An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study on the Practice of Samatha-Vipassana in Agama Meditation and the Improvement of Physical and Mental States

Regular practice of Samatha-Vipassana meditation is associated with high rates of self-reported improvement in physical and mental health. In a survey of 509 regular practitioners, 92.14% reported reduced fatigue, 89.8% reported pain relief, 81.53% reported improved immunity, 95.28% reported reduced anxiety, 97.45% reported improved emotional stability, and 84.68% reported enhanced concentration. Qualitative analysis of interviews with a senior meditation master identified three core mechanisms: using Samatha (calm) as an anchor and Vipassana (insight) as a mirror for stability; the body as a display of emotions where awareness precedes regulation; and a shift from resistance to acceptance as a sign of autonomic nervous system transformation. The authors propose that body awareness and mind-body connection are key mediators, offering a testable framework for future research and clinical applications.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The "Samatha-Vipassana" practice of Agama meditation is considered to be able to deeply regulate the body and mind. However, there is still a lack of systematic exploratory research on its mechanism of action and group effects. This study adopted an exploratory mixed-methods design. In the quantitative part, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 509 regular practitioners to describe the improvement rate of their physical and mental states. In the qualitative part, based on the interview data of a senior meditation master with nearly 40 years of meditation practice and more than 25 years of teaching experience, the core mechanism was extracted using thematic analysis. The quantitative data showed that practitioners reported a high proportion of improvement in both the physical level (92.14% reduction in fatigue, 89.8% relief of pain, 81.53% improvement in immunity) and the psychological level (95.28% reduction in anxiety, 97.45% improvement in emotional stability, 84.68% enhancement in concentration). The qualitative analysis extract from it three core themes: (1) "Samatha as the anchor, Vipassana as the Mirror"—the basic path for physical and mental stability; (2) "The body is the display of emotions"—awareness precedes regulation; (3) "From resistance to acceptance"—the experiential sign of autonomic nerve transformation. This study preliminarily constructed a model of "Samatha-Vipassana—physical and mental regulation" and proposed that body awareness and the sense of mind-body connection are the key mediators for the effectiveness of "Samatha-Vipassana." This model provides a testable framework for subsequent mechanism research and clinical translation. The limitations of the study include the cross-sectional design, the lack of objective physiological indicators, and sample bias.