Silent illumination: a study on Chan (Zen) meditation, anxiety, and musical performance quality
Peter Lin, Joanne Chang, Vance Zemon, Elizabeth Midlarsky
Psychology of Music October 10, 2007 DOI: 10.1177/0305735607080840 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAn 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 19 |
| Population | Music conservatory students |
| Intervention | Chan (Zen) meditation |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Citations | 94 |
| Key finding | Chan meditation practice was associated with a positive linear relationship between performance anxiety and performance quality, whereas the control group showed a negative relationship. |
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of Chan (Zen) meditation on musical performance anxiety and musical performance quality. Nineteen participants were recruited from music conservatories and randomly assigned to either an eight-week meditation group or a wait-list control group. After the intervention, all participants performed in a public concert. Outcome measures were performance anxiety and musical performance quality. Meditation practiced over a short term did not significantly improve musical performance quality. The control group demonstrated a significant decrease in performance quality with increases in performance anxiety. The meditation group demonstrated the opposite effect — a positive linear relation between performance quality and performance anxiety. This finding indicates that enhanced concentration and mindfulness (silent illumination), cultivated by Chan practice, might enable one to channel performance anxiety to improve musical performance.