A study on participation experiences of Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation program beginners: focusing on abyssal meditation
Joongseob Yeom
Journal of Meditation based Psychological Counseling December 31, 2023 DOI: 10.12972/mpca.20230008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Beginners who first encountered Seon (Zen) Buddhism meditation |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Participants new to Seon meditation described first experiences of an "abyss experience," positive experiences, and difficulty with meditation. After participating in a Seon meditation program, they reported changes in each of these areas. The authors argue that abyssal meditation based on Seon practice can serve as an alternative method tailored to modern needs. |
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the process and experience of abyssal meditation based on Zen meditation for beginners in Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation.
Method: This study conducted unstructured interviews with 40 people who first encountered Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation, and then analyzed them using a qualitative research method by consensus.
Results: As a result of the analysis of this study, 6 categories and 25 subcategories were derived, centering on two areas: the first Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation experience of Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation beginners through the Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation program and the change experience through participation in the Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation program of Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation beginners. Looking at the main categories, first, as a result of examining the first Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation experience of Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation beginners, three categories were derived: ‘Abyss experience through first Seon(禪) meditation’, ‘Positive experience through first Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation’, ‘Experience the difficulty of meditation through first Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation’. Second, as a result of examining the experience of change through Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation beginners’ participation in the Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation program, three categories were derived: ‘Changes in Abyss Experience through Seon(禪) Buddhism Meditation’, ‘Changes in Positive Experiences through Seon(禪) Buddhism Meditation’, ‘Changes in Meditation Difficulty Experiences through Seon(禪) Buddhism Meditation’.
Conclusion: The results of this study are significant in that they presented the traditional East Asian meditation as an alternative method tailored to modern needs by confirming the effect of Abyssal Meditation based on Seon(禪) Buddhism meditation.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... | 2017 | Qualitative study with mixed-methods | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |