Comparison of EEGs during Zen-meditation, Qi-gong and Japanese Archery by One Person

Abstract

Electroencephalograms (EEGs) during Japanese Zen-meditation (Zazen) and Chinese Qi-gong and also while training Japanese Archery on image were measured from one subject, who has been training Zen and archery for about 22 years and Qi-gong for about 10 years. The author, Kawano, has previously reported the differences of EEGs among Qi-gong and two types of Zazen, Soto and Rinzai. Those subjects had been different for each, therefore, the results could have been caused by the personal difference. However, the present data by one trainee gave almost similar results. The indicator of concentration, τm (alpha phase difference between O_1 and Fp_1, became smaller during Qi-gong and the concentrating type of meditation, like Rinzai. Alpha wave frequency became slower by the very quiet and deep meditation. The change in alpha wave power was a little, though, some differences were found in the ratios of the right to the left hemisphere (O_2/O_1) for each task. Japanese archery was the task which needed the deepest concentration and full of images.