Therapeutic potential of Zen Buddhism and its practice in the Post-Anxiety Era
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21847/2411-3093.2025.713Keywords:
Zen Buddhism, anxiety, meditation, mindfulness, stress, psychotherapeutic practices, emotional resilience, post-anxiety eraAbstract
This work explores the potential of Zen Buddhist practices such as meditation, mind-fulness, and acceptance of life's variability, examining their application in contemporary psychotherapeutic programs like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). The study employs a concise theoretical analysis of key Zen concepts, including emptiness (sunyata), satori (enlightenment), enso (circle symbolizing the universe), and the focus on living in the present moment. Methodological tools such as systematization, comparative analysis, critical reflection, and cross-cultural perspectives bridge Zen Buddhism and modern psychotherapy. Empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of Zen practices in reducing anxiety by fostering awareness and cultivating inner peace. Techniques such as zazen meditation improve emotional resilience, reduce stress, and encourage the acceptance of uncertainty and life's natural fluctuations. These practices are particularly effective in addressing anxiety linked to fears of the future and a lack of control. Studies also highlight the impact of Zen practices on neurophysiological activity, show-ing improvements in brain function and overall psychoemotional wellbeing. Programs like MBSR, which integrate meditative practices and mindfulness, demonstrate signifi-cant benefits in reducing anxiety symptoms and promoting mental health. However, their effectiveness can vary depending on individual factors, including commitment to practice and cultural adaptability. Despite these limitations, Zen Buddhism offers a holistic framework that complements conventional therapeutic methods.
In conclusion, Zen Buddhism provides valuable tools for managing anxiety in the post-anxiety era. Its meditation and mindfulness practices, rooted in centuries-old wis-dom, have been scientifically validated as effective for reducing stress and improving emotional stability. Incorporating Zen principles into modern psychotherapeutic approaches can significantly enhance mental health, increase resilience to stress, and fos-ter a sense of harmony with oneself and the world. These timeless practices offer a pathway to greater inner peace and well-being, addressing the urgent need for effective mental health strategies in today's fast-paced and uncertain world.
References
Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. 10(2). 125–143. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg015.
Beck, U. (2018). What is globalization? John Wiley & Sons. 192 p.
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psy-chology. 84(4). 822–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822.
Chödrön, P. (2007). The places that scare you: A guide to fearlessness in difficult times. Shambhala Publica-tions. 187 p.
Clayton, S. (2020). Climate anxiety: Psychological re-sponses to climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disor-ders. 74. 102263. https://doi.org/10.1016/-j.janxdis.2020.102263.
Crane, R. S., Brewer, J., Feldman, C., Kabat-Zinn, J., Santorelli, S., Williams, J. M. G., & Kuyken, W. (2017). What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft. Psychological Medicine. 47(6). 990–999. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291716003317.
Davis, D. M., & Hayes, J. A. (2011). What are the benefits of mindfulness? A practice review of psychotherapy-related research. Psychotherapy. 48(2). 198–208. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022062.
Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M. S., Gould, N. F., Row-land-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., ... & Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine. 174(3). 357–368. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018.
Grossman, P. (2011). Defining mindfulness by how poorly I pay attention during everyday awareness and other intractable problems for psychology's (re)invention of mindfulness: Comment on Brown et al. Psychological Assessment. 23(4). 1034–1040. https://doi.org/¬10.1037/a0022713.
Hacker, J. S., Huber, G. A., Nichols, A., Rehm, P., Schle-singer, M., Valletta, R., & Craig, S. (2010). Economic security at risk: Findings from the financial security index. Rockefeller Foundation Report.
Hakuin, E. (2010). The Essential Teachings of Zen Mas-ter Hakuin. Shambhala. 176 p.
Hanh, T. N. (2008). The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Libera-tion. Random House. 304 p.
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experien-tial Approach to Behavior Change. Guilford Publica-tions. 304 p.
Hori, G. V. S. (1994). Teaching and learning in the Rinzai Zen monastery. The Journal of Japanese Studies. 20(1). 5–35. https://doi.org/10.2307/132782.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psy-chology: Science and Practice. 10(2). 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Whole catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Random House Publishing Group. 720 p.
Kapleau, P. (2013). The three pillars of Zen are teaching, practice, and enlightenment. Knopf Doubleday Pub-lishing Group. 480 p.
Kirmayer, L. J. (2007). Psychotherapy and the cultural concept of the person. Transcultural Psychiatry. 44(2). 232–257. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461506070794.
Liu, C. H., Zhang, E., Wong, G. T. F., Hyun, S., & Hahm, H. C. (2020). Factors associated with depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic: Clinical implications for U.S. young adult mental health. Psychiatry Research, 290, 113172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113172.
Marchand W. R. (2012). Mindfulness-based stress re-duction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and Zen meditation for depression, anxiety, pain, and psychological distress. Journal of Psychiatric Prac-tice. 18(4). 233–252. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.pra.0000416014.¬53215.86
Mascaro, J. S., Rilling, J. K., Negi, L. T., & Raison, C. L. (2013). Compassion meditation enhances empathic accuracy and related neural activity. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 8(1). 48–55. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nss095.
Nishitani, K. (1982). Religion and nothingness (J. Van Bragt, Trans.). University of California Press. 317 p.
Ortner, C. N. M., Kilner, S. J., & Zelazo, P. D. (2007). Mindfulness meditation and reduced emotional inter-ference on a cognitive task. Motivation and Emotion. 31(4). 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-007-9076-7.
Pfefferbaum, B., & North, C. S. (2020). Mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic. The New England Journal of Medicine. 383(6). 510–512. https://doi.org/10.1056/¬NEJMp2008017.
Richtel, M. (2019). An Elegant Defense: The Extraordi-nary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives. HarperCollins. 448 p.
Rosa, H. (2013). Social Acceleration: A New Theory of Modernity. Columbia University Press. 470 p.
Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. Guilford Pub-lications. 351 p.
Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Astin, J. A., & Freedman, B. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness. Journal of Clin-ical Psychology. 62(3). 373–386. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20237.
Siegel, R. D. (2009). The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems. Guilford Publica-tions. 356 p.
Suzuki, D. T. (1970). Zen and Japanese culture. Prince-ton University Press. 479 p.
Suzuki, D. T. (2022). Essays in Zen Buddhism. Souvenir Press Limited. 384 p.
Suzuki, S. (2020). Zen mind, beginner's mind. Shambhala. 176 p.
Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Re-views Neuroscience. 16(4). 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916.
Hanh, T. N. (1987). The miracle of mindfulness: An in-troduction to the practice of meditation. Beacon Press. 160 p.
Watts, A. (1989). The way of Zen. Vintage Books. 236 p.
Chen, Y., Ke, X., Liu, J., Du, J., Zhang, J., Jiang, X., Zhou, T., & Xiao, X. (2024). Trends and factors influencing the mental health of college students in the post-pandemic: Four consecutive cross-sectional surveys. Frontiers in Psychology. 15. 1387983. https://doi.org/10.3389/¬fpsyg.2024.1387983.
Kang, T. S., Goodwin, R., Hamama-Raz, Y., Leshem, E., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2023). Disability and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the Ukrainian General Popula-tion during the 2022 Russian Invasion. Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences. 32. e21. https://doi.org/10.1017/¬S204579602300015X.
Liu, M., & Shi, B. (2023). The effect of physical exercise on the anxiety of college students in the post-pandemic era: The mediating role of social support and proactive personality. Frontiers in Psychology. 14. 1128748. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1128748.
Martsenkovskyi, D., Karatzias, T., Hyland, P., Shevlin, M., Ben-Ezra, M., McElroy, E., Redican, E., Vang, M. L., Cloitre, M., Ho, G. W. K., Lorberg, B., & Martsenkov-sky, I. (2024). Parent-reported posttraumatic stress reactions in children and adolescents: Findings from the mental health of parents and children in Ukraine study. Psychological trauma: theory, research, prac-tice and policy. 16(8). 1269–1275. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001583.
Weierstall-Pust, R., Schnell, T., Heßmann, P., Feld, M., Höfer, M., Plate, A., & Müller, M. J. (2022). Stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the Ukraine crisis, and their impact on stress symptoms in Germany: analysis of cross-sectional survey data. BMC Public Health. 22(1). 2233. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14682-9.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Олександр Донець
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
1. Authors bear responsibility for the accuracy of facts, quotations, numbers and names used.
2. Manuscripts are not sent back.
3. The publisher does not always agree with the authors' opinion.
4. The authors reserve the right to authorship of the work and pass the first publication right of this work to the journal under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which allows others to freely distribute the published research with the obligatory reference to the authors of the original work and the first publication of the work in this journal.
5. The authors have the right to conclude separate supplement agreements that relate to non-exclusive work distribution in the form in which it has been published by the journal (for example, to upload the work to the online storage of the journal or publish it as part of a monograph), provided that the reference to the first publication of the work in this journal is included.
