Synchronous Smiles and Hearts: Dyadic Meditations Enhance Closeness and Prosocial Behavior in Virtual and In-Person Settings.
Mindfulness January 1, 2025 Vera U Ludwig, Lana Prieur, Scott M Rennie et al. 2 citations
A two-minute shared-gazing exercise called Just-Like-Me (JLM), in which partners contemplate shared humanity while looking at each other, increased feelings of closeness by about one standard deviation both online and in person. The effect was larger than solitary meditation and, when done in person, larger than mutual gazing without contemplation. JLM also boosted prosocial behavior in a dictator game and induced synchrony in smiling and heart rates. Synchronized smiling partly explained the relational benefits. The findings suggest that brief dyadic meditations can foster social connection and may help address loneliness.