Nursing Student's Experiences of Meditation on Twin Hearts During Eight Weeks Practice: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Abstract

Background Meditation on Twin Hearts (MTH) involves blessing the earth to alleviate the sufferings, and praying for the well-being of the entire society using heart and crown chakra. This meditation is characterized by mechanisms of loving-kindness, self-healing imagery, and open awareness. Purpose This study aims to identify the experiences and perceived benefits associated with practicing MTH by nursing students. Method Qualitative method using content analysis was used to study meditation experiences. After obtaining the informed consent, 22 nursing students were introduced to MTH. Experiences and feedback from meditation sessions were reported each day during their 8 week practice. Nursing students also answered seven open-ended questions on the last day of the meditation session. Findings The verbatim descriptions of experiences reported by nursing students were abstracted to elements (17), properties (6), and categories (2). Identified properties are positive experiences, experiences of awareness, energy experiences, tangible outcomes, physiological reactions, and feedback on the study program. Conclusion The experiences narrated by nursing students include positive affective experiences, health benefits, resolution of problem, awareness and energy experiences, and prosocial tendencies. These findings indicate that MTH would enhance the well-being of the nursing students and could be used as a self-care measure.

Perception of Subtle Energy “Prana”, and Its Effects During Biofield Practices: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

“…However, 5 studies had a short description of this experience felt by participants as a feeling of enthusiasm, inspiration, clarity, and a sense of wholeness. 33,42,[47][48][49] A participant has stated, "There's always hope, as long as there's life there, there's hope, and there's new things coming out all the time, and reiki just puts you in that position to find the peace to cope with all this and the wellbeing" (P4). 41 One participant stated in a study,…”

“…Seven studies have provided a description of the awareness state, such as "a sense of quietness in mind," "improvement in concentration ability," "increased mental clarity," and "Problem-solving better and thinking clearly." 33,[35][36][37]43,47,48 In a study, a participant stated, "When we finished, my thoughts had slowed down, and I could concentrate more. I felt very focused and ready to do what was necessary."…”

“…13 studies explained the use of more focused qualitative methods for their selection. [31][32][33][34][36][37][38]40,41,45,[47][48][49] Sampling. A thorough explanation of the sampling procedure and the criteria used to select participants is given in eighteen studies.…”

“…Eleven studies stood out as having better scientific rigor, providing psychologically significant themes, and summarizing the participant narratives in a more conceptual way. 31,33,[36][37][38]40,41,45,[47][48][49] The findings from the 19 studies were synthesized into 3 core concepts Table 3. We have developed 8 themes in the meta-synthesis and were categorized into 3 core concepts.…”

“…In 5 of the ten studies, participants' expressions of physical benefits were only briefly noted, with descriptions like "freshness in the eyes and other parts of the body," "feeling lightness in the body," "feeling relaxed and falling asleep," "less pain and muscle relaxation." 33,35,43,47,48 A participant narrated, "After the Reiki sessions, I feel refreshed. I'm calmer and have fewer aches and pains.…”