The influence of ambience on meditative states in the perception of integrative health therapists

Abstract

The design of therapeutic environments for Complementary and Integrative Health Practices (CIP) must meet their specific needs, which are distinct from those of conventional contemporary medicine. Since meditation is one of the most widely used and scientifically studied techniques in this context, this exploratory and qualitative research aimed to understand the perception of CIP therapists about how ambiance affects meditative states. The transdisciplinary theoretical scope includes Environmental Psychology, Humanization of Health Environments, and Neuroscience applied to Architecture. This qualitative study used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore human-environment interactions in a sample of fifteen therapists. Collected data underwent content analysis. Results indicate that the ambience influences meditative states through Tangible and/or Observable Attributes, such as Aroma, Art, Spatial Configuration, Color and Materials, Lighting, Cleanliness, Furniture, Nature, Organization, Privacy, Sounds, Temperature, and View to the Outside. Intangible Attributes, including Welcomeness, Atmosphere, and Energy of the Environment, also play a role. Due to the small sample size and limited representation of CIP specialties, these results cannot be broadly generalized. However, this research provides a foundation for future studies and can inform the design of therapeutic environments for meditative states.