Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-being: An Observational Study

Summary & key facts

This observational study tested Tibetan singing bowl sound meditation with 62 adults (mean age 49.7). After the session, people reported less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood, and higher spiritual well-being. People who had never tried this meditation before showed a larger drop in tension than people who had experience. The authors say this approach may be a low-cost, low-technology way to reduce tension and improve spiritual well-being, but the study design does not prove the meditation caused the changes.

Key facts:

• 62 people took part in the study; the average age was 49.7 years.
• Compared with before the meditation, participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood after the session (all P < .001).
• Spiritual well-being scores increased across all participants after the meditation (P < .001).
• Participants who were new to this type of singing bowl meditation had a bigger reduction in tension than participants who were already experienced with it (P < .001).
• The study was observational, and the authors described singing bowl meditation as a possible ("may be") low-cost, low-technology intervention rather than proving it causes the changes.

Abstract

Poor mood and elevated anxiety are linked to increased incidence of disease. This study examined the effects of sound meditation, specifically Tibetan singing bowl meditation, on mood, anxiety, pain, and spiritual well-being. Sixty-two women and men (mean age 49.7 years) participated. As compared with pre-meditation, following the sound meditation participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood (all Ps <.001). Additionally, participants who were previously naïve to this type of meditation experienced a significantly greater reduction in tension compared with participants experienced in this meditation ( P < .001). Feeling of spiritual well-being significantly increased across all participants ( P < .001). Tibetan singing bowl meditation may be a feasible low-cost low technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression, and increasing spiritual well-being. This meditation type may be especially useful in decreasing tension in individuals who have not previously practiced this form of meditation.

Topics

Music Therapy and Health Neuroscience and Music Perception Sleep and related disorders

Categories

Psychology Social Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Anger Anxiety Audiology Clinical psychology Economics Feeling Management Medicine Meditation Mood Philosophy Psychiatry Psychology Singing Social psychology Theology