The Relationship Between Focused Attention Meditation Practice Habits, Psychological Symptoms, and Quality of Life.
F Isil Bilican
Journal of Religion and Health December 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-016-0204-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Adults from New York, NY, practicing Ananda Marga spirituality |
| Measures | Symptom Check List-90-R, Quality of Life Index |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Ananda marga Focused attention meditation Psychological symptoms Quality of life Years of practice |
| Key findings | Meditation practice habits were not associated with improvements in psychological symptoms. More years of meditation practice were associated with better overall, social, and psychological/spiritual quality of life, while longer meditation periods per session were related to lower overall and economic quality of life. |
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between focused attention meditation practice habits, psychological symptoms, and quality of life. The participants were 30 adults from New York, NY, practicing Ananda Marga spirituality. They were administered the Symptom Check List-90-R and the Quality of Life Index. The findings pointed out while Ananda Marga meditation practice habits were not associated with improvements in psychological symptoms, longer years in meditation practice was associated with improvements in overall, social and psychological/spiritual quality of life. Longer periods of meditation practice per session were related to lower levels of overall quality of life and economic quality of life.
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
Cites 20
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial: The Effect of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Program on Mood and Symptoms of Stress in Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine September 1, 2000
- Meditation alters perceptual rivalry in Tibetan Buddhist monks Current Biology June 1, 2005
- Clinical Trials of Meditation Practices in Health Care: Characteristics and Quality The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine December 1, 2008
- Effectiveness of transcendental meditation on functional capacity and quality of life of African Americans with congestive heart failure: a randomized control study. 2007
and 15 more in the library