The effects of Chinese Buddhist meditation tradition: the impact of nature observation and literary creation.
Tiankai Liang, Minkai Sun, Seiko Goto
Frontiers in Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1615963 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Participants at a Chinese Buddhist temple |
| Interventions | forest poetry composition |
| Topics | Meditation Buddhism |
| Keywords | Chinese buddhist temple Literature Mental state Nature Relaxation |
| Key findings | Observing a water landscape and composing poetry within Chinese Buddhist meditation practices significantly enhanced relaxation and improved mood compared to forest or rock landscapes. |
Abstract
After integrating with indigenous Chinese culture, Chinese Buddhist meditation traditions expanded beyond classical rock meditation to include new practices. This study examines the physiological and psychological effects of nature observation and literary creation within Chinese Buddhist meditation. Experiment 1 recruited 30 participants and used observation duration, heart rate, the Profile of Mood States (POMS), and a supplemental questionnaire to compare relaxation effects across water (LS), forest (FS), and rock (RS) landscapes at a Buddhist temple. Experiment 2 recruited 30 new participants and introduced a poetry-creation task in the most relaxing landscape (LS) to test additional effects. The water LS significantly prolonged observation duration [LS: 379.835 ± 47.528 vs. FS: 210.656 ± 15.284 vs. RS: 272.157 ± 25.450, 95% CI (65.638, 272.719), p = 0.000, ηp2 = 0.443, 1-β = 0.985] and induced greater heart rate reduction (72.4 vs. 78.1 bpm at baseline, p = 0.001). POMS scores showed LS most improved negative moods (e.g., Depression-Dejection: -1.47 ± 0.38 vs. FS +1.07 ± 0.37, p < 0.001). Chinese Buddhist practices integrating water landscapes and poetry composition optimize relaxation (heart rate reduction: -7.3% in LS) and cognitive engagement, offering evidence-based insights for mental health interventions.
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 |