Learning from spiritual models and meditation: A randomized evaluation of a college course

Effects of two meditation and mindfulness-based spiritual interventions were examined in college undergraduates (N=44). Compared to a control group, both interventions decreased negative religious coping (d=−0.80, p\u3c.01) and images of God as mainly controlling (d=−.73, p\u3c.01). One intervention provided more training in tools for learning from community and tradition-based spiritual exemplars. It produced gains in famous or traditional spiritual exemplars’ perceived influence (d=+.81, p\u3c.05) and availability (d=+.66, p\u3c.10), in self-efficacy for learning from spiritual exemplars (d=+.92, p\u3c.05), and in nonmaterialistic aspirations (d=+0.65, p\u3c.05)