The effect of a 7‐day intensive Buddhist meditation on existential isolation, interpersonal isolation, and compassion among South Koreans
Young Chin Park, Elizabeth C. Pinel
Journal of Applied Social Psychology September 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12974 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental and longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 140 |
| Population | Healthy Koreans |
| Intervention | Zen meditation |
| Duration | 7-day intensive meditation retreat |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Intensive Zen meditation reduced existential isolation and increased other-focused compassion, with reductions in existential isolation mediating increases in compassion. |
Abstract
AbstractThis study investigates the effects of an intensive Buddhist (Zen) meditation practice on reductions in existential isolation and increases in prosocial behavior. This study also examines whether the hypothesized reduction in existential isolation resulting from the intensive meditation practice predicts other‐focused compassion. Study 1 utilized a quasi‐experimental design to investigate the effects of meditation on existential isolation and other compassion by comparing healthy Koreans who completed a 7‐day intensive silent Zen meditation (n = 35) with those who completed a 7‐day vacation (n = 30). All participants completed measures twice: at baseline and after either their meditation retreat or their vacation. Study 2 used a longitudinal design to investigate whether Study 1 findings would replicate among 75 new TempleStay program participants. In Study 1, relative to participants in the vacation group, participants in the meditation group experienced reduced existential isolation and increased other‐focused compassion from Time 1 to Time 2. Reductions in existential isolation mediated the increases in other‐focused compassion. In Study 2, after a 1‐week intensive meditation training, participants experienced a reduction in existential isolation and an increased in other‐focused compassion; again, the reductions in existential isolation mediated increases in other‐focused compassion. Across two studies, we found evidence of reduced existential isolation and increased other‐focused compassion following an intensive Zen‐meditation practice. These results indicate that meditation practice may help people who suffer from existential isolation, as well as the people with whom they interact.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEG Alpha Blocking Correlated with Perception of Inner Light During Zen Meditation Zen-Buddhist practitioners who had been practicing meditation for years | 2003 | Experimental study | |
| Zen meditation and ABC relaxation theory: An exploration of relaxation states, beliefs, dispositions, and motivations Experienced Zen meditators and college students | 2001 | Controlled experimental study | n = 83 |
| Exploring Emptiness and its Effects on Non-attachment, Mystical Experiences, and Psycho-spiritual Wellbeing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Advanced Meditators. Advanced Buddhist meditators | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental design with qualitative analysis | n = 25 |
| Ready to help, no matter what you did: Responsibility attribution does not influence compassion in expert Buddhist practitioners. Expert Buddhist practitioners and trained novices | 2024 | Experimental study | |
| ZEN MEDITATION AND TIME-EXPERIENCE | 1989 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Mindfulness oasis: Cultivating mental wellness through Zen meditation retreats for tourists with mental and psychological vulnerabilities Tourism Management June 7, 2025
- Neural bases of consciousness in Zen meditation: central executive and default mode networks during cognitive conflict. Frontiers in Psychology April 10, 2026
- A longitudinal study of loving-kindness compassion, mindfulness, and psychological well-being: Cross-cultural insights from Vietnamese and American employees. Acta Psychologica March 26, 2026
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- Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion October 1, 2008
- Promoting prosocial behavior and self-regulatory skills in preschool children through a mindfulness-based kindness curriculum. Developmental Psychology November 10, 2014
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