of Sinhala Buddhist individuals with CKD and their caregivers served as a cornerstone, providing profound insights into the impact of the condition on their lives. Throughout the study, these participants played an instrumental role in refining the research\'s cultural sensitivity and relevance. Their engagement extended beyond the data collection phase to encompass feedback sessions, where they actively shared their perspectives. This ongoing collaboration ensured the study\'s depth and applicability to real-world experiences. By actively involving those directly affected by CKD, this collaborative approach safeguards that the study remains rooted in their voices and addresses their unique needs.
UNASSIGNED: This study adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines (the COREQ checklist).
BACKGROUND: This study is not a clinical trial, and thus, registration is not applicable.

In this comment paper on von Fircks (2023a), I would like to focus on four issues and offer some reflections on them: first, what is happening in the process of a new I arising through mindfulness meditation practice? I would like to supplement the dialogue between Buber and Rogers in 1957 on the dynamism of I and Me, which is the basis of Mead\'s theory of self formation, in which I and Me separate, discover and meet a new self. The second, is that meditation, which at first glance appears to be an internal meditation practice and a personal activity, leads to a semiotic mediated social process. The Tao and early Buddhist ideas that form the background to the experiential process of mindfulness meditation will be reviewed, and the significance of people experiencing the interdependence of non-human nature and the environment through the practice will be discussed. Third, connecting this to the idea of Umwelt (Uexküll) and the semiosphere (Lotman), an attempt is made to extend the otherness as a collating body of self formation to Umwelt. Fourth, mindfulness meditation focuses attention on the breath. In relation to Mead\'s focus on the environment under the skin, i.e. corporeality, I will supplement the psychological meaning of cultivating the body\'s sense of interoception through the sensing of repetitive movements of tension and relaxation. Through the above, what kind of semiotic mediating function does mindfulness meditation have in relation to the construction of the new I, and how does it lead to the creation of social meaning? We would like to discuss these points. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The article does not contain any studies with clinical trial. This, clinical Trial registration is not applicable.

Stigmatization is a significant healthcare barrier among individuals who utilize substances during pregnancy. Of the 3.6 million U.S. births each year, approximately 10% are affected by perinatal substance use, an estimate which is likely underestimated due to fear of stigma and prosecution. Of those experiencing perinatal substance use, less than 11% receive treatment, while maternal deaths due to overdose during the postpartum period have increased by 81% from 2017 to 2020. Societal perception of non-pregnant individuals experiencing substance use disorders recognizes the biological basis of addiction, whereas for pregnant individuals, societal perception slides into moral failing as the basis of addiction. Many recommendations and guidelines for decreasing substance use stigmatization among non-pregnant and pregnant individuals exist. We focus on the use of mindfulness in recognizing and addressing structural and social stigma within healthcare systems. Mindfulness has been extracted from its roots as an essential element of the Eightfold Path in Buddhism, which largely centers on living ethically to reduce suffering of self and others. By acknowledging the roots of mindfulness, providers can engage mindfully in practices that help identify one\'s overarching personal values and encourage one to lead healthcare encounters compassion and willingness to support help-seeking community members who are experiencing suffering. A deeper awareness of mindfulness practices within the context of ethical conduct can support healthcare shifts away from criminalization toward more patient- and family-centered approaches.

UNASSIGNED: Research indicates that exam anxiety may decline with mindfulness-based interventions but there is a lack of research on adolescents\' accounts of the processes involved. We explored high-school students\' descriptions of how they perceived and applied mindfulness in managing anxiety-inducing thoughts related to academic performance following an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course.
UNASSIGNED: Post-course individual semi-structured interviews with 22 high school students (2 males, mean age 17.8 years) were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
UNASSIGNED: The analyses identified six themes: (1) Noticing and attending to the attention-binding \"maelstrom\" of anxious thoughts and feelings (2) Attending to the breath to cope with the maelstrom, (3) \"removing\" and \"getting rid of\" anxious thoughts (4) Being able to \"think\" (5) awareness of more helpful thoughts, and (6) Agency and control. The findings are discussed in light of the Buddhist notion of \"unwholesome thoughts\" and the distinction between thought suppression and the use of breathing as a benign distraction. We propose that mindfulness encompasses both a receptive, nonjudgmental awareness and an active, intentional redirection of attention.
UNASSIGNED: Mindfulness training aided participants by enhancing their capacity to disengage from fear-engaging thoughts, thereby maintaining them within their window of tolerance and facilitating cognitive processing.