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Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. TRUSTe This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. Ⓒ 2022 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved IFRAME: about:blank Meditation How to Know if Zen Meditation Is Right for You Benefits, Uses, and Access to the Unconscious By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin Amy Morin Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, the author of the bestselling book "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," and the host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 13, 2021 Reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by mental health professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Sara Clark Sara Clark Sara Clark Reviewed by Sara Clark Sara Clark is an EYT 500-hour certified Vinyasa yoga and mindfulness teacher, lululemon Global Yoga Ambassador, model, and writer. Learn about our Review Board (BUTTON) Print Person practicing Zen meditation Person practicing Zen meditation Martin Puddy / Corbis / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Zen meditation, also known as ZaZen, is a meditation technique rooted in Buddhist psychology. The goal of Zen meditation is to regulate attention. It’s sometimes referred to as a practice that involves “thinking about not thinking.” People usually sit in the lotus position—or sit with their legs crossed—during Zen meditation and focus their attention inward. While some practitioners say this step is accomplished by counting breaths—generally from one to 10—others say there is no counting involved. What Happens During Zen Meditation Zen meditation is considered an “open-monitoring meditation,” where monitoring skills are used. These monitoring skills are transformed into a state of reflexive awareness with a broad scope of attention and without focusing on one specific object. Zen meditation is similar to mindfulness in that it's about focusing on the presence of mind. However, mindfulness focuses on a specific object, and Zen meditation involves a general awareness. Unlike loving kindness and compassion meditation, which focuses on cultivating compassion, or mantra meditation, which involves the recitation of a mantra, Zen meditation involves increased awareness of the ongoing physical and self-referential processes. Individuals who practice Zen meditation attempt to expand their attentional scope to incorporate the flow of perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and subjective awareness. Zen meditation often involves keeping the eyes semi-open, which is different from most other forms of meditation that encourage closing the eyes. During Zen meditation, practitioners also dismiss any thoughts that pop into their minds and essentially think about nothing. Over time, they learn how to keep their minds from wandering and may even be able to tap into their unconscious minds. Often, the goal is to become more aware of preconceived notions and gain insight into oneself. Press Play for Advice On Mantras Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to create a personal mantra. Click below to listen now. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / RSS Benefits Research clearly shows meditation has a wide range of physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, and emotional health benefits. And of course, meditation can be a great stress reliever, which is why many people turn to it in the first place. It’s likely that Zen meditation offers many of the same benefits as other types of meditation, but much of the research on meditation hasn’t differentiated between the different types. There is early research that shows different types of meditation may affect the brain in slightly different ways. So, it’s possible that Zen meditation might offer some additional benefits beyond those seen in other types of meditation. Impact on the Brain For years, scientists have studied how meditation affects the mind and the body. There has been some particular interest in Zen meditation practice and how it affects the brain. In a 2008 study, researchers compared 12 people who had more than three years of daily practice in Zen meditation with 12 novices who had never practiced meditation. Everyone in the study was given a brain scan and asked to focus on their breathing. Occasionally, they were asked to distinguish a real word from a nonsense word on a computer screen. Then, they were instructed to focus on their breathing again. The scans revealed that Zen training led to activity in a set of brain regions known as the “default network.” The default network is linked to wandering minds. The volunteers who regularly practiced Zen meditation also were able to return to their breathing much faster than the novices after being interrupted. The authors of the study concluded that meditation may enhance the capacity to stay focused, pay attention, and limit distractions—all of which can be a struggle for people in today’s digital world. Access to the Unconscious There’s also been a lot of curiosity about whether Zen meditation can allow practitioners to better access their unconscious minds. It’s thought that the conscious mind can only focus on one thing at a time—like your grocery list or a book that you’re reading. But, experts suspect the unconscious mind is vast. Many researchers believe that knowing how to access unconscious processes could foster greater creativity and help people become more aware of what they need to do to reach their goals. A 2012 study examined whether Zen meditation helped practitioners better access their unconscious minds. All of the participants were experienced Zen meditators. One group was asked to meditate for 20 minutes. The other group was asked to read magazines. Then, all of the participants were seated in cubicles with a computer. They were instructed to link three words presented on the screen with a fourth, associated word. They also were asked to type the answer as fast as possible. The individuals who meditated prior to the test were able to complete the task faster, which demonstrated that they had better access to their unconscious minds. In another study, one group was again asked to meditate for 20 minutes while the control group was simply told to relax. Then, all the volunteers were asked 20 questions, each with three or four correct answers. For example, they may be asked to name one of the four seasons. However, just before seeing the question on the computer screen, a potential answer such as “Spring” flashed for 16 milliseconds. On average, the meditation group gave 6.8 answers that matched the subliminal words. The control group only matched an average of 4.9 words. The researchers concluded that the meditators were better able to access what the brain paid attention to than the non-meditators. The study authors report Zen meditation might be able to provide better insight into what’s going on in the background of the brain. If Zen meditation allows you to better understand how you’re feeling, why you make certain decisions, and how you’re influenced by your environment, this could have a big impact on your life. Drug Abuse Treatment Zen meditation is often used in drug abuse treatment programs in Taiwan because it slows heart rate and respiration while also improving the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. In fact, the authors of a 2018 study published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine found that Zen meditation affects brain-heart interactions. According to the authors, Zen practitioners devote their practice to disclosing the spiritual heart inside the organ heart. They state, “Through years of Zen meditation practice, practitioners have their brain functions totally reformed into a so-called detached brain dominated by the spiritual heart.” Individuals who are in recovery from drug abuse also may experience problems with their autonomic nervous system—the system responsible for the control of the bodily functions that are not consciously directed, like breathing, heartbeat, and digestive processes. Researchers have found that 10-minute Zen meditation sessions have shown significant improvement in autonomic nervous system function in patients. Zen meditation also improves mood; and a better mood can be key to helping people with a drug addiction resist the temptation to use again. The researchers also found that Zen meditation “enhances the hypothalamus and frontal-lobe functioning,” which improves self-control and helps people overcome addiction. Sixteen out of 18 participants in the study said they experienced “cleaning and rejuvenation of body and mind” after a 10-minute Zen meditation session. Participants also reported scalp tingling, whole-body heat, and feeling cool. Researchers who use Zen meditation as a treatment say it impacts regions of the brain that help individuals successfully go through detox and the recovery process. How to Learn It There are many ways to learn more about Zen meditation including audio programs, online videos, online learning programs, and books devoted to the subject. You also might find a Zen meditation class so you can learn from an instructor. Additionally, there are a variety of meditation retreats that last anywhere from a weekend to a month or more. Zen meditation retreats are especially popular with tourists in China who want to learn the practice in a Buddhist temple. So depending on your interest, needs, and budget, there are plenty of ways to find a program that will help you learn Zen meditation techniques. Is Zen Meditation Right for You? When it comes to meditation, it’s important to find which type is best suited for you. Research shows that Zen meditation doesn’t always turn out to be a favorite. In fact, sometimes, it’s near the bottom of the list. In a 2012 study, college students spent seven days practicing a specific type of meditation over the course of four weeks. At the end of the study, they were asked to rank the meditation practices in order of personal preference. Significantly more participants ranked Vipassana (mindfulness) and Mantra meditation as higher than Zen and Qigong Visualization. A Word From Verywell Enjoying your meditation practice is key to sustaining it over a long time. If you try Zen meditation and it isn’t right for you, don’t discount all types of meditation. Try another type until you find one that's best suited for you. Meditation for Stress Reduction Was this page helpful? (BUTTON) (BUTTON) Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? (BUTTON) Other (BUTTON) Inaccurate (BUTTON) Hard to Understand ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (BUTTON) Submit 8 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. 1. Lusnig L, Radach R, Mueller CJ, Hofmann MJ. Zen meditation neutralizes emotional evaluation, but not implicit affective processing of words. PLoS One. 2020;15(2):e0229310. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229310 2. Sharma H. Meditation: process and effects. Ayu. 2015;36(3):233–237. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182756 3. Krishnakumar D, Hamblin MR, Lakshmanan S. Meditation and yoga can modulate brain mechanisms that affect behavior and anxiety-A modern scientific perspective. Anc Sci. 2015;2(1):13–19. doi:10.14259/as.v2i1.171 4. Pagnoni G, Cekic M, Guo Y. "Thinking about not-thinking": neural correlates of conceptual processing during Zen meditation. PLoS One. 2008;3(9):e3083. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003083 5. Andreasen NC. A journey into chaos: creativity and the unconscious. Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;9(1):42–53. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77424 6. Strick M, van Noorden TH, Ritskes RR, de Ruiter JR, Dijksterhuis A. Zen meditation and access to information in the unconscious. Conscious Cogn. 2012;21(3):1476–1481. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2012.02.010 7. Lo PC, Tsai PH, Kang HJ, Miao Tian WJ. Cardiorespiratory and autonomic-nervous-system functioning of drug abusers treated by Zen meditation. J Tradit Complement Med. 2018;9(3):215–220. doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2018.01.005 8. Burke A. Comparing individual preferences for four meditation techniques: Zen, Vipassana (mindfulness), Qigong, and Mantra. Explore (NY). 2012;8(4):237–242. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2012.04.003 Additional Reading messages. New Scientist. 2012;214(2868):10. doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(12)61457-2 self: cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice. Trends Cogn Sci (Regul Ed). 2015;19(9):515-23. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001 Related Articles Reading Book On Paper What to Know About Christian Counseling therapist. What Is Jungian Therapy? How to Meditate with ADHD How to Practice Focused Meditation in Just 30 Minutes Learn How to Meditate at Home beanie meditating Just Two Months of Meditation Could Improve Brain Efficiency How Do I Use Meditation to Cope With Panic Attacks? meditating. How Long Should You Meditate? Best Guided Meditations of 2022 Why Am I Crying During Meditation? The 7 Best Meditation Retreats of 2022 Why We Set Intentions in Yoga and Meditation Practice What Is Compassion? What Are the Benefits of Mindfulness? Research Suggests the Brain Can Be Trained in Compassion meditation can help relieve anxiety. 5 Tips to Practice Mindfulness Meditation Today Verywell Mind Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Follow Us Verywell Health Verywell Fit Verywell Family Verywell Mind's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. TRUSTe This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. Ⓒ 2022 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved Verywell Mind is part of the Dotdash publishing family. 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