AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN)
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences December 1, 1966 Akira Kasamatsu, T Hirai 324 citations
During Zen meditation, EEG recordings from 48 Zen priests and disciples showed a consistent pattern of brainwave changes: alpha waves appeared within 50 seconds of starting meditation, their amplitude increased, and their frequency decreased over time. In some priests, rhythmic theta trains emerged. These four EEG stages corresponded to the disciples' mental states, as evaluated by a Zen master, and to their years of training. Unlike drowsiness or hypnotic sleep, the meditation EEG pattern was more persistent and did not shift into deeper sleep. Alpha blocking in response to repeated click stimuli showed no habituation during meditation, whereas control subjects habituated quickly. These findings indicate a specific change of consciousness during Zen meditation.