Positive Health Online

Abstract

FENNELL and COLLEAGUES, 1. Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States; 2. Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States. Electronic address: ratchley@ku.edu explored how anger reduction via a single session of meditation might be measured using psychophysiological methodologies.

Background

The goal of the present study was to explore how anger reduction via a single session of meditation might be measured using psychophysiological methodologies.

Methodology

To achieve this, 15 novice meditators (Experiment 1) and 12 practiced meditators (Experiment 2) completed autobiographical anger inductions prior to, and following, meditation training while respiration rate, heart rate, and blood pressure were measured. Participants also reported subjective anger via a visual analog scale.

Results

At both stages, the experienced meditators' physiological reaction to the anger induction reflected that of relaxation: slowed breathing and heart rate and decreased blood pressure. Naïve meditators exhibited physiological reactions that were consistent with anger during the pre-meditation stage, while after meditation training and a second anger induction they elicited physiological evidence of relaxation.

Conclusion

The current results examining meditation training show that the naïve group's physiological measures mimicked those of the experienced group following a single session of meditation training.

References

Fennell AB1, Benau EM1, Atchley RA2. A single session of meditation reduces of physiological indices of anger in both experienced and novice meditators. Conscious Cogn.;40:54-66. Feb 2016. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.12.010. Epub Dec 31 2015.