Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Loving-kindness meditation'

Meditation is increasingly integrated into therapeutic interventions. Metta (loving-kindness) meditation, which cultivates compassion, is relatively unstudied. Metta’s emphasis on compassion has spurred speculation that metta meditation may benefit mental health professionals at risk for compassion fatigue, a condition characterized by depression-like symptoms that results from paying witness to others’ trauma. The current study employed psychological phenomenology—a qualitative research methodology which uncovers the essential meaning of an experience—to explore mental health professionals’ lived experiences of metta meditation. Moustakas’s recommendations for phenomenology guided data collection and analysis. Semi-structured interviews with 17 mental health professionals, clinicians and clinical supervisors, yielded 58 invariant components clustered into eight themes regarding metta meditation experience. These themes were used to write textural descriptions for each participant, from which a textural composite was created. Structural mechanisms interwoven into the composite created the essential description of participants’ lived experience of metta meditation. Implications are discussed.

Section A: summarises theory and research relevant to the role of compassion in the work of psychological therapists. Two approaches that are thought to cultivate compassion, namely, mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation (LKM), are introduced and their potential for fostering compassion in therapists is explored. Following this, extant empirical studies examining the effects of mindfulness-based and loving-kindness interventions on compassion are critically evaluated. Limitations and gaps in the existing evidence base are discussed, and the need for further research, such as studies using LKM with therapists, is outlined. Section B: Objectives. Emerging research suggests that loving-kindness meditation (LKM) increases well-being and compassion whilst being difficult to engage with. Since there is a need to cultivate self-care and compassion in trainee therapists (TT), this study aimed to explore how TT experience a course of LKM. Design. A qualitative design using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was applied in order to gain a detailed understanding of the experience of LKM and the meaning participants gave to it. Methods. Twelve TT who had previously attended a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy course took part in a six-session long LKM course and were interviewed about their experience. Results. Five master themes were identified ‘Engaging with the practice’, ‘Impact on self’, ‘Impact on relationships’, ‘Bringing compassion into the therapy room’, and ‘Integrating LKM into life’. Participants perceived LKM to have led to increased self-awareness, compassion for self and others, and therapeutic presence and skills. At the same time, LKM was experienced as emotionally challenging. Conclusions. LKM may be a useful tool for enhancing self-care and compassion in TT. Further research is needed to extend the findings and implications for the use of LKM with TT and other populations are discussed. Section C: summarises critical reflections on the process of conducting this research study, including the researcher‟s learning experience, implications for training and clinical practice, and further research.

In this thesis I seek to establish an understanding of Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM), and to identify and evaluate the effects on wellbeing, that are claimed by practitioners and previous research. The context in which the thesis sits is the current focus on finding ways to improve wellbeing in the general public, to which LKM has the potential to contribute, given its unique focus on affect and connectedness, and their associated links with wellbeing. A mixed methods design was developed following a review of the limited current literature base. The review revealed discrepancies in how LKM was being employed. This included whether LKM was studied alone or in conjunction with other practices, the duration of exposure to LKM, and which aspects of the practice that were focused on during the practice. These differences may account for the variation in efficacy and the range of outcomes observed across the literature bases. As such, a programme exploring the impact of LKM on wellbeing, to test and affirm this assumption from theory and previous research findings, that employed a form of LKM that was reflective of realistic, everyday practice, was seen as useful. Two qualitative based studies were therefore used to establish an understanding of the practice, with practitioners who had a range of experience with LKM. The first study looked to clarify what the main aspects of the practice are, by interviewing very experienced LKM practitioners. Three themes emerged which spanned all aspects of the practice. Combined, these indicated that there was variation in how the practice is engaged with across the sample, with key components of the practice such as it being viewed more as a way of being, and elements such as connectedness and wholeness emerging as core underlying factors of the practice. The second study built on this, by expanding the sample to see whether the perception and understanding of the practice established from study one was consistent, or whether it was a viewpoint held by practitioners with extensive practice. To maintain depth of understanding, while identifying patterns of similar views, Q methodology was employed to sample a wide range of LKM practitioners. The resulting analysis indicated that there were consistent views held by the whole sample, evidenced by the placement of a few statements regarding the importance of the practice as a whole, as well as the self and enemies in the same area of the grid by all participants. This served to confirm, as well as add to, the key factors of the practice that had been observed in study one. The outcomes from the first two studies therefore fed into the design of the second two, which were more quantitative in design, and explored the impact of LKM in settings that were high in ecological validity; one online and one face to face. The third study made use of an existing programme, to explore the effects of the practice, as much of the previous literature focuses on interventions and programmes developed for purpose. The findings showed increases in wellbeing related measures, with exploratory analyses suggesting that self-compassion may be a key variable in linking LKM to improvements in wellbeing. The fourth study built on the findings from each of the previous studies, and explored the effects of an LKM programme developed to be in line with how existing practitioners engage with LKM. Additionally, to explore whether the focus of LKM resulted in different changes to other practices, a Mindfulness group was included as an active control. Findings suggested that LKM could impact positively on wellbeing related measures, with a measure of connectedness differing between the LKM and MM group in terms of magnitude of change. This indicated that connectedness is a core part of the LKM practice, compared to Mindfulness. Combined, the four studies complement one another in presenting a holistic understanding of LKM practice; how it can be understood, how it is practised, as well as what impacts the practice has. The thesis concludes by presenting the core components of the practice, but emphasises that connectedness is key. This was the factor that differentiates it from other practices such as mindfulness, the connection with the self and others may be one of the underlying mechanisms for how LKM results in positive change in the practitioner, and was a concept that was raised in every study in the thesis. In addition to this, the conclusions also suggest that given this core component of the practice, and the positive findings from the two studies that tested the impact of LKM, that the practice could be encouraged as a way of maintaining and improving wellbeing in the general public.

Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) has the potential to improve intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning. This unique quality of LKM makes it a desirable candidate for buffering the stress of being social evaluated or socially excluded. Using the Trier Social Stress Test and the Cyberball social exclusion paradigm, the present study investigated the effectiveness of a brief LKM session in buffering against social evaluative and social exclusion stress. Three specific questions were addressed: In what domains can LKM exert positive effects? For whom does it work? And, how does it work? One hundred and thirteen participants (N = 113, 49 men) were randomly assigned to either a 10-minute LKM session or a 10-minute visualization control session. Findings showed that even just 10 minutes of LKM had an immediate relaxing effect as evidenced by increased respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of parasympathetic cardiac control, and decreased respiration rate. In addition, the brief LKM intervention led to greater implicit positivity towards the self relative to the control intervention (p = .052). The brief LKM intervention also protected against some of the negative physiological and psychological effects of social stress. The majority of these effects are moderated by trait social anxiety and pre-meditation mood states (or pre-meditation mood state alone). Contrary to expectation, trait social anxiety alone did not moderate any of the LKM effects. Importantly, receiving a brief session of LKM while not being in a positive mood or being in a negative mood led to iatrogenic physiological and psychological effects. Providing an explanation for one of LKM's effects, findings showed that change in RSA during LKM fully mediated the LKM Intervention x Positive Affect interaction effect on change in post-social-stress RSA. In conclusion, findings of the present study have extended our understanding of LKM and have specific implications for future research and practice.

Research has shown that a self-compassion meditation exercise in healthy individuals reduced negative affect, negative cognitions about the self and sympathetic arousal and also enhanced positive emotions and parasympathetic activity (Kirschner, Karl, & Kuyken, 2013). Beneficial effects of self-compassion, i.e., being kind and considerate to one’s self with the acknowledgement that pain cannot always be fixed or solved (Neff, 2003; Gilbert, 2009), for mental health and well-being have been previously demonstrated. This research tested the hypothesis that meditation can also be beneficial for individuals who survived psychological trauma and have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a disorder characterised by elevated physiological arousal and negative post-traumatic cognitions about the self. This study used self-report and physiological measures such as Heart-Rate (HR), Heart-Rate Variability (HRV), and Skin Conductance Level (SCL) in a trauma-exposed sample (N =56) with and without PTSD. It was revealed that both groups show significant meditation-induced reductions in state self-criticism and sympathetic arousal (HR, SCL). However, the study only found the expected pattern of significantly elevated state self-compassion and parasympathetic activation (HRV) induced by a self-compassion meditation in the non-PTSD group. This suggests that, interpreting these findings within Gilbert’s three affect regulatory systems, a single self-compassion meditation was sufficient to reduce threat in all trauma survivors and to activate the safety system in the non-PTSD group but not to initiate safety and connectedness in PTSD patients.

This thesis presents the development and testing of an online lovingkindness meditation (LKM) intervention. Previous studies were systematically reviewed, showing complex but encouraging evidence that LKM can enhance the wellbeing of individuals and communities by promoting pleasant emotions and empathic attitudes. However, previous randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are small and have methodological limitations. An online RCT was conducted, which recruited 809 adult volunteers to test whether an LKM intervention offered to the general population improves wellbeing through pleasant emotions, psychological resources, empathy and altruism. LKM was compared to a light physical exercise course (LE). Participants followed prepiloted videobased instruction, wrote about their experiences in online diaries and interactive fora, and completed questionnaires and an objective measure of helping behaviour. The data were analysed using a mixed methods approach. Both courses led to greater wellbeing. LKM participants were significantly less anxious and more likely to donate money to charity than LE participants. Differences in other outcomes were not significant. Attrition was high but generally unrelated to the interventions’ content. The pathways to wellbeing differed. LKM was an emotionally intense experience, generating deep reflections and an increased connectedness with self and others. LE led to increases in relaxation and physical wellbeing which generated a sense of achievement. Some participants had early difficulties with LKM, in which personal factors played an important role. The study provides suggestive evidence that both LKM and LE enhance pleasant emotions, psychological resources and wellbeing, and that LKM specifically stimulates empathy and altruism. The LKM training platform used in this study is available for immediate largescale implementation as an inexpensive public health intervention. However, future research is needed to confirm present findings and devise LKM interventions that reduce the negative impact of initial training. Completion rates might be improved by nesting online RCTs within cohort studies.

Compassion is potentially an effective emotion-regulation strategy to face the suffering of self and others. The aim of this paper is to provide an evolutionary understanding of compassion and compassion training (CT) by examining the psychological, neural and behavioral effects of loving-kindness meditation and compassion meditation. The author presents various definitions of compassion and examines the physiological and neural processes behind it. Compassion seems to have evolutionary roots but can be limited due to inherited blocks and fears. Compassion is however trainable and can potentially bypass certain evolutionary-based biases. CT results in various significant psychological effects, most notably positive affect, increased (self) compassion, and mindfulness. Evidence is however inconsistent, especially in relation to active controls. Neural effects are significant yet inconsistent across different experimental conditions. CT without a concurrent task activates (1) the right somatosensory cortices (2) the parieto-occipital sulcus, and (3) the right anterior insula. In relation to the socio-affective video task, CT activates medial orbitofrontal cortex, ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens, putamen, and anterior parts of anterior cingulate cortex; regions related to positive affect, motivational reward and affiliation. These findings converge with the reviewed psychological literature. CT also results in increased altruistic and compassionate behavior towards others, even when it’s costly to the self and under no-reciprocity conditions. Behavioral effects are mostly demonstrated in game-settings against active controls but also in one real-life situation. Together, the results suggest that CT is beneficial to individuals as well as inter-group relationships.

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Oriental philosophy and psychology have influenced the practices and research in positive and clinical psychology. Mindfulness was found to reduce stress and chronic pain (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction - MBSR); reduce panic and anxiety (MBSR and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT), help in the treatment of borderline patients (Dialectical Behavior Therapy - DBT) and in the prevention of depressive relapse (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy - MBCT) amongst other clinical applications. In positive psychology, studies were done on the hypothesis that promotion of positive emotions as love, contentment and compassion using Loving-Kindness-Meditation (LKM) during various months. LKM was found to promote positive emotions that help broaden coping and build resilience in participants. Both mindfulness and LKM involve full attention to the present moment without judging. The intention of this literature research was to construct a theoretical study on: 1 The concept of mindfulness meditation, emphasizing its beneficial effects on meditators; 2 Clinical interventions based on the concept of mindfulness; 3 The concept of LKM and how it can evoke and reinforce positive emotions as an instrument in positive psychology; 4 Clarify how mindfulness and meditation can promote coping and mental health. Finally, based on the analysis of the existing literature, the present study suggests that a broad range of processes is involved in the benefits of meditiation, including increased self conscience; acceptance of experiences, increased positive emotions and the broadening of psychological resources.
A filosofia e psicologia orientais têm influenciado as práticas e os estudos no ocidente nas áreas da psicologia clínica e psicologia positiva. Várias pesquisas demonstram resultados positivos na clínica em relação à redução do estresse e dores crônicas (Mindfulness Based Stress Redution - MBSR); na redução da ansiedade e pânico (Mindfulness Based Stress Redution - MBSR e Acceptance e Commetimet Therapy - ACT). No tratamento de pacientes borderlines (Dialectical Behavior Therapy - DBT) e na prevenção de recaídas na depressão (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy - MBCT) entre outros. Na psicologia positiva, pesquisas foram realizadas com a hipótese de que seria possível promover emoções positivas seletivas como amor, contentamento e compaixão ao longo de meses utilizando-se Loving- Kindness Meditation (LKM). Esta técnica de meditação demonstrou ser capaz de evocar e incrementar emoções positivas que ajudam a ampliar estratégias de coping. Todavia, Loving- Kindness Meditation se aproxima do conceito de mindfulness quando é considerada uma técnica de atenção plena no momento presente, sem julgamento, mesmo que exista a intencionalidade de evocar pensamentos e emoções pré-determinadas. Com esta pesquisa bibliográfica buscou-se realizar um estudo teórico sobre : 1. O conceito da meditação mindfulness ressaltando os seus efeitos benéficos nos meditantes; 2. Intervenções clínicas baseadas no conceito de mindfulness; 3. O conceito da meditação Loving-Kindness Meditation e como esta é capaz de evocar e reforçar emoções positivas e por isso ser utilizada como ferramenta na psicologia positiva; 4. Elucidar como pode ampliar o coping e promover saúde mental. Em conclusão, a partir da análise da literatura existente, este estudo teórico sugere que um leque de processos está envolvido nos benefícios da meditação, incluindo maior consciência de si, aceitação das experiências, geração de emoções positivas e ampliação de recursos psicológicos.

Participants who received the LKM intervention demonstrated a moderate positive correlation (Cohen, 1992) between quantity of meditation and Perspective Taking (Spearman's rank order correlation rsubscript s] = .29). Implications for counselor education and directions for future research are discussed.; The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a compassion-based meditation, known as loving-kindness meditation (LKM), as an intervention to positively affect empathy, perceived social support, and problem-solving appraisal in student counselors. This quasi-experimental study included 103 master's level counseling students enrolled in a large Southeastern university. The treatment consisted of six one-hour psychoeducational groups with a LKM component. The LKM intervention was compared with a control group on the constructs of (a) multidimensional empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI); Davis, 1980), (b) perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS); Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988), and (c) problem-solving appraisal (Problem Solving Inventory (PSI); Heppner, 1988). Participants who received the LKM intervention experienced gains in the cognitive empathy subscales of Perspective Taking (treatment group effect size = .213; control group effect size = .006) and Fantasy (treatment group effect size = .173; control group effect size = .032) and in the affective empathy subscale of Emotional Concern (treatment group effect size = .115, control group effect size = .028). The treatment group also demonstrated a decrease in the affective empathy subscale of Personal Distress (treatment group effect size = .088, control group effect size = .080). The control group did not experience changes in Perspective Taking, Fantasy, Emotional Concern, or Personal Distress. Furthermore, there was no change in either the treatment or control group in perceived social support or problem-solving appraisal from pretest to posttest. In addition, this study examined the relationship between quantity of meditation time and the dependent variables of multidimensional empathy, perceived social support, and problem-solving appraisal.
ID: 029810212; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 177-197).
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Educational and Human Sciences
Education

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009.
Title from electronic title page (viewed Oct. 5, 2009). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Psychology Clinical." Discipline: Psychology; Department/School: Psychology.

In recent years, kindness-based meditation practices, including loving-kindness meditation (LKM), have gained empirical support for decreasing depression and anxiety symptoms. LKM is defined as the intentional transmission of unselfish kindness toward all beings. It is practiced by contemplating an object of meditation (e.g., self, difficult person) and offering goodwill by silently repeating phrases (e.g., “May you be happy”). Given LKM’s focus on cultivating positive emotional states, researchers have hypothesized that LKM may work by increasing positive affect (PA), promoting cognitive and behavioral flexibility, and reducing negative affect (NA). This study was the first to employ a multiple baseline, single-case design to evaluate the acceptability and clinical efficacy of a brief, individual LKM intervention for individuals (N = 9) with unipolar depressive disorders, social anxiety disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder and low PA. Participants were randomized to a 2-, 4-, or 6-week baseline and completed weekly assessments during baseline, 7 weeks of treatment, and at 1-, 2- and 4-week follow-up. LKM was hypothesized to be acceptable and effective for reducing depression and anxiety symptoms and increasing PA. Secondary hypotheses were that (1) improvements in PA would precede disorder symptom improvement and (2) LKM would lead to improvements in other treatment variables (e.g., NA, anger, mindfulness, affective regulation styles, quality of life, etc.) Results revealed that the study intervention had good feasibility and acceptability. Per visual inspection, LKM led to improvements in principal disorder symptoms for four participants during treatment and five participants at follow-up (three of whom showed clinically reliable change). Contrary to study hypotheses, only one participant demonstrated reliable improvements in PA during treatment. For this participant, increases in PA occurred simultaneously with reductions in depression. Across participants, LKM exerted moderate to large effects on disorder severity, depression and anxiety symptoms, quality of life, mindful nonreactivity, and tolerating affective style. Overall, individuals with principal unipolar depressive disorders showed the strongest response to the study intervention. In summary, this study provided preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of brief, individual LKM for reducing depression and anxiety in a transdiagnostic outpatient sample with low positive affect.

Chio, Hin Ngan.
Thesis M.Phil. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2014.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-47).
Abstracts and some appendixes also in Chinese.
Title from PDF title page (viewed on 21, September, 2016).