A Cognitive Investigation of the Zen Meditation through the Lens of Thousand-Brain Intelligence and the Cerebral Reward System

Zen Buddhism is perceived by many Buddhists as the path to transcendent truth, and Zen meditation is considered as an effective and representative approach. This article seeks to decipher the Zen meditation experience with the latest findings from Hawkins' theory of thousand-brain intelligence and the cerebral rewarding system. According to the findings, it suggests that Zen meditation might involve both the construction and integration of cortical column models and the liberation from everyday addictive behavior. Therefore, it may be interpreted as a form of cultural art and skill from a pre-scientific era, rather than religious mysterious activities in the traditional understanding.