Comparing the Effects of Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), Music and LKM Plus Music on Psychological Well-Being
The Journal of Psychology December 28, 2018 Susan Sorensen, Stanley R. Steindl, Genevieve A. Dingle et al. 30 citations
A brief intervention combining loving-kindness meditation with classical guitar music was no more effective than either meditation or music alone for improving well-being, mindfulness, compassion, and self-compassion in adults. Seventy-eight participants aged 18 to 69 (90% female) attended a two-hour workshop in one of three conditions: combined meditation and music, meditation only, or music only. All three groups showed small improvements from before the program to after it and at a four-week follow-up. The amount of home practice correlated with greater mindfulness and self-compassion at follow-up. The findings suggest that both meditation and music listening are brief, evidence-based ways to enhance well-being, but combining them does not add extra benefit.