Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow states
BackgroundA 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),...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.907846/full |
| _version_ | 1798018774093266944 |
|---|---|
| author | Dawson Church Peta Stapleton Donna Gosatti Tom O’Keefe |
| author_facet | Dawson Church Peta Stapleton Donna Gosatti Tom O’Keefe |
| author_sort | Dawson Church |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundA 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.ObjectivesChanges 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.MethodsParticipants 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.ResultsPost-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.ConclusionEcoMeditation 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:28:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eb0eab39fdb3487091bd440d89f76abf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:28:40Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-eb0eab39fdb3487091bd440d89f76abf2022-12-22T04:14:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-11-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.907846907846Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow statesDawson Church0Peta Stapleton1Donna Gosatti2Tom O’Keefe3National Institute for Integrative Healthcare, Fulton, CA, United StatesSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, AustraliaSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, AustraliaSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, AustraliaBackgroundA 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.ObjectivesChanges 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.MethodsParticipants 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.ResultsPost-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.ConclusionEcoMeditation 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.907846/fullmeditationanxietydepressionPTSDgroup therapyvirtual |
| spellingShingle | Dawson Church Peta Stapleton Donna Gosatti Tom O’Keefe Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow states Frontiers in Psychology meditation anxiety depression PTSD group therapy virtual |
| title | Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow states |
| title_full | Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow states |
| title_fullStr | Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow states |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow states |
| title_short | Effect of virtual group EcoMeditation on psychological conditions and flow states |
| title_sort | effect of virtual group ecomeditation on psychological conditions and flow states |
| topic | meditation anxiety depression PTSD group therapy virtual |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.907846/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dawsonchurch effectofvirtualgroupecomeditationonpsychologicalconditionsandflowstates AT petastapleton effectofvirtualgroupecomeditationonpsychologicalconditionsandflowstates AT donnagosatti effectofvirtualgroupecomeditationonpsychologicalconditionsandflowstates AT tomokeefe effectofvirtualgroupecomeditationonpsychologicalconditionsandflowstates |