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Full-Text Articles in Psychiatry and Psychology
A Controlled Evaluation Of Devotional Meditation And Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Charles R. Carlson, Panayiota E. Bacaseta, Dexter A. Simanton
A Controlled Evaluation Of Devotional Meditation And Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Charles R. Carlson, Panayiota E. Bacaseta, Dexter A. Simanton
CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles
The present study was conducted to determine the effects of devotional meditation (DM), defined as a period of prayer and quiet reading and pondering of biblical material, on physiological and psychological variables related to stress. It was hypothesized that religious persons engaging in DM experience physiological and psychological changes similar to those reported for persons using progressive relaxation (PR) exercises. Thirty-six participants, equally divided by sex into 3 groups: DM, PR, and a Wait List Control, underwent extensive psychophysiological assessment prior to and following a systematic introductio to either DM or PR. The hypothesis that DM could generate positive physiological …