Neural Pattern of Chanting-Driven Intuitive Inquiry Meditation in Expert Chan Practitioners.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Intuitive inquiry meditation (Can-Hua-Tou) is a unique mental practice which differs from relaxation-based practices by continuously demanding intuitive inquiry. It emphasizes the doubt-driven self-interrogation, also referred to as Chan/Zen meditation. Nonetheless, its electrophysiological signature remains poorly characterized.

Methods

We recorded 128-channel EEG from 20 male Buddhist monks (5-28 years Can-Hua-Tou experience) and 18 male novice lay practitioners (<0.5 year) during three counter-balanced eyes-closed blocks: Zen inquiry meditation (ZEN), a phonological control task silently murmuring "A-B-C-D" (ABCD), and passive resting state (REST). Power spectral density was computed for alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (12-30 Hz) and gamma (30-45 Hz) bands and mapped acr

SUBMITTER: Lee KCG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12466501 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature