‘No mind’: A Zen Buddhist perspective on embodied consciousness

During movement, a deeply embodied state of consciousness can arise that dissolves the boundaries between mind and body, self and other, and human and non-human. This state, historically central to Zen Buddhist philosophy, is considered an enlightened and optimal way of being in which one viscerally experiences interconnection with the spiritual and physical world. The article unpacks this paradigm through Eastern movement practices—Nihon-buyo, martial arts, and Butoh—that use movement as a meditative process toward self-world transcendence. Finally, it reframes deeply embodied consciousness through neurophenomenology to argue for its validity in emerging scientific research on consciousness and attention.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the idea of a deeply embodied consciousness during movement, which has become one of the most intensely discussed topics in terms of the phenomenology and spirituality of dance and somatic practices. The strive towards an embodied state of consciousness has been historically present in the context of Zen Buddhist philosophy, wherein true embodiment is considered an enlightened state of being, wherein one’s consciousness transcends the barriers of mind versus body, self versus other and human versus non-human; it is thought that, in this state, we experience a visceral enlightenment towards our inherent connection to (or interrelation with) the spiritual and physical world around us, and that this state is a form of ‘purified’ – or even optimal – being. Phenomenological aspects underpinning this paradigm will be unpacked through representative cases of eastern movement practices whose founding philosophies align with Zen Buddhist thought. Among these movement practices will be Nihon-buyo (Japanese traditional dance), eastern martial arts and Butoh, which all utilize movement as a meditative process towards a state of selfworld transcendence. At the end of the article, the phenomenon of deeply embodied consciousness will be reframed and explained through the lens of neurophenomenology, with the aim of bringing forth the validity and relevance of this phenomenon in the newly emerging scientific research of consciousness and attention.