Effects of a classical music meditation program on metacognitive awareness and empathy: a simple mediation model informed by Buddhist mindfulness theory.
Frontiers in Psychology January 22, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1713818 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational comparison study with mediation analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 50 |
| Population | Adults participating in a classical music meditation program |
| Intervention | reflective practice |
| Duration | 8-week program |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Participants in an 8-week classical music meditation program showed greater increases in metacognitive awareness and empathy than a comparison group. Metacognitive awareness accounted for a statistically significant indirect association between program participation and empathy, which the authors propose as a cognitive pathway linking music-based meditation to socio-emotional functioning. |
Abstract
Background: Meditation- and music-based interventions have been associated with cognitive and socio-emotional benefits. However, empirical research examining how classical music meditation informed by Buddhist mindfulness theory relates to metacognitive awareness and empathy remains limited.
Objective: The present study examined whether participation in a classical music meditation program was associated with changes in metacognitive awareness and empathy, and whether metacognitive awareness served as a statistical mediator within a simple mediation framework.
Methods: Fifty adults participated in an 8-week classical music meditation program integrating structured music listening, reflective practice, and guided mindfulness. Metacognitive awareness and empathy were assessed using standardized self-report measures. Data were analyzed using the PROCESS macro (version 4.2; Model 4) to test a simple mediation model.
Results: Participants in the meditation group demonstrated greater increases in metacognitive awareness and empathy compared to a comparison group. Mediation analyses indicated that metacognitive awareness accounted for a statistically significant indirect association between participation in the meditation program and empathy.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that a Buddhist-inspired classical music meditation program is associated with enhanced metacognitive awareness and empathy, with metacognitive awareness accounting for part of this relationship. These results contribute to research on contemplative practices by clarifying a cognitive pathway through which music-based meditation may relate to socio-emotional functioning.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Zen priests and disciples of Zen sects of Buddhism | 1966 | Observational study | n = 48 |
| “Thinking about Not-Thinking”: Neural Correlates of Conceptual Processing during Zen Meditation Regular Zen practitioners and matched control subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation Healthy adults who had not previously practiced any form of meditation | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion 20 Zen meditation experts and 20 healthy matched non-meditators | 2016 | Observational cohort | n = 40 |
| EEG dynamics of experienced Zen meditation practitioners probed by complexity index and spectral measure Experienced Zen meditation practitioners and matched controls | 2009 | Observational cohort | n = 46 |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Meditation on Empathy, Compassion, and Prosocial Behaviors. Mindfulness June 1, 2018
- Meditation and Music Improve Memory and Cognitive Function in Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Journal of Alzheimer's Disease January 18, 2017
- Domain-specific enhancement of metacognitive ability following meditation training. Journal of Experimental Psychology General October 1, 2014
- Compassion training alters altruism and neural responses to suffering. Psychological Science July 1, 2013