Abstract
Objectives
In contrast to formal meditation, which involves setting aside other activities to engage in contemplative practice, informal meditation can happen at any moment within the flow of daily activities. Whether informal meditation practice improves well-being is unclear. The purpose of this investigation was to test hypotheses about the day-to-day socioemotional profiles and dose–response relations, both within persons and between persons, associated with informal meditation practice.
Methods
Midlife adults (N = 231), new to meditation, were randomized to learn either mindfulness meditation or loving–kindness meditation in a 6-week workshop that taught both formal and informal meditation practices. The frequency of informal meditation practice was measured daily for 9 weeks. Likewise, formal meditation, emotions, and perceptions of social integration were also measured daily.
Results
Multilevel models of daily reports over a 9-week period revealed significant dose–response relations between the frequency of informal meditation and positive emotions and perceived social integration—both within persons and between persons (positive emotions: within-person b = 0.05, 95% CI [0.03, 0.07], between-person b = 0.35, 95% CI [0.20, 0.51]; social integration: within-person b = 0.11, 95% CI [0.07, 0.14], between-person b = 0.41, 95% CI [0.12, 0.70]). Effects were comparable for the distinct informal practices of mindfulness and loving–kindness, and were statistically independent of the effects of formal meditation practice.
Conclusions
The present research demonstrated that, distinct from formal meditation practice, informal meditation practice is linked to both positive emotions and social integration in a dose–response manner.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the study participants who devoted time and energy across months to be involved in this research.
Funding
This investigation was supported by a research grant awarded to Barbara L. Fredrickson by the National Cancer Institute (R01CA170128) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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BLF designed the study, secured funding, and wrote the paper. CA analyzed the data and wrote sections of the paper. PVC collaborated with the study design and edited the final manuscript. AMF collaborated on the assessment strategy and oversaw all data collection and procedural fidelity. MMB and SLK designed and taught the meditation workshops and collaborated on the assessment strategy. JB and SS oversaw the design of the mediation workshops and collaborated on the assessment strategy. All authors approved of the final version of the submitted manuscript.
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Fredrickson, B.L., Arizmendi, C., Van Cappellen, P. et al. Do Contemplative Moments Matter? Effects of Informal Meditation on Emotions and Perceived Social Integration. Mindfulness 10, 1915–1925 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01154-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01154-2