The Effects of a Love-Wisdom Meditation on Urinary Catecholamines Excretion, Anxiety, Depression, and Kinesiology Levels in Participants Who Have a History of Sexual Abuse

Abstract

This study examines the effects of a love-wisdom meditation on the mind, body, and spirit. Experiencing "love" through an intentional love meditation was a motivating factor in the undertaking of this study. Intention and the mind-body-spirit connection are explored. The 32 subjects included in this study were men and women who had a history of sexual abuse. Subjects were volunteers from a Western North Carolina paper advertisement as well as from a local counseling agency. Subjects acted as participants and controls, and were tested three times: pre-control period, post-controllpreintervention and post intervention. The control period was two weeks and the intervention was a daily meditation practice for three weeks. To evaluate the mind's reaction to the meditation practice, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Zung Selfrating Depression Scale were used, assessing anxiety and depression levels. To evaluate the body's reaction to the meditation practice, urinary catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine) were measured 2-3 hours after waking.