Zen Meditation and Aromatherapy as a Core to Mental Health: Studies in Vietnamese Monasteries
Joanna Różycka‐Tran, Khanh Huu Truong, Klaudia T. Bochniarz, Stanisław Radoń, Quan Anh Tran
Religions April 14, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/rel16040497 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn two studies at Vietnamese Buddhist monasteries, brain activity during Zen meditation was measured. In Study 1, monks and nuns showed higher alpha and theta brainwave activity during meditation than non-practitioners; advanced practitioners could shift from beta waves during mind-wandering to alpha waves within five-minute sessions, indicating dynamic brain regulation. In Study 2, no significant differences appeared between nuns with varying meditation experience, but inhaling essential oils significantly decreased theta wave amplitude. These findings deepen understanding of neural activity in advanced meditation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 19 |
| Population | Buddhist monks and nuns and non-practitioners in Vietnamese monasteries |
| Interventions | Zen meditation essential oil inhalation |
| Duration | Short meditation sessions separated by inhalation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Vietnamese Aromatherapy Core optical fiber Psychology |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | Advanced meditators showed higher alpha and theta activity during meditation and could transition from beta to alpha waves within short sessions; essential oil inhalation decreased theta wave amplitude. |
Abstract
(1) Background: Meditation, originally stemming from the Buddhist tradition, has been the subject of extensive psychological research, with a growing body of literature exploring its effects on various mental and physical health aspects. (2) Methods: This article consists of two studies conducted in two Vietnamese Buddhist Monasteries. Study 1 investigated brain activity during Zen meditation among monks and nuns (N = 16) and a control group of non-practitioners (N = 3). Study 2, conducted on nuns (N = 13), explored the effects of meditation experience and essential oil inhalation on brainwave activity, with two measurements taken during short meditation sessions separated by inhalation. (3) Results: Study 1 showed that monks had higher alpha and theta activity during meditation compared to non-meditators. Moreover, advanced practitioners could transition from beta waves during mind-wandering to alpha waves within short 5-min sessions, indicating their ability to dynamically regulate brain activity even in brief meditative states. Study 2 found no significant differences between nuns with varying meditation experiences but revealed a significant decrease in theta wave amplitude after inhalation. (4) Conclusions: Together, these studies deepen our understanding of neural activity in advanced meditation.