Effects of meditation on emotions and depression: a longitudinal study using Geneva Emotion Wheel

Beneficial effects of meditation on mental well-being are not unequivocally confirmed in research (Goyal et al., 2014). In our study (n=19), we hypothesize that meditation (practiced over a longer period of time) impacts emotions and their intensity. We used The Geneva Emotion Wheel in meditation sessions (n=12) performed regularly over a 12-week period of time, from April to July, 2024. We controlled depression and personality type. Emotions were measured before and after each meditation session. Depression was measured before the start of the meditation course and at the end of it by The Patient Health Questionnaire (Kroenke et al., 2001). Personality traits were tested once - before the start of the meditation course by Big Five Inventory-10 (Rammstedt & John, 2007). The results showed that meditation had a positive effect on several emotions and their intensity, but the effect on depression was not found.