The Mediating Role of Shared Flow and Perceived Emotional Synchrony on Compassion for Others in a Mindful-Dancing Program

Abstract

Objectives While there is a growing understanding of the relationship between mindfulness and compassion, this largely relates to the form of mindfulness employed in first-generation mindfulness-based interventions such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Consequently, there is limited knowledge of the relationship between mindfulness and compassion in respect of the type of mindfulness employed in second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (SG-MBIs), including those that employ the principle of working harmoniously as a "secular sangha." Understanding this relationship is important because research indicates that perceived emotional synchrony (PES) and shared flow-that often arise during participation in harmonized group contemplative activities-can enhance outcomes relating to compassion, subjective well-being, and group identity fusion. This pilot study analyzed the effects of participation in a mindful-dancing SG-MBI on compassion and investigated the mediating role of shared flow and PES. Methods A total of 130 participants were enrolled into the study that followed a quasi-experimental design with an intervention and control group. Results Results confirmed the salutary effect of participating in a collective mindful-dancing program, and demonstrated that shared flow and PES fully meditated the effects of collective mindfulness on the kindness and common humanity dimensions of compassion. Conclusions Further research is warranted to explore whether collective mindfulness approaches, such as mindful dancing, may be a means of enhancing compassion and subjective well-being outcomes due to the mediating role of PES and shared flow.

Psychedelic Communitas: Intersubjective Experience During Psychedelic Group Sessions Predicts Enduring Changes in Psychological Wellbeing and Social Connectedness

“…Confirming the conceptual link between the constructs, communitas was strongly associated with both perceived emotional synchrony and identity fusion, while still distinct enough to establish discriminant validity and thus demonstrate the new measure's additional value according to the Fornell and Larcker (1981) criterion. Perceived emotional synchrony (also known as 'collective effervescence') experienced during collective events such as folkloric festivals, protest demonstrations, mindful dancing, and sport activities, has been shown to enhance collective identity, social cohesion, personal and collective self-esteem and efficacy, positive affect, positive social beliefs, compassion, and individual wellbeing ( Páez et al, 2015 ; Pizarro et al, 2020 ; Wlodarczyk et al, 2020 ). In a similar vein, the present study provides novel evidence of enduring prosocial and psychological benefits derived from the experience of communitas during a collective psychedelic experience.…”

Collective Effervescence, Self-Transcendence, and Gender Differences in Social Well-Being During 8 March Demonstrations

“…This hypothesis is consistent with a previous and continuous line of research about participation and the role of PES (collective effervescence measure) as a predictor or mediator of the positive causal effects of participation in rituals and collective gatherings (derived from the theoretical tradition of Durkheim, 1912Durkheim, /2008Collins, 2004). It must be noted that previous longitudinal studies (pretest-during-posttest) have shown that PES predicts the positive effects of participation (e.g., von Scheve et al, 2017;Bouchat et al, 2020;Pizarro et al, 2020;Wlodarczyk et al, 2020;Zabala et al, 2020).…”

Second-Generation Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Toward More Authentic Mindfulness Practice and Teaching

“…A further study showed that brief mindfulness techniques used in an SG-MBI led to significant reductions in pain symptomatology and psychological distress in chronic pain patients (Cayoun et al 2019). Another study demonstrated the benefits of participating in an SG-MBI mindful-dancing program, in which the intervention's effects on compassion were found to be fully mediated by shared flow and perceived emotional synchrony (Pizarro et al 2019).…”