Graduation Year

2025

Date of Submission

4-2025

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Reader 1

Laura Johnson

Reader 2

Lise Abrams

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of meditative interpersonal synchrony, operationalized through OM group chanting meditation (OM-GCM), on self-other merging, self-referential thinking, and the quality of social interactions between strangers. Interpersonal synchrony and meditation have been widely studied as distinct phenomena; however, this thesis is the first to examine the potential amplifying effects of their combination. This thesis hypothesized that OM-GCM would lead to higher conversation quality, increased self-other merging, and reduced self-referential thinking compared to a non-meditative synchronous control: humming. To test this, twenty-eight college students, paired into dyads of strangers, engaged in either the OM-GCM or humming condition, followed by a 45-minute structured conversation and a post-interaction survey. Results revealed no significant differences between the experimental and control groups across all outcomes, including mindfulness levels. Critically, this suggests that the control condition was not a true non-meditative control, as participants reported comparable levels of mindfulness relative to the OM-GCM group. Despite this, higher mindfulness scores (PQ-M) significantly predicted low self-referential thinking and heightened self-other merging, suggesting that the more meditative the synchronous experience, the less participants thought of themselves and the closer they felt to their partner. Counter to expectations, higher mindfulness scores were associated with lower perceived quality of social interactions. These findings are preliminary, with conclusions constrained by limited statistical power and methodological limitations. Nevertheless, they highlight a potentially meaningful dynamic worthy of continued exploration.

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