A Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing the Psychological Benefits of a Daily Examen-Based Practice

• Published in: Journal of religion and health Vol. 64; no. 2; pp. 1239 - 1256
• Main Authors: Plante, Thomas G., Feldman, David B., Ge, Jacqueline, Cortese, Anthony
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Aging; Clinical Psychology; Clinical trials; Female; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mindfulness; Original Paper; Personal Satisfaction; Public Health; Religion and Psychology; Religious Studies; Students - psychology; Students - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Gratitude; Catholic; Jesuit; Meditation; Spiritual practices; Prayer
• ISSN: 0022-4197; 1573-6571; 1573-6571
• DOI: 10.1007/s10943-025-02259-w

This is a randomized controlled trial of an Examen-based practice, an intervention reflecting a five-step daily reflection and prayer practice developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Catholic Jesuit order. Like other practices (e.g., mindfulness, yoga), this practice can be used as a spiritual or secular intervention to help people with a variety of challenges and stressors. In this exploratory study, 57 university students were randomly assigned to a two-week daily Examen-based condition, while 58 students were assigned to a wait-list control condition. Questionnaires measuring hope, life meaning, satisfaction with life, mindfulness, compassion, stress, anxiety, and depression were administered pre- and post-intervention and subsequently at two-week follow-up. Significant differences were found for conditions on the measures of life meaning, satisfaction with life, and hope, suggesting that the Examen-based practice produces improvements in individuals’ global evaluations of their lives as well as their perceptions of the future. Suggestions for further research are offered.