Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow states.
Dawson Church, Peta Stapleton, Donna Gosatti, Tom O'Keefe
Frontiers in Psychology 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.907846 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post with follow-up Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 151 |
| Population | Adults aged 26 to 71 attending a virtual workshop |
| Interventions | Emotional Freedom Techniques mindfulness |
| Duration | One-day workshop, 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Ecomeditation Emotional freedom techniques Group therapy Virtual |
| Key points | EcoMeditation is associated with significant improvements in anxiety, depression, pain, posttraumatic stress, happiness, flow states, and transcendent experiences, sustained at three-month follow-up. |
Abstract
A plethora of literature has delineated the therapeutic benefits of meditation practice on psychological functioning. A novel meditative practice, EcoMeditation, includes elements of four evidence-based techniques: The Quick Coherence Technique for regulating heart rate variability (HRV), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), mindfulness, and neurofeedback. Changes in psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, pain, and happiness were measured following a one-day virtual EcoMeditation training workshop. The current study extended on previous literature by adding measures of transcendent experiences and flow states. Participants were drawn from a convenience sample of 151 participants (130 female, 21 male) aged between 26 to 71 years (M = 45.1, SD = 9.19) attending a one-day virtual EcoMeditation workshop. They were assessed pre-workshop, post-workshop, and at 3-months follow-up. Post-workshop results (N = 111) indicated a significant reduction in anxiety (-42.3%, p < 0.001), depression (-37.5%, p < 0.001), posttraumatic stress (-13.0%, p < 0.001), and pain (-63.2%, p < 0.001) Likert mean scores when compared to pre-workshop. There was also a significant increase in happiness (+111.1%, p < 0.001), flow states (+17.4%, p < 0.001), and transcendent experiences (+18.5%, p < 0.001). At 3-months follow-up, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA (N = 72) found significant decreases in anxiety, depression, and pain symptoms between pre-test and post-test, as well between pre-test and follow-up. Flow, happiness, and transcendent experiences increased significantly between pre-test and post-test, as well as between pre-test and follow-up, with over 71% of participants experiencing clinically significant improvements. Significant reductions in posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms between pre-test and follow-up were also noted. EcoMeditation is associated with significant improvements in psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, pain, and posttraumatic stress. EcoMeditation was also shown to enhance flow states and transcendent experiences. The benefits identified were similar to those found in the existing literature and provide support for the use of EcoMeditation as an effective stress reduction method that improves psychological symptoms and enhances transcendent states.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- A Unifying Framework of Meditation Techniques Mindfulness February 1, 2026
- Educating through (Re)connection: Contributions of contemplative sciences and meditative practices for a new mindset in education Seven Editora eBooks August 12, 2023
- Unlocking Flow Through Mindfulness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. The Journal of Psychology 2026
Cites 14
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology May 1, 2007
and 9 more in the library