Is spirituality a critical ingredient of meditation? Comparing the effects of spiritual meditation, secular meditation, and relaxation on spiritual, psychological, cardiac, and pain outcomes.
Amy B Wachholtz, Kenneth I Pargament
Journal of Behavioral Medicine August 2005 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-005-9008-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Spiritual Meditation Secular Meditation Relaxation |
| Dose | 20 min a day for two weeks |
| Duration | Two-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Spiritual Meditation produced greater reductions in anxiety, more positive mood, and higher spiritual health and experiences than the other groups, and pain tolerance was nearly double that of the other groups. |
Abstract
This study compared secular and spiritual forms of meditation to assess the benefits of a spiritual intervention. Participants were taught a meditation or relaxation technique to practice for 20 min a day for two weeks. After two weeks, participants returned to the lab, practiced their technique for 20 min, and placed their hand in a cold-water bath of 2 degrees C for as long as they could endure it. The length of time that individuals kept their hand in the water bath was measured. Pain, anxiety, mood, and the spiritual health were assessed following the two-week intervention. Significant interactions occurred (time x group); the Spiritual Meditation group had greater decreases in anxiety and more positive mood, spiritual health, and spiritual experiences than the other two groups. They also tolerated pain almost twice as long as the other two groups.
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 53
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
- Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science PLoS One November 7, 2018
- Sustained Impact of MBSR on Stress, Well-Being, and Daily Spiritual Experiences for 1 Year in Academic Health Care Employees The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine October 1, 2011
- A preliminary study of spiritual self‐schema (3‐S+) therapy for reducing impulsivity in HIV‐positive drug users Journal of Clinical Psychology September 7, 2007
- Mindfulness in migraine: A narrative review Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics January 14, 2020
and 48 more in the library
Cites 5
- Stress Reduction through Mindfulness Meditation Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
- Ketosis with enhanced GABAergic tone promotes physiological changes in transcendental meditation. Medical Hypotheses April 2000
- ACTH and beta-endorphin in transcendental meditation. Physiology & Behavior June 1, 1998
- A controlled study of the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on cardiovascular reactivity and ambulatory blood pressure. International Journal of Neuroscience January 1997
- Hormonal control in a state of decreased activation: potentiation of arginine vasopressin secretion. Physiology & Behavior October 1, 1985