Mood and personality predict improvement in creativity due to meditation training

Studies have shown a mean improvement of creative performance following meditation, however, differences among individuals have been neglected. We examine whether short-term integrative body-mind training (IBMT), can improve creative performance and seek to determine which people are most likely to benefit. In a randomized study using short-term IBMT or a control given same amount of relaxation training (30 min/day for 7 days), mood, personality and creative performances were assessed before and after training. The results indicated that the IBMT group had significantly greater creative performance than the relaxation control. A linear regression showed that five predictors in pre-tests including depression, anger, fatigue, introversion × vigor, and emotional stability × vigor accounted for 57% of the variance in the change in creativity before vs. after IBMT. Mood and personality may be useful tools to predict individual variation in the improvement of creative performance following meditation training.