Silent illumination: a study on Chan (Zen) meditation, anxiety, and musical performance quality
Psychology of Music October 10, 2007 Peter Lin, Joanne Chang, Vance Zemon et al. 94 citations
An eight-week Chan (Zen) meditation program did not significantly improve musical performance quality among conservatory students. However, the meditation group showed a positive relationship between performance anxiety and performance quality, while the control group showed the opposite: as performance anxiety increased, performance quality decreased. This suggests that mindfulness and concentration cultivated by Chan practice may help performers channel anxiety to enhance performance.