VRZM: Exploring the Effect of Zen Meditation on EEG Patterns in Immersive Environments

Ajoy Kumar; Sahil Sankhyan; Kirti Tripathi; Sakshi Thakur; Arnav Bhavsar; Varun Dutt

doi:10.1109/smc54092.2024.10831479

VRZM: Exploring the Effect of Zen Meditation on EEG Patterns in Immersive Environments

Ajoy Kumar, Sahil Sankhyan, Kirti Tripathi, Sakshi Thakur, Arnav Bhavsar, Varun Dutt

IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics October 6, 2024 DOI: 10.1109/smc54092.2024.10831479 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Sample size	40
Population	Adults
Intervention	VR-guided Zen meditation
Topics	Buddhism Meditation
Key findings	Virtual reality guided Zen meditation significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and stress levels and increased frontal alpha-to-temporal theta ratio compared to VR alone.

Abstract

There is growing interest in developing virtual reality (VR) applications for mental health therapies. However, the investigation of the effectiveness of meditation in VR environments for mental health issues like stress remains mostly unexplored. This study seeks to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the influence of VR-guided Zen meditation (VRZM) on stress levels. 40 individuals were randomly divided into two between-subjects groups: one engaged in VRZM (N = 20), while the other received just a VR immersive environment without the Zen meditation's audio (VR; N = 20). The study explored the impact of VRZM on stress via EEG patterns and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - 21 (DASS - 21). The results indicated significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and stress levels in the VRZM group but not in the VR group. Moreover, VRZM induced a pronounced increase in the frontal alpha-to-temporal theta ratio, indicating enhanced relaxation, contrasting with no significant change in the VR group. The results suggested the effectiveness of VRZM meditation in promoting calmness and its potential efficacy in mental health interventions. We highlight the implications of VRZM for alleviating mental health problems like stress.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on buddhism, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
Silent illumination: a study on Chan (Zen) meditation, anxiety, and musical performance quality Music conservatory students	2007	Randomized controlled trial	n = 19
Physiological and subjective effects of Zen meditation and demand characteristics. Male undergraduate volunteers	1977	Randomized controlled trial	n = 40
Protocol for a cluster-randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression, implemented in Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda. Adults with depression recruited from Buddhist pagodas around Hanoi, Vietnam	2025	Cluster-randomized clinical trial	n = 160
Randomized Controlled Trial of the Tibetan Buddhist Feeding Your Demons Contemplative Process in Meditation Practitioners Meditation practitioners with moderate depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (70%...	2023	Randomized controlled trial	n = 61
Mixed-methods analysis on psychedelic-augmented meditation experiences from a randomized controlled mindfulness retreat Experienced meditators	2026	Randomized controlled trial

Citations in the library

Cited by 1

Efficacy of Virtual Reality-Based Mindfulness Interventions: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR XR and spatial computing 2026

Cites 16

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