In the past week we completed a first draft summarizing the results from the Baltimore study.
In July 2021, I traveled to Baltimore to coordinate a study with Dr. Henry Gregory, to test Agnihotra’s impact on mental health and wellness. Dr. Gregory is a clinical family therapist and Graduate School Professor at the University of Maryland. He was instrumental in organizing the control and experimental groups for the study, and he administered the entry and exit interviews for the groups.
Since the data we were collecting were self administered tests (one the Beck’s Depression Index and the other a Wellness Index created for this pilot study), I wasn’t expecting to see much from the quantitative data. I was anticipating we would rely on potential qualitative differences between the groups.
But the quantitative data itself was powerful. The differences in the results between the two groups were striking, particularly relating to depression, self image, productivity, and overall sense of belonging and happiness.
The data and study will be published at a later point.
While the study has its limitations due the small sample, lack of randomness in the groups, limitations on the control, and other limitations, my hope is that we can use these results to help with fundraising efforts for the Santa Barbara study, as well as future studies.
Sometimes it seems like it’s such a mountain to climb, for Agnihotra to be taken seriously in the West, and for it to be given its due, in terms of resources and energy to study the practice and its potential impact.
But we are definitely making progress, one step at a time.
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