Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Musical Aesthetic Emotion Processing
Xiaolin Liu, Yong U Liu, Huijuan Shi, Maoping Zheng
Frontiers in Psychology July 21, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648062 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 67 |
| Population | Non-musically trained university students (65.7% female, age 18–22) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Dose | single 10-min recorded session |
| Duration | Single session, no follow-up reported |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Music aesthetics Music emotion Beauty |
| Key findings | Temporary mindfulness meditation decreased negative emotional experiences of happy and sad music and positive emotional experiences of calm music, and promoted beautiful musical experiences in individuals with no musical training. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation is a form of self-regulatory training for the mind and the body. The relationship between mindfulness meditation and musical aesthetic emotion processing (MAEP) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of temporary mindfulness meditation on MAEP while listening to Chinese classical folk instrumental musical works. A 2 [(groups: mindfulness meditation group (MMG); control group (CG)] × 3 (music emotions: calm music, happy music, and sad music) mixed experimental design and a convenience sample of university students were used to verify our hypotheses, which were based on the premise that temporary mindfulness meditation may affect MAEP (MMG vs. CG). Sixty-seven non-musically trained participants (65.7% female, age range: 18–22 years) were randomly assigned to two groups (MMG or CG). Participants in MMG were given a single 10-min recorded mindfulness meditation training before and when listening to music. The instruments for psychological measurement comprised of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Self-report results showed no significant between-group differences for PANAS and for the scores of four subscales of the FFMQ (p > 0.05 throughout), except for the non-judging of inner experience subscale. Results showed that temporary mindfulness meditation training decreased the negative emotional experiences of happy and sad music and the positive emotional experiences of calm music during recognition and experience and promoted beautiful musical experiences in individuals with no musical training. Maintaining a state of mindfulness while listening to music enhanced body awareness and led to experiencing a faster passage of musical time. In addition, it was found that Chinese classical folk instrumental musical works effectively induced aesthetic emotion and produced multidimensional aesthetic experiences among non-musically trained adults. This study provides new insights into the relationship between mindfulness and music emotion.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Music mindfulness acutely modulates autonomic activity and improves psychological state in anxiety and depression. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2025
- The effects of mindfulness meditation training on musical aesthetic emotion processing in Chinese pop music: an empirical study of musically trained individuals. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Subjective Time in Ordinary and Non-ordinary States of Consciousness: How Interoceptive Feelings Inform Us About the Passage of Time. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2025
- Mindful Moments: Exploring On-the-go Mindfulness Practice On Smart-glasses Conference on Designing Interactive Systems July 10, 2023
- Real-time Sensing and NeuroFeedback for Practicing Meditation Using simultaneous EEG and Eye Tracking 2022 IEEE Region 10 Symposium July 1, 2022
and 1 more in the library
Cites 22
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- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
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