Meditation, Flow, and Heavy Social Alcohol Use among College Students
Meditation, Flow, and Heavy Social Alcohol Use among College Students
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Date
1992
Authors
Francis, Timothy Lewis
Advisor
Iso-Ahola, Seppo
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Abstract
The basis for this study was an experiment designed to explore the
effectiveness of various meditation practices and choice and combination of such,
regardless of focus, in achieving more drug-free flow experiences, longer periods of
meditation adherence, and decreases in heavy social alcohol use among college
students. The study also examined the hypothesis that higher frequencies of reported
flow in meditation were associated with lower levels of reported alcohol use and
higher frequencies of post-training meditation practice, regardless of meditation focus.
The interaction of several critical intervening variables not comprehensively addressed
in previous studies on meditation and substance abuse, including experimental
expectancy and demand, previous alcohol use, hypnotic susceptibility, and personality
was checked and controlled for in this experiment.
After receiving basic meditation training, 53 subjects with drinking rates typical
of heavy social alcohol users were randomly assigned to one of four meditation groups
or to a control group. Three groups practiced only one of three foci--object focused,
visualization, or mindfulness. The fourth group chose their meditation foci each day
from any of the above three types. The fifth (control) group practiced an attention
Placebo activity. Four weeks of daily diaries following meditation were used to determine the
level of the dependent variables--frequency of flow and amount of alcohol use.
Subjects then reported post-required meditation frequency and alcohol use through four
weekly phone interviews. MANOVA, ANOVA, and zero-order correlations were
employed to analyze the relationships between the variables.
No one specific meditation focus nor having choice and combination of foci,
was indicated to result in significantly more flow, less alcohol use, or longer mediation
adherence. There was a slight indication that higher frequencies of flow were related
to higher frequencies of meditation practice, but no indication that more flow was
related to less alcohol use. These results should be interpreted with caution for several
reasons, including the short meditation training and practice period, low reliability and
validity of subject reports, and problems associated with large variations in drinking
rates. Future research on these issues should refine training and testing methods so
that better treatment methods can be found.