A new study out of UC San Diego finds that a meditation-based therapy called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) may help rewire how the brain experiences joy—reducing opioid cravings and restoring emotional balance in people living with pain and addiction.

Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the study offers compelling evidence that mindfulness isn’t just calming—it can be biologically transformative.

“Opioid addiction decreases the brain’s ability to experience natural healthy pleasure, driving increased cravings for the drug,” said lead author Eric Garland, Ph.D. “Our research shows that MORE helps restore this capacity, reducing cravings and potentially preventing opioid misuse.”

The research focused on 160 adults with chronic pain, including many at risk for or diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD). Through fMRI scans and behavioral tests, the study found that people with OUD struggled to feel joy from positive images like sunsets, puppies, or smiling faces. Their brains showed dulled responses—what scientists call “positive affect blunting.”

But after just eight weeks of mindfulness training through MORE, participants showed significantly improved brain activity when viewing those same images—and 50% lower opioid cravings than those who received supportive therapy alone.

MORE combines mindfulness meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and positive psychology—training patients to stay present, regulate cravings, and reconnect with meaningful, non-drug-related pleasures.

And it’s not just promising—it’s proven. In clinical trials:

• Opioid misuse dropped 45% nine months after MORE, nearly triple the reduction seen with standard therapy.
• Half of participants reported major reductions in chronic pain.
• Relapse and treatment dropout fell by over 40% and 50%, respectively when MORE was added to standard addiction care.

Perhaps most striking: for every $1 spent on MORE, researchers estimate $798 in savings from fewer overdoses, medical costs, and lost productivity.

The study highlights the importance of cognitive treatments such as that of cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness meditation in addiction instead of common mainstream treatments of just chemical therapy.

So whether or not one has addiction issues, everyone should pursue mindfulness practices in their daily life for their benefits including liberation daily addictions such as television or doom scrolling and relief from everyday pain.

E Garland et al. Positive Emotion Dysregulation in Opioid Use Disorder and Normalization by Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry (2025). doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.0569