Gayatri Mantra Meditation: A Promising Approach for Enhancing Psychological Capital and Alleviating Psychological Distress

Abstract

This research explores the transformative potential of Gayatri Mantra Meditation (GMM) in fostering psychological capital (PsyCap) and reducing psychological distress among practitioners. This study investigates the effects of regular GMM practice on enhancing PsyCap components (hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism) and alleviating symptoms of psychological distress. This study used longitudinal pre-post study design and using convenience sampling to assess the effect of practicing GMM for 40 days on 100 young adult participants of age group 22-28 years. The research delves into understanding the underlying mechanisms and its efficacy in promoting mental resources that can in turn enhance work performance and productivity. The findings of this study, revealed that there was a significant reduction in the stress, anxiety, and depression of the participants (all p<0.05) post intervention. Additionally, there was significant improvement in Psychological capital (Hope, Optimism, Resilience, Efficacy) among all participants (p<0.05) post intervention. Findings suggest that GMM holds promise as a holistic intervention for developing psychological capital, offering insights for integrating ancient spiritual practices into contemporary positive mental resource building.