명상 수행의 부정적 경험에 대한 주관성 고찰 : Q 방법론 적용

Abstract

This study explores the subjective perceptions of negative experiences in meditation practice and classifies them through Q methodology.‌ While previous research has primarily emphasised the positive effects of meditation,‌ relatively little attention has been paid to the potentially adverse or challenging experiences that practitioners may encounter.‌This study aims to address this gap by systematically examining how experienced practitioners perceive and interpret such experiences. The participants consisted of‌31‌seasoned meditation practitioners,‌most of whom were Buddhist monks with extensive retreat practice.‌ Forty Q statements on negative experiences were derived from literature reviews and in-depth interviews,‌ and participants sorted these statements according to their level of agreement.‌The data were analysed using principal component analysis and varimax rotation. The findings identified four distinct types of subjective perception:‌ heightened sensory sensitivity,‌excessive ecstasy,‌rejection and aversion,‌and contradictory superiority.‌Despite their differences,‌these types shared several common features,‌such as heightened sensory and emotional changes,‌shifts in self-perception,‌interpretation of difficulties as part of the practice process,‌ the central role of teachers,‌wariness of mystical experiences,‌and the risk of delusions of attainment. These results suggest that negative experiences in meditation cannot be reduced to pathological symptoms,‌but rather represent diverse subjective phenomena that may provide opportunities for reflection and growth.‌The study highlights the importance of ethical foundations and the guidance of competent teachers in preventing and managing adverse effects.‌ By illuminating the subjective dimensions of negative experiences,‌this research contributes to establishing safer and more effective frameworks for contemporary meditation practice.