Better together than alone? Investigating dyadic compassion meditation in an experimental study
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships October 30, 2023 Leonie Schültke, M. Warth, G. Alpers et al.
A brief compassion meditation session, whether done individually or with a partner, improves social closeness and positive affect while reducing negative affect. Contrary to expectations, dyadic meditation did not produce greater self-reported social closeness than individual meditation. However, heart rate variability (HRV) decreased during individual meditation but not during dyadic meditation, suggesting that individual compassion meditation may require more effort. The findings indicate that brief compassion meditation can enhance socio-emotional well-being regardless of setting.