Psychophysiological and cognitive effects of Zen meditation in novice and experienced practitioners
Sakshi Chauhan, Sahil Sankhyan, Kirti Tripathi, Arnav Bhavsar, Varun Dutt
Scientific Reports September 15, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-53600-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | Zen meditators, 12 novices and 12 experienced |
| Intervention | Zen meditation |
| Duration | Three days, with nine guided meditation sessions |
| Measures | Generalized Anxiety Disorder scores, Sleep Epworth scores, EEG alpha/beta ratio, EEG theta/alpha ratio |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Experienced meditators showed distinct patterns of change in EEG-derived alpha/beta and theta/alpha ratios compared with novices across nine guided sessions, which the authors characterize as experience-dependent oscillatory dynamics rather than validated indicators of meditative depth or psychological improvement. The authors argue the findings offer a foundation for wearable health technologies and personalized meditation-based interventions. |
Abstract
Zen meditation has been widely recognized for its psychological and physiological benefits; however, the differential impacts of meditation experience on psychophysiological biomarkers remain underexplored. This study bridges a crucial gap by investigating how Zen meditation influences anxiety, sleep quality, and EEG-derived brain activity in novice and experienced meditators. Over three days, 24 participants (12 novices, 12 experienced) underwent nine guided meditation sessions. Pre- and post-intervention measures included generalized anxiety disorder scores, Sleep Epworth scores, and EEG-based alpha/beta and theta/alpha ratios, assessing emotional control, cognitive engagement, and relaxation. Findings revealed that experienced meditators exhibited distinct patterns of change in EEG-derived ratios relative to novices, reflecting experience-dependent oscillatory dynamics rather than validated indicators of meditative depth or psychological improvement. These results provide novel insights into meditation proficiency and its psychophysiological effects, offering a foundation for the development of wearable health technologies and personalized meditation-based interventions to optimize mental health strategies.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Experienced meditators showed distinct patterns of change in EEG-derived ratios compared with novices, which the authors characterize as experience-dependent oscillatory dynamics rather than validated indicators of meditative depth or psychological improvement.
Synthesized
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 |