How does brief guided mindfulness meditation enhance empathic concern in novice meditators?: A pilot test of the suggestion hypothesis vs. the mindfulness hypothesis.
Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) January 1, 2022 Motohide Miyahara, Rebekah Wilson, Tessa Pocock et al.
Two preliminary studies tested whether brief guided mindfulness meditation increases empathic concern because of verbal suggestion or because of the mindfulness state itself. A pilot randomized trial compared sitting (breath-and-body) meditation with compassion meditation, providing preliminary support for the mindfulness hypothesis. A second study ruled out repeated-measures effects by having an inactive control group undergo the same empathic-concern measures without meditation; no significant changes occurred. Together, the results support the mindfulness hypothesis over the suggestion hypothesis.