---
title: "Ignatian Examen: What It Is, How It Works, Cited Research & Best Free Videos"
description: "The Ignatian Examen is a structured daily reflection that moves through gratitude, a review of the day's feelings, and a hopeful look ahead."
canonical: "https://insighttimer.com/techniques/journaling/ignatian-examen"
category: "Journaling"
last_reviewed: "2026-07-28"
---

# What is Ignatian Examen?

The Ignatian Examen is a structured daily reflection that moves through gratitude, a review of the day's feelings, and a hopeful look ahead (McMillin, 2021).

**Evidence: Experiential Practice.** This is an explicitly Christian, Jesuit daily reflection, gratitude, reviewing the day's emotions, and looking hopefully toward tomorrow, offered as a spiritual practice rather than a clinical intervention. Its one direct randomized trial found no measurable change in stress, anxiety, or mood, and the other studies are small pilots. Its value is spiritual and reflective; no evidence badge is claimed for measurable outcomes.

Last updated: 2026-07-28

We are still reviewing this page. Our research team checks every technique page for accuracy and evidence quality before final release. Details may change as that review completes. The evidence badge shows our current reading of the published research.

## Explore Ignatian Examen

- [End Of Day Practice & Prayer](https://insighttimer.com/eclecticheart/guided-meditations/end-of-day-practice-and-prayer) — Xan Roberti, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.8/5
- [The Examen: A Meditation To Reflect On The Day](https://insighttimer.com/thesoulcoach/guided-meditations/the-examen-a-meditation-to-reflect-on-the-day) — Nicky Temple, Guided, 10 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Ignatian Examen Prayer](https://insighttimer.com/joshgaffga/guided-meditations/ignatian-examen-prayer) — Josh Gaffga, Guided, 11 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Contemplative Practice - You Are Loved](https://insighttimer.com/fumcdallas/guided-meditations/contemplative-practice-you-are-loved) — FUMC Dallas, Guided, 15 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Contemplative Practice  - You Can Rest](https://insighttimer.com/fumcdallas/guided-meditations/contemplative-practice-you-can-rest) — FUMC Dallas, Guided, 14 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Contemplative Practice - You Are Chosen](https://insighttimer.com/fumcdallas/guided-meditations/contemplative-practice-you-are-chosen) — FUMC Dallas, Guided, 16 min, rated 4.8/5

### Ignatian Examen effort level

#### How hard is Ignatian Examen?

**Hard** (3 / 4). You walk back through your day in five set movements, from noticing presence to gratitude to the moments that stirred something, then look toward tomorrow.

- **Mental Effort** (3 / 4): Real memory work is involved, replaying the day honestly and moving through each stage in turn rather than drifting.
- **Emotional Depth** (2 / 4): Reviewing the day can raise regret or gratitude and a sense of where you fell short, held inside the reflective frame.
- **Physical Intensity** (1 / 4): Seated and still, you do the whole practice in reflection, with nothing asked of the body.
- **Prior Knowledge** (3 / 4): Knowing the five movements in advance keeps the review moving through its stages instead of becoming loose journaling.

## Recommended dose: Recommended Practice Dose: Ignatian Examen

### beginner

A daily rhythm is the dose used in the studied protocols: a randomized controlled trial assigned participants to a two-week daily Examen practice, and a clergy intervention trial delivered it as a daily prayer practice. The 5–10 minute starting length is an editorial-synthesis choice — a gentle entry point at or just below the documented range to build the habit before extending duration.

- Session length: 5–10 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 7 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

### intermediate

This matches the documented protocol most directly: a peer-reviewed account of the practice describes the Examen as a 10–15 minute daily reflective practice, and the daily frequency is supported by the two-week daily RCT and the clergy trial.

- Session length: 10–15 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 7 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

### extended

The 15-minute end of this range reflects the upper bound described in the peer-reviewed practice account, while extending to 20 minutes as an ongoing maintenance dose is an editorial extrapolation beyond the studied protocols. Daily practice remains the trial-tested frequency; sustaining it long-term is inferred rather than directly tested.

- Session length: 15–20 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 7 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

*About this card.* Guidance blends trial-tested daily frequency and a clinically described 10–15 minute session length with editorial extrapolation at the shortest and longest ends; treat the extended durations as informed starting points rather than proven targets. These recommendations are not a substitute for personalised guidance from a qualified practitioner.

## Related techniques to Ignatian Examen

- [Naikan Reflection](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/journaling/naikan-reflection)
- [Forgiveness Practice](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/forgiveness/forgiveness-practice)
- [Life Review Meditation](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/journaling/life-review-meditation)

## Common questions about Ignatian Examen

### What does the research say about the Ignatian Examen?

*evidence*

One randomized trial of 115 university students found two weeks of daily Ignatian Examen practice improved sense of meaning, life satisfaction, and hope, though it changed nothing in stress, anxiety, or depression. Smaller studies link the practice to more gratitude and awe. The overall evidence is early, small, and mostly indirect.

### Who is the Ignatian Examen good for?

*good for*

Adults wanting a simple, repeatable way to close the day and reconnect with what matters may find the Ignatian Examen helpful, and it has been studied mostly in university students and clergy. It builds a steadier sense of meaning and perspective, not a quick fix for anxiety, low mood, or diagnosed conditions.

### Is the Ignatian Examen safe?

*safety*

Most healthy adults can practise the Ignatian Examen safely, and its nightly review of feelings tends to bring relief rather than distress. People carrying grief, unresolved trauma, or persistent low mood should approach the emotional review gently, since looking back can slide into rumination. It complements professional care but does not replace it.

### How does the Ignatian Examen work?

*how it works*

The Ignatian Examen turns attention inward through a fixed sequence: reviewing the day's feelings to question what they reveal about your values, re-reading hard moments as something to learn from, and stepping back to survey the whole day. These pathways are drawn from gratitude and positive-emotion research, so they remain plausible rather than proven.

## Ignatian Examen tracks & video

Explore guided sessions to deepen your Ignatian Examen technique.

- [End Of Day Practice & Prayer](https://insighttimer.com/eclecticheart/guided-meditations/end-of-day-practice-and-prayer) — Xan Roberti, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.8/5
- [The Examen Meditation (A Review Of The Day As It Was)](https://insighttimer.com/mattalbury/guided-meditations/the-examen-meditation-a-review-of-the-day-as-it-was) — Matt Albury (Mattie) (He/Him), Guided, 6 min, rated 4.7/5
- [Daily Examen](https://insighttimer.com/chapdtucker/guided-meditations/daily-examen) — Dave Tucker, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.7/5
- [The Examen: A Meditation To Reflect On The Day](https://insighttimer.com/thesoulcoach/guided-meditations/the-examen-a-meditation-to-reflect-on-the-day) — Nicky Temple, Guided, 10 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Evening Prayer Of Reflection](https://insighttimer.com/mariagullo/guided-meditations/evening-prayer-of-reflection) — Maria Gullo, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.9/5
- [Contemplative Practice - You Are Beloved](https://insighttimer.com/fumcdallas/guided-meditations/contemplative-practice-you-are-beloved) — FUMC Dallas, Guided, 16 min, rated 4.7/5
- [A Practice In Contentment: Enneagram](https://insighttimer.com/kelleyweber_spiralspace/guided-meditations/a-practice-in-contentment-enneagram) — Kelley Weber, Guided, 11 min, rated 4.7/5
- [Ignatian Examen Prayer](https://insighttimer.com/joshgaffga/guided-meditations/ignatian-examen-prayer) — Josh Gaffga, Guided, 11 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Examen Prayer | Step 1: Presence Of Grace And Gratitude](https://insighttimer.com/leeeskey/guided-meditations/examen-prayer-step-1-presence-of-grace-and-gratitude) — Lee Eskey, Guided, 7 min, rated 4.5/5
- [Complete Ignatian Examen Prayer Practice](https://insighttimer.com/leeeskey/guided-meditations/complete-ignatian-examen-prayer-practice) — Lee Eskey, Guided, 7 min, rated 4.6/5
- [Contemplative Practice - You Are Forgiven](https://insighttimer.com/fumcdallas/guided-meditations/contemplative-meditation-you-are-forgiven) — FUMC Dallas, Guided, 17 min, rated 4.3/5
- [Reflect On Your Day](https://insighttimer.com/brad4d_wellness/guided-meditations/reflect-on-your-day) — Beth Bradford, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.7/5

## What does a Ignatian Examen session involve?

A structured daily reflection, usually done in the evening, that walks you through gratitude, a review of the emotions the day stirred up, and a hopeful look toward tomorrow.

The Examen follows five movements: becoming aware of a larger presence or perspective, reviewing the day with gratitude, noticing the emotions that arose, choosing one feeling to sit or pray with, and looking toward tomorrow with hope. It is usually practiced once a day, often in the evening, as prayer or reflective writing, and takes roughly ten to fifteen minutes.

What sets the Examen apart from general journaling or open reflection is its fixed five-movement structure and its specific focus on reviewing the day through emotional awareness and gratitude. Though rooted in Catholic Jesuit prayer, it is widely adapted into a secular 'evening review' or 'daily reflection' that substitutes core values or a larger perspective for the language of the divine. It is a reflective support, not a treatment for anxiety, depression, or trauma.

### Not to be confused with

- **Free or expressive journaling:** The Examen follows a fixed five-movement sequence centred on gratitude and the day's emotions, rather than open-ended writing about whatever happens to surface. The structure, not the act of writing, is what defines it.
- **Mindfulness meditation:** Mindfulness anchors attention in the present moment and lets thoughts pass; the Examen deliberately looks back over the day and asks what the day's feelings reveal about what you value. One rests in the now, the other reviews what has already happened.
- **The full Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius:** The Examen is one short daily practice drawn from the Spiritual Exercises, the much larger, often 30-day guided retreat programme Ignatius devised. Practising the daily Examen is not the same as undertaking the full Exercises.

## How does Ignatian Examen work?

The Examen appears to work by turning attention inward in a structured way. Its third movement asks you to look back at what moved or unsettled you and question what those feelings reveal about your values, a kind of self-inquiry that can turn a vague unease into something you can name. The daily gratitude review adds cognitive reappraisal, the deliberate re-reading of hard moments as something to learn from, while stepping back to survey the whole day can open a little distance from the reactions that hooked you. These pathways are drawn from research on gratitude and positive emotion broadly, not from measurement inside the Examen itself, so they are best read as plausible mechanisms rather than proven ones (Emmons & McCullough, 2003), (Cappellen et al., 2014).

### Possible mechanisms

**Self-Inquiry**

When a feeling from the day lingers without a name, the Examen's third movement asks you to look back at what moved or unsettled you and question what it reveals about your values. This inward questioning, called self-inquiry, goes further than simply watching thoughts pass, and it can turn a vague unease into something you can name; research on reflective, gratitude-oriented practice links it to more positive emotion, though that evidence is still indirect (Cappellen et al., 2014), (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

**Cognitive Reappraisal**

At the end of a hard day, one difficult moment can start to feel less like a verdict and more like something you can learn from, while ordinary moments register as small gifts. That shift is cognitive reappraisal, deliberately reframing what an event means so it carries a different emotional weight, something the Examen's daily gratitude review draws on and that gratitude research links to more positive mood (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

**Decentering**

When you review the day from a wider vantage point, the moments that hooked you loosen their grip, so a tense exchange or an anxious hour becomes something you watch rather than something you are stuck inside. This shift, called decentering, is proposed as part of how reflective, gratitude-oriented practices support well-being (Cappellen et al., 2014), (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

**Affective Release**

Feelings from the day that never got named often surface during the Examen's emotional review, a kind of affective release where emotions become accessible and expressed rather than pushed down. Many people describe a sense of lightness or relief once those feelings are noticed, though this pathway is inferred from gratitude and positive-emotion research rather than measured in the Examen itself (Cappellen et al., 2014), (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

## What does Ignatian Examen do to the body?

Little has actually been measured in the body during the Examen itself. A small preliminary study of an intensive week-long Ignatian retreat, not the brief daily practice, reported changes in brain connectivity, the coordination between different brain regions (Wintering et al., 2020), (Newberg et al., 2017). In a trial with clergy, the daily practice eased how stressed people felt but produced no measurable change in heart-rate variability, the beat-to-beat variation that tracks how relaxed the nervous system is (Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023).

## What is Ignatian Examen used for?

Moderate evidence, from one small randomized trial, supports the Examen for a greater sense of meaning, life satisfaction, and hope; that same two-week trial found no significant change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025). Limited evidence links the practice to more self-transcendent positive emotions such as gratitude and awe (Curlee & Ahrens, 2022), and among clergy to lower self-reported stress that emerged only after several months of practice (Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023). Still missing are large trials, long-term follow-up, measurable changes in the body, and any evidence that the Examen treats a diagnosed condition.

## What does the research say about Ignatian Examen?

The clearest finding so far is that a two-week daily Examen lifted people's sense of meaning, life satisfaction, and hope in a randomized trial of 115 university students, even though the same trial saw no change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025). Smaller studies link the practice to more gratitude and awe (Curlee & Ahrens, 2022) and, among clergy, to feeling less stressed after several months, though without measurable gains in the body's stress markers (Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023). The proposed mechanisms lean on gratitude and positive-emotion research rather than direct measurement of the Examen (Emmons & McCullough, 2003), and the overall base is early, small, and mostly indirect (Rader & Plante, 2023).

- Meta-analyses: 0
- RCTs: 2
- Systematic reviews: 0
- Observational: 3
- Pilot: 5

### Studied populations

- university students
- adults
- clergy
- clergy
- retreat participants

### Outcomes measured

- brain functional connectivity after an ignatian spiritual exercises retreat
- grateful reflection and positive affect
- life meaning, satisfaction with life, hope
- self-reported stress symptoms (calgary symptoms of stress inventory)
- self-transcendent positive emotions (stpe)
- self-transcendent positive emotions as mediator of well-being

### Effect sizes

| Outcome | Effect size | 95% CI | N | Comparator | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| self-reported stress symptoms at 24 weeks | mean difference = -0.24 | 95% CI: -0.41, -0.08 | — | waitlist control | Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023 |
| HRV at 12 weeks (MBSR only) | mean difference = 3.32 | 95% CI: 0.21, 6.44 | — | waitlist control | Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023 |

The research is small and early, resting on a single two-week randomized trial in university students plus pilot and exploratory studies, most in non-clinical groups (Plante et al., 2025), (Rader & Plante, 2023), (Curlee & Ahrens, 2022). Proposed mechanisms are inferred from gratitude and positive-emotion research rather than measured within the Examen, and the only brain-imaging evidence comes from intensive week-long retreats, not the daily practice (Wintering et al., 2020). There is no long-term follow-up and no evidence that it treats diagnosed conditions.

## Which studies have tested Ignatian Examen?

**A Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing the Psychological Benefits of a Daily Examen-Based Practice**

n = 115

Finding: In a two-week randomized trial with about 115 university students, those who practised a daily Examen-based reflection reported stronger feelings of meaning in life, greater satisfaction with their lives, and more hope for the future than a comparison group who did not yet start the practice. In everyday terms, a short nightly review of your day may shift how you see your life as a whole and what lies ahead, rather than changing day-to-day tension. Notably, this same trial did not find significant changes in stress, anxiety, or depression, so the Examen is best thought of as a way to build a sense of meaning and hope rather than a treatment for those conditions. Keep in mind this was a small, short, exploratory study, so the results are promising but still preliminary.

`reported narratively`

**Innovating Vocational Resilience: Getting a Second Start at Work through the Ignatian Examen**

2021

Finding: This paper describes the Ignatian Examen as a short, structured daily reflection, roughly 10 to 15 minutes, that St. Ignatius of Loyola developed about five centuries ago as part of the Jesuit Spiritual Exercises. It lays out the practice as five clear movements: quieting to become present, gratefully reviewing the day, noticing the feelings that surfaced, choosing one of those feelings to sit and pray with, and then looking toward the day ahead. For someone considering the practice, that structure offers a repeatable way to close each day with gratitude and honest attention to your emotions rather than free-form journaling. This is a descriptive account of the technique's design and history rather than a trial measuring outcomes, so it explains what the Examen is and where it comes from, not how much it improves well-being.

**An exploratory analysis of the Ignatian examen: Impact on self-transcendent positive emotions and eudaimonic motivation**

2022

Finding: In this early, exploratory study, people who practised the Ignatian Examen reported more self-transcendent positive emotions in the moment, feelings like awe, gratitude, and a sense of connection beyond oneself, and they came to value those emotions more highly. The same study found no change in eudaimonic motivation, the drive to live a meaningful and virtuous life, so the benefit showed up in felt emotion rather than in what people were motivated to pursue. This was a small, preliminary study rather than a large clinical trial, so the results are best read as an encouraging first look; if you try the practice, you might notice moments of gratitude or connection, but the wider evidence base is still thin.

**Potential Benefits of the Jesuit Examen for Psychological Health and Well Being: A Pilot Study**

2023

Finding: This paper describes the Ignatian Examen as a short daily reflection, about 10 to 15 minutes, that moves through five steps: settling into awareness, gratefully reviewing the day, noticing the feelings that came up, praying or reflecting from one of those feelings, and looking ahead to tomorrow. Though St. Ignatius of Loyola introduced it roughly five centuries ago within the Jesuit tradition, the authors note it can be secularized for wider use, for example by swapping religious language for more inclusive words like "love," so you can practise it spiritually or simply as a structured end-of-day check-in. For someone considering it, that means a low-cost, repeatable routine you can shape to your own outlook, though it is worth knowing that formal research on the Examen is still early and rests on small, preliminary studies rather than a large evidence base.

**Upward spirals of positive emotions and religious behaviors**

2020

Finding: This psychology research points to positive emotions as a key link between spiritual practice and well-being, finding that self-transcendent feelings like awe, gratitude, love, and peace help explain why religious and spiritual practices tend to leave people feeling better. That matters for the Examen because it is built around noticing and giving thanks for the good in a day, so the same emotional pathway offers a plausible reason it might support well-being. This study looked at spiritual practices broadly rather than the Examen itself, so treat it as a reasonable explanation of how the practice may work, not proof that it does.

**The Selah trial: A preference-based partially randomized waitlist control study of three stress management interventions**

2023

Finding: In this trial with United Methodist clergy in North Carolina, a Daily Examen prayer practice lowered how stressed people felt compared with a waitlist group, but the improvement showed up only at the six-month mark rather than at the twelve-week check-in, so this is a practice that seems to pay off gradually rather than quickly. Notably, the Examen shifted self-reported stress but did not change heart-rate variability, a physical marker of nervous-system flexibility; only the mindfulness-based practice in the same study moved that measure. If you are drawn to the Examen, the takeaway is that it may help you feel calmer over several months of steady practice, though the evidence here comes from one occupational group and does not show a measurable change in the body's stress physiology.

`mean difference = -0.24`

**Effect of a One-Week Spiritual Retreat on Brain Functional Connectivity: A Preliminary Study**

2020

Finding: After 14 people completed a one-week intensive retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, brain scans picked up measurable shifts in how different regions communicate, including areas tied to self-reflection and attention, and these came alongside reported psychological and spiritual changes. For someone drawn to this tradition, it hints that deep, sustained contemplative work can leave a physical fingerprint on the brain, not just a change in mood. That said, this was a very small early study with no comparison group, and it looked at a full immersive retreat rather than the brief daily Examen, so it can't tell us what a few minutes of daily practice does.

**Self-transcendent positive emotions increase spirituality through basic world assumptions**

2013

Finding: Across two experiments, researchers sparked uplifting, self-transcendent emotions like being moved by goodness or awed by excellence, and found that these feelings in turn stirred a sense of spirituality in participants. That flips the usual assumption that spirituality only grows out of hardship, and points to a gentler route: noticing beauty and goodness can open the door to spiritual experience, which is much of what a gratitude- and reflection-based practice like the Examen invites you to do daily. This was lab-based research on emotions rather than a study of the Examen itself, so it offers a plausible pathway rather than proof that the practice works this way for you.

**Religion and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Positive Emotions**

2014

Finding: This psychology study looked at why religious and spiritual practices seem to boost well-being, and found that positive emotions do much of the work, especially self-transcendent ones like awe, gratitude, love, and peace that carry us beyond ourselves. For a reflection- and gratitude-based practice like the Examen, that points to a believable route by which daily practice might lift how you feel: by regularly stirring up these warmer, expansive emotions. Keep in mind this research was not conducted on the Examen itself, so it maps out a plausible pathway rather than proving the practice delivers these benefits.

**Effect of a one-week spiritual retreat on dopamine and serotonin transporter binding: a preliminary study**

2017

Finding: In this early brain-imaging study, 14 people who completed a week-long intensive retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius showed measurable shifts in how different brain regions coordinate with one another, including areas tied to attention, self-reflection, and inner focus, alongside reported psychological and spiritual changes. For someone drawn to the practice, this hints that deep, sustained periods of prayer and reflection may leave a real mark on how the brain works, not just on how you feel in the moment. Keep in mind the scope, though: this was a small first look with no comparison group, and it studied an immersive week-long retreat rather than the brief daily Examen, so it can't tell us what the short daily practice does on its own.

**Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.**

2003

Finding: In this experiment, people were randomly asked to spend a few minutes each week or each day writing down either things they were grateful for, daily hassles, or ordinary events, and those who focused on what they were thankful for reported a clearer lift in positive mood and a more hopeful outlook on their lives than the other groups. For anyone drawn to the Examen, this points to why its daily gratitude review may feel worthwhile: deliberately noticing the good in your day tends to strengthen positive feelings most of all. Keep in mind this research studied simple gratitude journaling, not the Examen itself, so it offers a supporting rationale rather than direct proof that the full practice produces these effects.

## Where does Ignatian Examen come from?

The Examen comes from the Jesuit tradition, developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola roughly 500 years ago as part of his Spiritual Exercises (Plante et al., 2025), (McMillin, 2021). In that tradition the day is reviewed in the presence of the divine, with emotional movements read as consolations and desolations that point toward one's values. These roots help explain the practice's form, its staged, sequential placement of attention, not its clinical effects, and the framework has since been widely adapted into secular evening reflection (Rader & Plante, 2023).

## Is Ignatian Examen safe?

For most healthy adults, the Ignatian Examen is a low-risk reflective practice, and its nightly review of the day's feelings tends to bring relief rather than distress. Two situations call for more care, both grounded in how the practice works rather than in studies that measured harm. If you are living with grief, unresolved trauma, or persistent low mood, the same looking-back can shift from honest reflection into rumination, the repeated circling of painful thoughts without any sense of resolution, or into harsh self-judgment. The evidence is also still early: a short two-week Examen trial showed no significant change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025), so it is best treated as a reflective support rather than a treatment for those conditions.

### Who should practise with care?

People who are prone to rumination or harsh self-criticism, those carrying unresolved trauma, and anyone in a period of acute grief or persistent low mood should approach the daily emotional review gently, since revisiting difficult feelings can intensify distress rather than help it settle. This caution is practice-informed, inferred from the practice's reliance on emotional review and inward questioning rather than from trials that measured adverse effects. For diagnosed mood, anxiety, or trauma-related conditions, the Examen should sit alongside evidence-based care rather than replace it, and practicing with a therapist or spiritual director can help (Plante et al., 2025).

#### Grief, trauma, or persistent low mood

*low* · *practice-informed*

If you are living with grief, unresolved trauma, or persistent low mood, the Examen's nightly review of the day's feelings can shift from honest reflection into rumination, the repeated circling of painful thoughts without resolution, or into harsh self-judgment. Keep sessions short, ease off if the review consistently leaves you feeling worse, and practise alongside a therapist or spiritual director. This caution is practice-informed rather than drawn from trials that measured harm. A two-week trial found no significant change in stress, anxiety, or depression, so treat the practice as a reflective support rather than a treatment for those conditions (Plante et al., 2025).

#### Tendency toward rumination or harsh self-criticism

*low* · *practice-informed*

People who are prone to rumination or harsh self-criticism should approach the daily emotional review gently, since revisiting difficult feelings can intensify distress rather than help it settle. If the review reliably lowers your mood, draw it to a close and treat that as useful information rather than a personal failing. This caution is inferred from the practice's reliance on emotional review and inward questioning, not from trials that measured adverse effects.

#### Not a substitute for professional care

*low* · *practice-informed*

For diagnosed mood, anxiety, or trauma-related conditions, the Examen should sit alongside evidence-based care rather than replace it, and practising with a therapist or spiritual director can help. A short two-week trial showed no significant change in stress, anxiety, or depression, so it is best treated as a reflective support when symptoms are severe, not a treatment for those conditions (Plante et al., 2025).

### How to practise safely?

The Examen sits most comfortably as a short, regular evening practice of roughly 10 to 15 minutes, done in a quiet moment when you can wind down rather than take on another task. A gentle format works best, one that lets feelings be noticed and acknowledged without forcing or interrogating them, and that stays alert to any sign the review is leaving you feeling worse. If you are living with grief, trauma, or persistent low mood, it is kindest to yourself to practise alongside a therapist or spiritual director and keep the Examen as a complement to professional care.

1. **Set a calm, consistent time.** Choose a quiet moment in the evening when you will not be interrupted, so the review feels like winding down rather than another task. A short, regular session is easier to sustain than an occasional long one.
2. **Begin with gratitude, not difficulty.** Anchor the review by first noticing what went well or felt like a small gift. This steadies your attention before you turn toward harder feelings and keeps the practice from becoming a catalogue of failures.
3. **Notice feelings without forcing them.** As you review the emotions that arose during the day, let them be named and acknowledged rather than analysed or argued with. The aim is to observe what moved or unsettled you, not to interrogate yourself.
4. **Keep it gentle and time-limited.** A daily review of roughly 10 to 15 minutes is enough. If you find yourself circling the same painful moment or sliding into self-blame, that is a signal to draw the reflection to a close rather than push further.
5. **Watch for warning signs.** If the review consistently leaves you feeling worse, more anxious, more self-critical, or stuck replaying distress, ease off the practice and treat that as useful information rather than a personal failing.
6. **Bring in support when needed.** If you live with grief, trauma, or persistent low mood, or if the daily review reliably lowers your mood, practise alongside a therapist or spiritual director and keep the Examen as a complement to professional care rather than a substitute for it.
7. **Close by looking toward tomorrow.** End the practice on a forward-looking, hopeful note. This helps the reflection settle and supports the transition from an active day into rest.

### Medical disclaimer

This information is educational and is not medical advice. This practice is not a substitute for professional care and should not replace prescribed medication or treatment for any medical or mental-health condition. If you are managing a health condition or taking medication, talk with a qualified health professional before changing your practice. If you are in distress or crisis, seek professional support.

## How does Ignatian Examen compare to similar techniques?

| Technique | Best for | Use with care | Distinction |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) | People wanting a secular, well-studied program aimed at reducing stress, including measurable physiological markers, with structured instruction over several weeks. | MBSR asks for a larger time commitment and group-course format; if you want a brief evening reflection or a practice within a faith tradition, it may fit less naturally. | MBSR is a secular, structured multi-week course that trains present-moment attention through body scans, breath awareness, and gentle movement. The Examen instead looks backward over the day, reviewing the emotions that arose through a lens of gratitude and, in its original form, divine presence. Both may cultivate decentering, the sense of watching thoughts as passing events rather than being caught inside them, but one anchors you in the now and the other in reflective review of what has already happened. |
| Gratitude journaling | A quick, low-effort way to shift mood by deliberately noticing what went well and what you appreciate. | People with a strongly self-reliant, autonomous style sometimes find gratitude prompts less helpful or even grating. | Gratitude journaling asks you to list things you are thankful for, and the payoff tends to be a fairly direct lift in mood. The Examen folds gratitude into a wider five-movement review that also turns toward the day's difficult or unsettling feelings, so it is as much about honest emotional review and self-inquiry as about counting blessings. |
| Centering Prayer | People seeking a quiet, wordless form of contemplative rest within a Christian frame rather than a structured review of the day. |  | Centering Prayer is a silent, receptive Christian contemplative practice in which you rest wordlessly in a sense of God's presence and gently let go of thoughts as they arise. The Examen is active rather than silent: it deliberately reviews the day's events and emotions and questions what they reveal, so it engages reflection and self-inquiry rather than wordless resting. |

## Other questions readers ask

### Can you do the Ignatian Examen without being religious?

Yes. The Examen can be practised in a secular register, swapping the language of the divine for inclusive terms like love or your own core values while keeping the same five-movement structure (Rader & Plante, 2023).

Yes. Although the Examen grew out of the Jesuit tradition, its five short movements, settling, reviewing the day with gratitude, noticing the feelings that surfaced, sitting with one of them, and looking toward tomorrow, work as a structured daily reflection whether or not you hold a religious frame (McMillin, 2021), (Plante et al., 2025). A common secular adaptation substitutes a larger perspective or your core values for God as the reference point for the review (Rader & Plante, 2023). That is a point about the practice's adaptable form, not a claim that the secular version produces particular clinical outcomes.

### How long does an Examen session take each day?

About 10 to 15 minutes. That is the commonly suggested length for a daily Examen, though it is a practical guideline rather than a clinically tested dose. A short, regular session is easier to sustain than an occasional long one (Rader & Plante, 2023).

About 10 to 15 minutes is the length most often suggested for a daily Examen, enough to move through its five short movements without turning the practice into another task (Rader & Plante, 2023). That figure comes from how the practice is taught, not from trials measuring an optimal duration, so treat it as a sustainable guideline rather than a validated dose. Keeping it brief and consistent, at a calm evening time, tends to make the reflection easier to maintain than an occasional longer sitting.

### Does the Ignatian Examen actually help with anxiety and stress?

Not as a direct treatment. A two-week trial in students found no significant change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025), and a clergy trial saw lower self-reported stress only after several months (Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023). It is best seen as a reflective support that may modestly ease felt stress over time, not a quick fix.

Not as a direct treatment, and the evidence is genuinely mixed. A two-week randomized trial found no significant change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025), while a trial with clergy linked the daily practice to lower self-reported stress, but only after several months, and with no measurable change in heart rate variability, the beat-to-beat rhythm that tracks nervous-system flexibility (Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023). Treat the Examen as a reflective support that may modestly ease how stressed you feel over time, not a treatment for an anxiety condition; severe or persistent symptoms need professional care.

### How strong is the research behind the Examen?

Early and limited. The strongest study is one small two-week randomized trial of about 115 university students, which lifted people's sense of meaning, life satisfaction, and hope but showed no change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025). The rest is pilot and exploratory work, so it reads as promising signals rather than settled findings (Rader & Plante, 2023).

Early and limited. The strongest study is one small two-week randomized trial of about 115 university students, which lifted people's sense of meaning, life satisfaction, and hope but showed no change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025). Beyond it, smaller studies link the practice to more self-transcendent positive emotions like gratitude and awe (Curlee & Ahrens, 2022), and a clergy trial found lower self-reported stress that emerged only after several months (Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023). The proposed mechanisms are inferred from adjacent gratitude and positive-emotion research rather than measured within the Examen itself, and there is no long-term follow-up and no evidence it treats a diagnosed condition (Rader & Plante, 2023). The signal is suggestive, not yet confirmed.

### Why does looking back over your day help you feel steadier?

Probably through a few overlapping processes rather than one. Reviewing the day may work by naming the feelings that surfaced (self-inquiry), re-reading hard moments through gratitude (cognitive reappraisal), and stepping back from your reactions (decentering) (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). These are plausible pathways borrowed from gratitude research, not yet measured inside the Examen itself.

Probably through several overlapping processes rather than a single one. The emotional review invites self-inquiry, asking what a feeling reveals about what you value; the gratitude step supports cognitive reappraisal, deliberately re-reading a difficult moment as something to learn from; and surveying the whole day can open a little distance from the reactions that hooked you (Emmons & McCullough, 2003), (Cappellen et al., 2014). These pathways come from broader gratitude and positive-emotion research rather than measurement within the Examen, so they read as plausible rather than proven (Cappellen et al., 2020). Worth noting: the one small trial found no significant change in stress or anxiety, so any steadying effect is about perspective, not treatment.

### Does the Examen change anything measurable in the body?

Very little has been measured so far. In a clergy trial the daily Examen lowered how stressed people felt but produced no measurable change in heart rate variability, the beat-to-beat variation that tracks nervous-system flexibility (Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023). Physical calming remains plausible, not proven, for the everyday practice.

Very little has been measured in the body during the brief daily Examen. A small preliminary study reported changes in brain connectivity, the coordination between brain regions, but that came from an intensive week-long Ignatian retreat rather than the short daily practice (Wintering et al., 2020), (Newberg et al., 2017). In a clergy trial, the daily practice eased self-reported stress yet produced no measurable change in heart rate variability (Proeschold‐Bell et al., 2023), so a physiological or nervous-system effect for the everyday practice remains plausible but unproven.

### Is the Examen safe if you're grieving or carrying unresolved trauma?

Use care. For most adults the Examen is low-risk, but if you are grieving, carrying unresolved trauma, or in persistent low mood, its nightly review of feelings can tip into rumination, so keep it brief and practise alongside a therapist. It is a reflective support, not a treatment or a substitute for care.

Use care. This caution is practice-informed rather than drawn from studies that measured harm: no trial has tracked adverse effects in grieving or trauma-affected people, but reviewing the day's difficult feelings each night can slide from honest reflection into rumination, the repeated circling of painful thoughts without resolution. Keep sessions short, ease off if the review consistently leaves you feeling worse, and work with a therapist or spiritual director. A two-week Examen trial showed no significant change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025), so treat it as a reflective support rather than a treatment for those conditions.

### Can reviewing your day each night turn into rumination?

It can, so use care. If you are prone to overthinking, or navigating grief, trauma, or low mood, a nightly emotional review can slide from honest reflection into rumination, circling painful thoughts without resolution. Keep it gentle and time-limited, and lean on professional support if it reliably lowers your mood.

It can, so use care. No trial has measured this directly, but the same looking-back that helps most people can, for those inclined to rumination or facing grief, unresolved trauma, or persistent low mood, tip into repetitive distress or harsh self-judgment. Treat the Examen as a reflective support, not a treatment, a short two-week trial found no significant change in stress, anxiety, or depression (Plante et al., 2025). If the review consistently leaves you feeling worse, draw it to a close and consider practising alongside a therapist or spiritual director.

### What's the difference between the Examen and gratitude journaling?

The main difference is structure and scope. Gratitude journaling lists what you're thankful for; the Examen folds that gratitude into a fixed five-movement review that also turns toward the day's difficult feelings and asks what they reveal about your values (McMillin, 2021).

The main difference is structure and scope. Gratitude journaling centres on listing what you appreciate, while the Ignatian Examen is a fixed five-movement daily reflection that pairs a gratitude review with honest attention to unsettling feelings and a form of self-inquiry into what they reveal about your values (McMillin, 2021). The Examen's gratitude step draws on the same gratitude practices research links to more positive mood, so the two overlap there (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). This is a distinction of form and focus between adjacent practices; no direct trial has compared the two, so neither can be said to outperform the other.

## Glossary

### Consolation and desolation

The Ignatian names for the day's emotional movements: consolation is a felt sense of warmth, connection, or being drawn toward what matters, while desolation is a pull toward heaviness, disconnection, or unease. The Examen treats both as signals worth noticing rather than moods to ignore.

### Self-transcendent positive emotions

Feelings such as awe, gratitude, and a sense of connection that reach beyond the self, often experienced as being moved or uplifted. Studies link the Examen to more of these emotions.

Positive affective states characterised by decreased self-salience and increased feelings of connectedness, including awe, gratitude, elevation, and admiration.

### Eudaimonic motivation

The drive to act on values, meaning, and personal growth rather than to seek pleasure or comfort. One study found the Examen raised positive emotions without measurably shifting this kind of motivation.

### Decentering

The shift from being caught inside a thought or feeling to observing it as a passing mental event, which loosens its grip. A difficult moment from the day starts to feel like something you can watch from a step back.

Also termed cognitive defusion: creating psychological distance between the observer and mental content, reducing automatic reactivity and identification with transient states.

### Cognitive reappraisal

Deliberately changing how you interpret an event so it carries a different emotional weight, such as re-reading a hard moment as something you can learn from. It is proposed as one way the Examen's gratitude review may work.

An emotion-regulation strategy that reframes the meaning of a situation to alter its emotional impact by generating alternative interpretations.

### Self-inquiry

Turning investigative attention inward to question what your feelings and reactions reveal about your values, rather than simply watching thoughts pass by. It may feel like recognising a pattern you had not put into words.

Self-referential processing and introspection directed at examining one's own assumptions, values, and emotional responses.

### Heart rate variability (HRV)

The small beat-to-beat variation in heart rhythm, often read as a sign of how flexibly the nervous system can shift between alertness and calm. In one clergy trial the Examen did not change HRV, though participants reported feeling less stressed.

The variation in time intervals between successive heartbeats, used as a non-invasive index of autonomic (particularly vagal) nervous-system regulation.

## Full references

1. Thomas G. Plante, David B. Feldman, Jacqueline L. Ge, Anthony J. Cortese (2025). A Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing the Psychological Benefits of a Daily Examen-Based Practice. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-025-02259-w (randomized controlled trial)
2. S. McMillin (2021). Innovating Vocational Resilience: Getting a Second Start at Work through the Ignatian Examen. https://doi.org/10.34043/swc.v48i1.199 (other peer reviewed)
3. Millicent S. Curlee, A. Ahrens (2022). An exploratory analysis of the Ignatian examen: Impact on self-transcendent positive emotions and eudaimonic motivation. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2022.2109197 (observational)
4. Carolina Rader, Thomas G. Plante (2023). Potential Benefits of the Jesuit Examen for Psychological Health and Well Being: A Pilot Study. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-023-01111-w (other peer reviewed)
5. Patty Van Cappellen, Megan Edwards, Barbara L. Fredrickson (2020). Upward spirals of positive emotions and religious behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.09.004 (other peer reviewed)
6. Rae Jean Proeschold‐Bell, David E. Eagle, Logan C. Tice, Alyssa Platt, Jia Yao, Jessie S. Larkins (2023). The Selah trial: A preference-based partially randomized waitlist control study of three stress management interventions. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.24.23284965 (preprint)
7. Nancy Wintering, David B. Yaden, Christopher J. Conklin, Mahdi Alizadeh, Feroze B. Mohamed, Zhong Li (2020). Effect of a One-Week Spiritual Retreat on Brain Functional Connectivity: A Preliminary Study. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12010023 (observational)
8. Patty Van Cappellen, Vassilis Saroglou, Caroline Iweins, Maria Piovesana, Barbara L. Fredrickson (2013). Self-transcendent positive emotions increase spirituality through basic world assumptions. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2013.787395 (observational)
9. Patty Van Cappellen, Maria Toth-Gauthier, Vassilis Saroglou, Barbara L. Fredrickson (2014). Religion and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Positive Emotions. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9605-5 (other peer reviewed)
10. Andrew B. Newberg, Nancy Wintering, David B. Yaden, Zhong Li, Brendan Bowen, Noah Averick (2017). Effect of a one-week spiritual retreat on dopamine and serotonin transporter binding: a preliminary study. https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599x.2016.1267035 (other peer reviewed)
11. Robert A. Emmons, Michael E. McCullough (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377 (randomized controlled trial)

## More Ignatian Examen in Insight Timer

Editorially curated. Tracks are not themselves clinically studied; evidence on the page applies to Ignatian Examen as a technique.

- [When The Day Softens - An Evening Practice For Leaders](https://insighttimer.com/Zentered/guided-meditations/when-the-day-softens-an-evening-practice-for-leaders) — Linda Vikström, Guided, 11 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Ignatian Examen Prayer](https://insighttimer.com/joshgaffga/guided-meditations/ignatian-examen-prayer) — Josh Gaffga, Guided, 11 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Evening Prayer Of Reflection](https://insighttimer.com/mariagullo/guided-meditations/evening-prayer-of-reflection) — Maria Gullo, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.9/5
- [Monday Night Prayer: Embracing Divine Stillness](https://insighttimer.com/brad4d_wellness/guided-meditations/monday-night-prayer-embracing-divine-stillness) — Beth Bradford, Guided, 8 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Contemplative Practice  - You Can Rest](https://insighttimer.com/fumcdallas/guided-meditations/contemplative-practice-you-can-rest) — FUMC Dallas, Guided, 14 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Christian Meditation To Slow Down: Examen Reflection](https://insighttimer.com/acseiple/guided-meditations/christian-meditation-to-slow-down-examen-reflection) — Anna Christine Seiple, MA, LPC/MHSP, LCMHC, NCC, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Contemplative Practice - You Are Loved](https://insighttimer.com/fumcdallas/guided-meditations/contemplative-practice-you-are-loved) — FUMC Dallas, Guided, 15 min, rated 4.8/5
- [The Examen: A Meditation To Reflect On The Day](https://insighttimer.com/thesoulcoach/guided-meditations/the-examen-a-meditation-to-reflect-on-the-day) — Nicky Temple, Guided, 10 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Prayer Of Examin: Introduction In The Christian Tradition](https://insighttimer.com/jessbielman/guided-meditations/prayer-of-examin-introduction-in-the-christian-tradition) — Jess Bielman, Talks, 2 min, rated 4.8/5
- [End Of Day Practice & Prayer](https://insighttimer.com/eclecticheart/guided-meditations/end-of-day-practice-and-prayer) — Xan Roberti, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.8/5