Higher meaning in life (MIL) consistently predicts better health, but the physiological processes underlying this relationship are not well understood. This study examined the relationship between MIL and vagally-mediated heart rate variability (VmHRV) under resting (N = 77), stressor (n = 73), and mindfulness intervention (n = 72) conditions. Regression was used for MIL-VmHRV analyses at baseline, and longitudinal mixed models were used to examine phasic changes in VmHRV as a function of MIL. Regression revealed a quadratic MIL-VmHRV relationship, and mixed models linked higher MIL to greater stress-reactivity but not enhanced stress-attenuation. MIL and mindfulness did not interact to influence VmHRV recovery after experimental stress. Findings suggest that cardiac vagal tone and cardiac vagal reactivity are linked to MIL, shedding light on the physiology underlying MIL and its health associations.

更高的生活意义 (MIL) 始终预示着更好的健康，但这种关系背后的生理过程尚不清楚。本研究检查了静息状态下 MIL 与迷走神经介导的心率变异性 (VmHRV) 之间的关系 ( N  = 77)、压力源 ( n  = 73) 和正念干预 ( n = 72) 条件。回归用于基线 MIL-VmHRV 分析，纵向混合模型用于检查 VmHRV 作为 MIL 函数的阶段性变化。回归揭示了二次 MIL-VmHRV 关系，混合模型将更高的 MIL 与更大的压力反应性联系起来，但不会增强压力衰减。MIL 和正念没有相互作用来影响实验压力后 VmHRV 的恢复。研究结果表明，心脏迷走神经张力和心脏迷走神经反应性与 MIL 相关，揭示了 MIL 背后的生理学及其健康关联。