Self-actualizations and experience with Zen meditation: is a learning period necessary for meditation?
W C Compton, G M Becker
Journal of Clinical Psychology November 1, 1983 DOI: 10.1002/1097-4679(198311)39:6<925::aid-jclp2270390617>3.0.co;2-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 70 |
| Population | Students of Soto Zen and undergraduate students who never meditated |
| Intervention | Zen meditation |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Increases in self-actualization were observed only after the completion of a learning period for Zen meditation. |
Abstract
Tested the hypothesis that inconsistencies found in research on the relationship between Zen meditation and self-actualization were due in part to the existence of a learning period for Zen meditation. It was hypothesized that increases in self-actualization would be observed only after the completion of the learning period. The Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) was given to 36 students of Soto Zen and 34 undergraduate students who never had mediated. Analysis of covariance adjusted the group means for differences in age, education, and sex. t-tests revealed that all hypotheses were supported for the Inner Directed scale of the POI and supported in part for the Time Competent scale. Results were discussed as supporting the hypothesized learning period for Zen meditation. Implications for future research on Zen meditation were discussed.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Zen priests and disciples of Zen sects of Buddhism | 1966 | Observational study | n = 48 |
| “Thinking about Not-Thinking”: Neural Correlates of Conceptual Processing during Zen Meditation Regular Zen practitioners and matched control subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation Healthy adults who had not previously practiced any form of meditation | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion 20 Zen meditation experts and 20 healthy matched non-meditators | 2016 | Observational cohort | n = 40 |
| EEG dynamics of experienced Zen meditation practitioners probed by complexity index and spectral measure Experienced Zen meditation practitioners and matched controls | 2009 | Observational cohort | n = 46 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Meditation's impact on chronic illness. Holistic Nursing Practice 2003
- The impact of Zen meditation on security and satisfaction in monogamous relationships Mental Health, Religion & Culture June 27, 2011
- Long deep breathing Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation September 1, 1998
- Rescatando al sujeto: Una perspectiva budista sobre los estudios de la conciencia Girasol/Revista humanidades September 13, 2015
- The Phenomenology of Meditation for Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Violence Against Women April 14, 2006
and 2 more in the library