Meditation Quality Matters: Effects of Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditations on Subjective Well-being are Associated with Meditation Quality

Xianglong Zeng, Yuan Zheng, Xiaodan Gu, Rong Wang () and Tian PS. Oei
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Xianglong Zeng: National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Beijing Normal University
Yuan Zheng: National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Beijing Normal University
Xiaodan Gu: National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Beijing Normal University
Rong Wang: Shenzhen University
Tian PS. Oei: The University of Queensland

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2023, vol. 24, issue 1, No 10, 229 pages

Abstract: Abstract Loving-kindness and compassion meditations (LKCM) are considered a promising practice for increasing long-term well-being. While previous studies have mainly focused on meditation practice quantity, the current study provides an initial exploration of the quality of meditation during multiweek LKCM training. Data were collected through offline (Study 1; N = 41) and online (Study 2; N = 243) LKCM interventions. Quality of meditation was measured using two kinds of difficulties experienced during LKCM each week/unit (i.e., difficulty in concentration and difficulty in generating prosocial attitudes). Subjective well-being (SWB) was assessed by life satisfaction before and after training as well as positive and negative emotions each week/unit. Two studies consistently suggested that meditation quality was significantly associated with changes in SWB. Study 1 even showed that quality had a stronger association with SWB than did meditation quantity. Moreover, both short-term (measured each week/unit) and long-term (measured across the entire training period) associations between the quality of meditation and SWB were significant. Focusing on meditation quality, our findings provide theoretical and methodological pathways for understanding the contribution of meditation practice to LKCM training, which is helpful for guiding future research and best practices.

Keywords: loving-kindness meditation; subjective well-being; appreciative joy; does-effect relationship; best practice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-022-00582-7

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