Loving-kindness meditation: a field study
Contemporary Buddhism November 1, 2013 DOI: 10.1080/14639947.2013.832494 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants at two metta meditation retreats |
| Intervention | Metta meditation |
| Duration | Retreat duration plus two-week follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Gratitude Happiness Kindness Psychoanalysis Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | Metta meditation retreats were associated with increases in happiness and compassionate love and decreases in avoidance, revenge, depression, anxiety, and stress. |
Abstract
AbstractSurveys were conducted at two metta meditation retreats in order to examine the psychological effects of metta meditation. Participants were invited to complete the survey at the beginning of the retreat, at the end of the retreat, and two weeks after the end of the retreat. Participants completed the same scales at each time phase, which included measures of happiness, compassionate love, revenge and avoidance motivation, gratitude, and a depression, anxiety and stress scale. Significant increases were found in happiness and compassionate love, reductions in avoidance and revenge, and reductions on the depression, anxiety and stress subscales. AcknowledgementsThank you to Bhante Sujato who kindly allowed this study to be conducted at his retreats, and for being supportive of this research. Thank you to Professor Ladd Wheeler for valuable advice, for supporting this research and for reading drafts of this paper. Thank you to Mike Jones for statistical advice and to Dania Percy for assisting with data collection for the second study. Finally, thank you to all the participants who generously took the time to participate in this research.Additional informationNotes on contributorsBeatrice AlbaBeatrice Alba is a second-year PhD student at Macquarie University, under the supervision of Ladd Wheeler and Doris McIlwain. She is currently undertaking her doctoral research in the area of social and personality psychology.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review Frontiers in Psychology November 3, 2015
- Promoting Peace Through Meditation Peace psychology book series 2019
- Frequent loving kindness meditation relates to lower anxiety in long term practitioners through higher self compassion and cognitive flexibility. Scientific Reports March 29, 2026
- Pengembangan Media Video Tutorial Loving-Kindness Meditation untuk Meningkatkan Regulasi Emosi Mahasiswa Universitas Negeri Jakarta INSIGHT: Jurnal Bimbingan Konseling June 30, 2023
Cites 32
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
and 27 more in the library