The sample size was determined via use of the ANOVA power table, for three groups, with a significance level of 0.05 and power of 0.80.24 Since no similar study had been conducted in Thailand, an effect size of 0.20 was chosen. Thus, a minimum of 14 subjects per group was determined to be needed. However, it appeared the estimated number of subjects was too small to demonstrate normal distribution of the variable scores and deal with possible subject attrition. Since there were 246 potential subjects available, the PI planned to have at least 50 participants in each group. However, many of the potential subjects initially contacted informed the PI the time involvement in the study was too demanding. Thus, after 8 months of contacting potential subjects and having obtained 82 subjects who consented to take part in the study, the PI re-calculated the effect size (eta2) of the program. The calculated effect sizes for each variable, in the Vipassana meditation group and the chanting group, was found to range from 0.38 - 0.64 and 0.42 - 0.75, respectively. From the least effect size, with the least number of participants, the power for the study intervention was more than 0.90. Therefore, the researcher was comfortable with at least 23 subjects being in each group. The final composition of each group was: Group I (Vipassana meditation) = 33 subjects; Group II
(chanting) = 24 subjects; and, Group III (neither meditation nor chanting - control group) = 25. Prior to the start of the Vipassana meditation and chanting interventions, two subjects recruited for the Vipassana meditation group and one recruited for the chanting group dropped out, as a result of leaving town, leaving 31 subjects in the Vipassana meditation group, 23 in the chanting group and 25 in the control group. The demographic, family status and religious experience characteristics for each group are shown in Tables 1, 2 and 3, respectively. As can be noted, subjects in the three groups were fairly similar with the exception of gender (i.e. the control group had significantly more males) and prior involvement with Vipassana meditation (i.e. the chanting group had significantly more subjects).