Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
October 27, 2008
Barbara L. Fredrickson, Michael Cohn, Kimberly A. Coffey et al.
2,359 citations
Daily experiences of positive emotions can compound over time to build personal resources that enhance well-being. In a field experiment with 139 working adults, half were randomly assigned to practice loving-kindness meditation. This meditation increased daily positive emotions, which led to growth in mindfulness, purpose in life, social support, and fewer illness symptoms. These gains then predicted greater life satisfaction and reduced depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that loving-kindness meditation generates positive emotions in a way that counteracts the hedonic treadmill, making it an effective intervention for building psychological resources.
The Journal of Positive Psychology
September 1, 2010
Michael A. Cohn, Barbara L. Fredrickson
302 citations
A 15-month follow-up of a loving-kindness meditation intervention found that many participants continued meditating, and those who did reported more positive emotions than those who stopped or never meditated. All participants maintained gains in psychological resources like resilience and social support made during the initial intervention, regardless of continued practice. Continuing meditators did not differ in resources at baseline but showed more positive emotions and a faster emotional response to the intervention. The results suggest that positive psychology interventions have lasting value beyond the intervention period.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
March 6, 2009
David P. Johnson, David L. Penn, Barbara L. Fredrickson et al.
158 citations
Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) may help reduce negative symptoms of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, such as anhedonia, avolition, and asociality, while enhancing hope and purpose in life. Case studies illustrate how to conduct this group treatment, its potential benefits, and difficulties that may arise. LKM requires further empirical support but promises to be an important intervention given the limited treatments for negative symptoms.