Merging Oblivion Meditation

A Daoist method facilitating nondual experience through cosmic integration

Bibliographic Data

ID13824045
AuthorsJunyi Hao (0000-0001-6355-0518, Nanjing Normal University), Chang Liu (0000-0002-1198-6990, Nanjing Normal University, corresponding author), Shaozhen Feng (0000-0002-0086-842X, Henan University of Technology), Rong Shi (0000-0002-5152-3026, Shandong University), Shuozhi Guo (Dali University)
Year2026
Publication date2026-01-12
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchive for the Psychology of Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0084-6724 • E-ISSN: 1573-6121
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00846724251408342
OpenAlexW7122700575
LanguageEN
References cited29

Daoist meditation has been less widely adopted than Buddhist meditation as a daily method for psychological regulation, partly due to the complexity of its underlying philosophical system. This study aims to explore how key Daoist meditation practices can be psychologized and adapted into a usable method for modern psychological training. A comparative analysis was conducted on classical Daoist meditation methods, including Sitting in Oblivion, Mind Fasting, Ingestion of Qi, Visualization and Imagination, Inner Observation, and Internal Alchemy. Based on this analysis, a novel psychological training method called “Merging Oblivion Meditation” was developed by integrating elements of Inner Observation and Sitting in Oblivion. Among the practices analyzed, Inner Observation—which involves merging with the cosmic landscape—was found to be more adaptable for psychological application. The proposed “Merging Oblivion Meditation” employs guided imagination to reduce the sense of self by fostering an experiential merging with cosmic landscapes, thus facilitating nondual awareness without requiring apophatic operations. This method simplifies the difficulty of traditional Sitting in Oblivion and increases its feasibility as a psychological technique. Rooted in the Daoist vision of the body as an immortal cosmos, Merging Oblivion Meditation differs from Buddhist-derived practices in both process and psychological effects. By dissolving bodily boundaries and encouraging experiential unity with the Dao, it may engage distinct mechanisms conducive to nondual experiences, offering a unique contribution to contemplative science and meditation-based interventions

Buddhism · Consciousness · Contemplation · Experiential learning · Meditation · Noumenon · Perspective (graphical · USable · Biofield Effects and Biophysics · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs

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