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

Browse trials for

• Altruism 29Registry's first term
• Pain 10,054Primary · reclassified
• Depression 8,577
• Anxiety Disorders 7,201
• Psychological Well-Being 2,193

Keywords

• Christian spiritual meditation
• Islamic spiritual meditation
• Mindfulness
• Prosociality
• Forgiveness
• Empathy
• Pain
• Attention
• Depression
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Well-being
• Heart-centred spirituality

Pain Reclassified

10,054 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain; 1,649 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 288 is above the median of 66 across 8,493 interventional studies indexed under Pain.

Lead sponsor

Coventry University is the lead sponsor of 16 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.

Study arms

• Experimental
  Heart-centred spiritual meditation

  Intervention 1: Christian contemplation and Intervention 2: Islamic contemplation

  Behavioral: Arm 1 - Heart-Centred Spiritual Meditation: Christian contemplation · Behavioral: Arm 1 - Heart-Centred Spiritual Meditation: Islamic contemplation

• Active comparator
  Mindfulness Meditation (MBRS)

  Intervention 3: Mindfulness Meditation (MBRS)

  Behavioral: Arm 2 - Action Control: Mindfulness Meditation

• No intervention
  Waitlist control

  No Intervention: Participants in this condition will not receive any intervention and the outcome measures will be only collected at time points T1 and T2. After T2 testing, they will be given access to either the Christian or Islamic intervention.

Interventions

• BehavioralArm 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.

• BehavioralArm 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.

• BehavioralArm 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.

Primary outcomes

1. Interpersonal functioning: Change in Prosociality (1)

   The number of game points (0-10) that a participant is willing to allocate to another individual as measured by the Dictator Game

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

2. Interpersonal functioning: Change in Prosociality (2)

   Social value orientation scores as measured by the social value orientation slider measure. The higher scores represent greater prosocial preferences while lower scores represent greater self-interest preferences

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

3. Interpersonal functioning: Change in Prosociality (3)

   The percentage of compensation fees that participants are willing to donate to a charity

   Time frame: Post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

4. Interpersonal functioning: Changes in self-reported Forgiveness

   A self-reported forgiveness scale assessed within a forgiveness task, ranging from 0 (Not at all) to 20 (Completely). High scores reflect a higher level of forgiveness, while lower scores indicate a lower level of forgiveness

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

5. Interpersonal functioning: Changes in self-reported Empathy

   A self-reported empathy scale assessed within a forgiveness task, ranging from 0 (Not at all) to 20 (Completely). High scores reflect a higher level of empathy, while lower scores indicate a lower level of empathy.

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

6. Interpersonal functioning: Change in Perspective Taking

   Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) - Perspective Taking scale. The 7-item Perspective Taking scale from IRI measures one's tendency to take the point of view of others. Participants are asked to rate how closely the statements describe them on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from A (Does not describe me well) to E (Describes me very well). The total scores range from 0 - 28. Higher scores indicate greater perspective-taking

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), post-intervention (collected up to 2 weeks after the intervention), and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

Secondary outcomes

1. Physiology: Change in Pain Tolerance

   The duration (in seconds) that a participant endures painful stimulation assessed during an endurance task

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

2. Physiology: Change in Pain Intensity

   0-10 Numerical Rating Scale

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

3. Physiology: Change in Stress Reactivity (1)

   Heart rate

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

4. Physiology: Change in Stress Reactivity (2)

   Heart rate variability

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

5. Physiology: Change in psychophysiological reactivity associated with forgiveness (1)

   Heart rate assessed during a forgiveness task.

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

6. Physiology: Change in psychophysiological reactivity associated with forgiveness (2)

   Heart rate variability assessed during a forgiveness task

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

7. Attention: Change in Alerting Attention network

   Reaction time assessed through a 10-minute version of Attentional Network Task (CRSD-ANT)

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

8. Attention: Change in Orienting Attention network

   Reaction time assessed through a 10-minute version of Attentional Network Task (CRSD-ANT)

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

9. Attention: Change in Executive Attention network

   Reaction time assessed through a 10-minute version of Attentional Network Task (CRSD-ANT)

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention), and post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

10. Mental health: Change in self-reported Stress

    The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21) is a 21-item self-report questionnaire that comprises three distinct subscales: depression, anxiety, and stress, with each containing 7 items. Participants are asked to rate the extent of the statements applied to them over the past week using a 4-point rating scale, ranging from 0 ("Did not apply to me at all") to 3 ("Applied to me very much or most of the time"). Higher scores on stress scale reflect a greater severity of the stress symptoms, whereas lower scores indicate a milder experience of these symptoms

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), post-intervention (collected up to 2 weeks after the 8-week intervention), and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

11. Mental health: Change in self-reported Depression

    The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21): Depression subscale, ranging from 0 ("Did not apply to me at all") to 3 ("Applied to me very much or most of the time"). Higher scores on depression scale reflect a greater severity of the depression symptoms, whereas lower scores indicate a milder experience of these symptoms

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), post-intervention (collected up to 2 weeks after the 8-week intervention), and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

12. Mental health: Change in self-reported Anxiety

    The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21): Anxiety subscale, ranging from 0 ("Did not apply to me at all") to 3 ("Applied to me very much or most of the time"). Higher scores on anxiety scale reflect a greater severity of the anxiety symptoms, whereas lower scores indicate a milder experience of these symptoms

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), post-intervention (collected up to 2 weeks after the 8-week intervention), and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

13. Mental health: Change in Subjective Wellbeing

    Well-Being Index (WHO-5). WHO-5 is a 5-item self-report questionnaire measuring subjective wellbeing. Participants are asked to rate their feelings in the past 2 weeks using a 6-Likert scale, ranging from 0 (At no time) to 5 (All of the time). The raw score is multiplied by 4 and the final scores range from 0-100. A score of 0 indicates the lowest possible level of wellbeing, whereas a score of 100 reflects the highest possible level of wellbeing

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), post-intervention (collected up to 2 weeks after the 8-week intervention), and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

14. Mental health: Change in self-report Positive and Negative Affect (1)

    International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) Short Form (I-PANAS-SF). I-PANAS-SF is a 10-item self-report questionnaire measuring 5 items of positive affect and 5 items of negative affect. Participants are asked to rate their general feelings and emotions on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always). Higher scores indicate a greater level of positive affect, and lower scores represent a lower level of negative affect

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), post-intervention (collected up to 2 weeks after the 8-week intervention), and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

15. Mental health: Change in self-report Positive and Negative Affect (2)

    5-item Smiley Face Likert scale within the meditation app. The scale assesses participants' feelings before and after their daily contemplative / mindfulness practices. Participants are asked to choose one out of the five emoji faces on the scale to indicate their current feelings ranging from a very sad face to a very happy face

    Time frame: Throughout the 8 weeks intervention

Other outcomes

1. Spirituality: Change in Spiritual Experiences

   The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES). DSES is a 16-item self-report questionnaire. Participants are asked to rate their daily spiritual experiences. 15 items are rated on a 6-point Likert scale from 1 (Many times a day) to 6 (Never or almost never) and 1 item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (Not close) to 4 (As close as possible). Higher scores indicate greater spirituality

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), post-intervention (collected up to 2 weeks after the 8-week intervention), and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

2. Spirituality: Change in Closeness to God

   Inclusion-of-God-in-the-self scale (adapted from Inclusions of Others in Self scale). The scale consists of 7 pairs of pictorial circles with one circle of each pair being labelled as Self, and the other circle being labelled as God. Participants are asked to choose 1 of the 7 pairs of circles that best describes their relationship with God. The pairs of circles have different degrees of overlap, ranging from the 1st pair (no overlap) to the 7th pair (most overlap). The greater the overlap in the circles corresponds to a closer relationship with God

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention), post-intervention (collected up to 2 weeks after the 8-week intervention), and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

3. Spirituality: Religiosity

   Duke University Religiosity Index (DUREL). DUREL is a 5-item self-report questionnaire measuring three major dimensions of religious involvement with three subscales: organizational religious activity (ORA), non-organizational religious activity (NORA), and intrinsic religiosity (IR). Participants are asked to rate their religious involvement (ORA and NORA) on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 6 (More than once a week/day) and rate their religious beliefs or experience (IR) on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Definitely not true) to 5 (Definitely true of me). Higher scores indicate a higher religiosity

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

4. Credibility/Expectancy of the meditation practices

   Credibility/Expectancy questionnaire. This is a 4-item self-report questionnaire that assesses participants' beliefs about the efficacy and credibility of the contemplative practices on a 9-point Likert scale from 1 (Not at all) to 9 (Very much). Higher scores indicate greater positive expectancies

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

5. Closeness to the offender

   The Inclusion-of-Other-in-the-Self scale assessed within the forgiveness task. It is a pictorial scale consists of seven pairs of circles, with one circle of each pair labelled as Self and the other circle labelled as Other. Participants are asked to choose the pair of circles that best describes their relationship with the offender. The pairs of circles have different degrees of overlap, ranging from the 1st pair (no overlap) to the 7th pair (most overlap). The greater the overlap in the circles, the closer the relationship with the offender

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 3 hours before the intervention)

6. Demographics: Age

   Self-report assessment

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

7. Demographics: Ethnicity

   Self-report assessment

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

8. Demographics: Gender Identity

   Self-report assessment

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

9. Demographics: Biological Sex

   Self-report assessment

   Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

10. Socioeconomic Status: Employment status

    Self-report assessment

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

11. Socioeconomic Status: Education level

    Self-report assessment

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

12. Socioeconomic Status: Annual household income

    Self-report assessment

    Time frame: Pre-intervention (collected up to 1 week before the intervention)

13. Potential adverse events in the meditative practices

    Self-report unpleasant events and harm questionnaire. The questionnaire is a self-report measure to assess the unpleasant events and harm in contemplative or mindfulness practices. It includes Likert ratings and free-text questions about unpleasant feelings and the harm that participants may have experienced during the contemplation or mindfulness practices

    Time frame: Post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention)

14. Experiences of the App-based exercises

    Self-report assessment about participant's experiences with the App-based exercises

    Time frame: Post-intervention (collected up to two weeks after the 8-week intervention) and at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the intervention)

15. Frequency of the contemplative or mindfulness practices after the end of the intervention

    Self-report assessment about frequency of participant's practices after the end of the 8-week intervention

    Time frame: at 3-month follow-up (collected up to 2 weeks following 3 months after the end of the intervention)

16. Qualitative assessment: Themes emerging from participant's meditation diary

    Key themes that emerge from participants' diaries for their reflection on their experiences of the daily meditative practices

    Time frame: Throughout the 8 weeks intervention

17. Qualitative assessment: Themes emerging from participant's daily meditative experiences

    Key themes that emerge from participants' daily meditative experiences assessed within the App

    Time frame: Throughout the 8 weeks intervention

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Individual participant data

Plan to share: No