A Single Session Compassion Meditation Program Works to Reduce Anxiety – Despite the Odds

Abstract

Mindfulness and meditation practices provide a vast array of benefits to individuals who practice them. Benefits include decreasing anxiety and depression-like symptoms, increasing happiness and life satisfaction, and promoting relaxation. There are several ways of engaging in these practices, including various meditation styles or types. One of these styles is Compassion Meditation, which is a meditation that has the goal of ending the suffering of others. As true with anything, there are many variables that may potentially impact the results one achieves through meditation. One potential variable that may be related to the outcome achieved is one’s personality. Specifically, individuals who have higher levels of openness may experience greater benefits from new experiences, such as meditation. The purpose of this review is to investigate the relationship between anxiety, openness, and Compassion Meditation.