From the Heart: Comparing the Effects of Spiritual and Secular Meditation on Psychophysiology, Cognition, Mental Health, and Social Functioning in Healthy Adults

Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the effects of Christian and Islamic heart-centred spiritual meditation to mindfulness meditation and waitlist control conditions, respectively, in healthy adults. The potential effects will be studied at multiple levels, with a focus on psychophysiology, cognition, mental health, and social functioning.

Conditions

• Prosocial Behavior
• Forgiveness
• Empathy
• Pain
• Attention
• Depression
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Mental Well-being

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Arm 1 - Heart-Centred Spiritual Meditation: Christian contemplation

Participants assigned to this condition will receive daily audio instructions of approximately 20 minutes daily over the course of 8 weeks focused on Christian contemplation delivered through a mobile app. The intervention will consist of a core contemplative practice focused on heart visualisation based on Christian tradition and prayer recitation with breathing to focus their attention on and connection to God.

BEHAVIORAL

Arm 1 - Heart-Centred Spiritual Meditation: Islamic contemplation

Participants assigned to this condition will receive daily audio instructions of approximately 20 minutes daily over the course of 8 weeks, focused on Islamic contemplation delivered through a mobile app. The intervention will consist of a core contemplative practice focused on heart visualisation based on Islamic tradition and prayer recitation with breathing to focus attention on and connection to God.

BEHAVIORAL

Arm 2 - Action Control: Mindfulness Meditation

Participants assigned to this condition will receive daily audio instructions of approximately 20 minutes daily over the course of 8 week, focused on mindfulness meditation delivered through a mobile app. The intervention will consist of the mindfulness-based stress reduction program which emphasizes focused attention on breathing and sensations as well as the practice of non-judgemental acceptance of the present experience.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging

  collaborator OTHER

• Kuriakose Elias College Mannanam

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Little Flower Institute of Social Sciences and Health (LISSAH) College

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Coventry University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-06-06

Primary Completion

2025-03-31

Completion

2025-12-31

Countries

• India

Study Locations