Comparing the Effects of Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), Music and LKM Plus Music on Psychological Well-Being

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Loving-kindness meditation (LKM), a meditative practice directing caring feelings toward self and others, is a popular, evidence-base approach to increasing well-being. Music listening is also a popular form of emotion regulation used to enhance well-being. This interdisciplinary study evaluated a novel intervention called Convergence-combining LKM with accompanying classical guitar music-and its effects on adults' well-being, mindfulness, compassion and self-compassion outcomes. Convergence was compared to active control groups LKM-only and Music-only regarding their relative effectiveness in improving these outcomes. Participants (N = 78; aged 18 to 69 years; 90% females; recruited from the general public) were assigned to either the Convergence, LKM-only, or Music-only condition. Each condition received a 2-hour workshop, involving psychoeducation, three prerecorded meditations, and group enquiry and discussion. Participants were assessed at pre-program, post-program, and 4-week follow-up. Findings revealed that Convergence, LKM-only and Music-only were equally effective interventions, producing improvements in dependent variables with small effect sizes. There was no additive effect of the components when delivered together as Convergence. Significant correlations were found between the amount of home practice, and mindfulness and self-compassion at follow-up. LKM, music listening and Convergence all provide brief, evidence-based alternatives for improving well-being. Practical and theoretical implications are provided, as well as recommendations for future research.