Subjective Perceptions of South Korean Meditation Teachers on Meditation Teaching Competencies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

South Korean meditation teachers perceive professional competence in AI-mediated teaching not as technical or digital skills but as a "way of being" rooted in ethical self-awareness, relational presence, and embodied practice. Using Q methodology with 21 certified teachers, four distinct perception types emerged: Embodied Practice-Grounded (prioritizing personal meditation depth), Relational Presence-Grounded (emphasizing intersubjective attunement), Pedagogical Judgment-Grounded (focusing on theory-coaching integration), and Ethical Self-Reflection-Grounded (centering on moral reflexivity). The findings suggest that in AI-driven contexts, competence is defined by ethical discernment and responsibility for non-delegable aspects of guidance, advancing a practitioner-centered account of spiritual authority.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study investigates how South Korean meditation teachers conceptualize core professional competencies in digitally delivered and AI-mediated contemplative contexts, addressing a gap in prior research that has emphasized effectiveness and technological scalability over teachers’ own understandings of authority and professionalism. Using Q methodology, the study identified shared subjective meaning structures among 21 certified meditation teachers in South Korea. From 133 competency-related statements derived from academic literature and practitioner sources, a 33-item Q sample was developed and analyzed through by-person factor analysis. The analysis revealed four distinct perception types of meditation teaching competencies: 1. Embodied Practice-Grounded, prioritizing the depth of personal meditative practice; 2. Relational Presence-Grounded, emphasizing intersubjective attunement between teacher and practitioner; 3. Pedagogical Judgment-Grounded, focusing on the strategic integration of theory and coaching practice; and 4. Ethical Self-Reflection-Grounded, centering on ongoing moral reflexivity and inner examination. The findings indicate that, in the face of AI-driven automation, meditation teaching competence is perceived not as a set of technical skills or digital literacy, but as a “way of being” rooted in the triadic integration of ethical self-awareness, relational presence, and embodied practice. Furthermore, the study suggests that in AI-mediated contemplative environments, professional competence in AI-mediated contemplative environments is defined less by technological adoption than by ethical discernment and responsibility for non-delegable aspects of guidance, advancing a practitioner-centered account of spiritual authority in the era of artificial intelligence.