Personality Characteristics and Regularity of Meditation

Abstract

A prospective study was conducted in which personality scores taken prior to meditation initiation were used to predict responses to meditation. Eysenck's (1963) Personality Inventory, Byrne's (1963) Repression-Sensitization Scale, Rotter's (1966) Locus of Control, and Barber's (1965) Suggestibility Scale were completed by 55 prospective meditators. Subjects were recontacted after 18 mo. and grouped according to how frequently they meditated into ‘regulars,’ ‘irregulars,’ and ‘drop-outs.’ Eight subjects remained ‘uninitiated.’ Statistical analysis of preinitiation scores and frequency of meditation practice showed: (1) Frequency of meditation was negatively correlated with both neuroticism and sensitization. (2) Neuroticism and sensitization were positively correlated independently of meditation practice. (3) Prospective ‘dropouts' scored significantly higher on both neuroticism and sensitization than prospective regular meditators and than the uninitiated subjects and were significantly more neurotic than Eysenck's norms. (4) Scores of regular meditators and uninitiated subjects were not significantly different from Eysenck's norms for neuroticism. (5) Regular meditators and uninitiated subjects did not differ significantly with regard to neuroticism and sensitization. (6) Meditators-to-be were significantly more neurotic than uninitiated subjects and than Eysenck's norms. No significant differencs were found a propos extraversion, locus of control, and suggestibility. The maintenance of the practice of meditation was not related to one's gender, but drop-outs tended to be younger.