Beyond awakening: A mixed-methods analysis of life after kensho and the psychology of spiritual integration
Abstract
To advance an understanding of post-kensho experiences, particularly the psychological and existential challenges that follow, this research utilizes a general interpretivist framework guided by grounded theory techniques. Thirteen in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with individuals who reported experiencing a kensho awakening. From the axial coding analysis, three overarching categories emerged: (1) challenges, (2) purification, and (3) reluctance to share, each encompassing distinct yet interconnected themes central to post-awakening integration. A subsequent qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) identified specific conditions associated with heightened awareness of post-kensho struggles. The strongest explanatory model indicated that increased awareness of struggle occurs primarily when egoic tendencies persist without being offset by sustained mindfulness practices, openness in sharing experiences, ongoing contact with the awakened state, or recognition of the fleeting nature of kensho. These findings challenge prevailing assumptions that spiritual awakenings inherently lead to sustained clarity or ease, emphasizing instead that kensho initiates a complex psychological and existential process requiring intentional and continuous integration. This research thus provides novel theoretical insights, reframing kensho not as an endpoint but as the beginning of an ongoing, nuanced transformation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
[1]Abe, M. (1985). Zen and Western thought. University of Hawaii Press.
[2]Bartlett, L., Buscot, M. J., Bindoff, A., et al. (2021). Mindfulness is associated with lower stress and higher work engagement in a large sample of MOOC participants. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 724126.
[3]Bellehumeur, C., Gagnon, M., & Bellehumeur, M. (2023). Ecospirituality and Health: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 1234.
[4]Berner, C. (1968). The transmission of truth: The Enlightenment Intensive Manual. Institute of Ability.
[5]Berner, C. (1971). Manual for Enlightenment Intensives. Institute of Ability.
[6]Berry, T. (2009). The sacred universe: Earth, spirituality, and religion in the twenty-first century. Columbia University Press.
[7]Brunnhuber, S. (2020). Peak experiences and spiritual emergencies: Integration, disintegration, or transformation? Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 52(1), 19–34.
[8]Bryman, A., & Teevan, J. J. (2005). Social research methods. Canadian Edition. Oxford University Press: Ontario.
[9]Barrett, F. S., & Griffiths, R. R. (2018). Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates. Curr Top Behav Neurosci., 36, 393-430.
[10]Canadian Institutes of Health Research et al. (2018). Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. https://ethics.gc.ca/eng/tcps2-eptc2_2018_chapter2-chapitre2.html
[11]Cauble, M. R., Said, I. A., McLaughlin, A. T., et al. (2023). Religion/Spirituality and the Twin Virtues of Humility and Gratitude. In: Handbook of Positive Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality. Springer. pp. 379–393.
[12]Chatterjee, S., Banerjee, S., & Bhattacharya, S. (2024). Spiritual well-being and its relationship with cognitive flexibility in young, middle, and late adulthood. Mediterranean Journal of Psychology, 15(1), 45–53.
[13]Chaudoir, S. R., & Fisher, J. D. (2010). The disclosure processes model: Understanding disclosure decision-making and post-disclosure outcomes among people living with a concealable stigmatized identity. Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 236–256.
[14]Clarke, T. C., Barnes, P. M., Black, L. I., et al. (2018). Use of yoga, meditation, and chiropractors among U.S. adults aged 18 and over. National Health Statistics Reports, 325, 1–8.
[15]Cook-Greuter, S. R. (2000). Mature ego development: A gateway to ego transcendence? Journal of Adult Development, 7(4), 227–240.
[16]Corneille, O., & Luke, D. (2021). Spontaneous spiritual awakenings: Phenomenology, altered states, individual differences, and integration. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 720579. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.720579
[17]Cortright, B. (2010). Psychotherapy and spirit: Theory and practice in transpersonal psychotherapy. SUNY Press.
[18]Crilly, D. (2011). Predicting stakeholder orientation in the multinational enterprise: A mid-range theory. Journal of International Business Studies, 42, 694-717. https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2010.57
[19]Crilly, D., Zollo, M., & Hansen, M. T. (2012). Faking it or muddling through? Understanding decoupling in response to stakeholder pressures. Academy of Management Journal, 55(6), 1429-1448. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0697
[20]Dahl, C. J., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2015). Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: Cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(9), 515–523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001
[21]D’Andrade, R. (1995), The development of cognitive anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[22]Deterding, N. M., & Waters, M. C. (2021). Flexible coding of in-depth interviews: A twenty-first-century approach. Sociological Methods & Research, 50(2), 708–739. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124118799377
[23]Etherington, K. (2004). Becoming a reflexive researcher: Using our selves in research. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
[24]Faure, B. (1993). Chan insights and oversights: An epistemological critique of the Chan tradition. Princeton University Press.
[25]Fenner, P. (2003). Radiant mind: Awakening unconditioned awareness. Sounds True.
[26]Ferrer, J. N. (2002). Revisioning transpersonal theory: A participatory vision of human spirituality. SUNY Press.
[27]Fiss, P. C. (2007). A set-theoretic approach to organizational configurations. Academy of Management Review, 32(4), 1180-1198.
[28]Fiss, P. C. (2011). Building better causal theories: A fuzzy set approach to typologies in organization research. Academy of Management Journal, 54, 393-420.
[29]Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 359(1449), 1367–1377.
[30]Friedman, H. (1983). A transpersonal perspective on the self. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 23(2), 5–22.
[31]Global Wellness Institute. (2023). The global wellness economy: Trends and forecasts. Global Wellness Institute.
[32]Grandori, A., Furnari, S. (2008). A chemistry of organization: Combinatory analysis and design. Organization Studies, 29, 459-487.
[33]Greckhamer, T. (2011). Cross-cultural differences in compensation level and inequality across occupations: A set-theoretic analysis. Organization Studies, 32(1), 85-115.
[34]Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A., et al. (2018). Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experiences: Immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology, 218(4), 649–665.
[35]Grof, S. (1985). Beyond the brain: Birth, death, and transcendence in psychotherapy. SUNY Press.
[36]Grof, S., & Grof, C. (2017). Spiritual emergency: The understanding and treatment of transpersonal crises. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 36(2), 30–47.
[37]Harel, Y., Schwartz, E., & Lahav, Y. (2021). Interpersonal meditation and self-inquiry: Effects of a dyadic Enlightenment Intensive on affect and consciousness. Journal of Humanistic Psychology.
[38]Heine, S. (2008). Zen skin, Zen marrow: Will the real Zen Buddhism please stand up? Oxford University Press.
[39]Hemsworth, D., Plough, F. J., Baregheh, A., et al. (2020) Vitality and well-being in nurses. International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 18(1/2), 73-95.
[40]Hershock, P. D. (2005). Liberating intimacy: Enlightenment and social virtuosity in Ch’an Buddhism. SUNY Press.
[41]Hood, R. W. (2001). Dimensions of mystical experiences: Empirical studies and psychological links. Rodopi.
[42]Hood, R. W., Hill, P. C., & Spilka, B. (2009). The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach. Guilford Press.
[43]Hori, V. S. (2000). Translating the Zen phrase book. Nanzan Bulletin, 24, 75-92.
[44]Houtman, D., & Mascini, P. (2002). Why do churches become empty, while new age grows? Secularization and religious change in the Netherlands. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 41(3), 455–473.
[45]James, W. (1902). The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. Longmans, Green, and Co.
[46]Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156.
[47]Kasulis, T. P. (1981). Zen action/Zen person. University of Hawaii Press.
[48]Kornfield, J. (2000). After the ecstasy, the laundry: How the heart grows wise on the spiritual path. Bantam Books.
[49]Lindahl, J. R., Fisher, N. E., Cooper, D. J., et al. (2014). The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists. PLoS ONE, 12(5), e0176239.
[50]Louv, R. (2008). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Algonquin Books.
[51]Lutz, A., Slagter, H. A., Dunne, J. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2008). Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(4), 163–169.
[52]MacLean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2011). Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25(11), 1453–1461.
[53]Maslow, A. H. (1964). Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences. Ohio State University Press.
[54]Masters, R. A. (2010). Spiritual bypassing: When spirituality disconnects us from what really matters. North Atlantic Books.
[55]McDonald, M. (2012). Canada’s new ethical guidelines for research with humans. PMC. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3314036/
[56]Newberg, A., & Waldman, M. R. (2009). How God changes your brain: Breakthrough findings from a leading neuroscientist. Ballantine Books.
[57]Ojastu, D., Chiu, R., & Olsen, P. I. (2011). Cognitive model of entrepreneurship and its reflection in education. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 19(4), 397-434.
[58]Overall, J. S. (2016). Unethical behavior in organizations: empirical findings that challenge CSR and egoism theory. Business Ethics: A European Review, 25(2), 113-127.
[59]Overall, J. S. (2020). Mental Health among Entrepreneurs: The Benefits of Consciousness. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Economic Issues, 4(1), 70-74.
[60]Overall, J. S. (2021). Mindfulness and organizational productivity: The mediating role of positive mental health. Journal of Spirituality, Leadership and Management, 9, 20-32.
[61]Overall, J. (2025a). Healing financial trauma: The role of mindfulness and therapy in breaking generational patterns. American Journal of STEM Education, 8, 103-108. https://doi.org/10.32674/zy3y4n31
[62]Overall, J. (2025a). The antecedents of kensho spiritual awakenings: A mixed-methods study. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice.
[63]Overall, J. S., & Rosalind, R. (2022). Capitalist Buddha: Waking up to conscious economics. The Global Institute for Conscious Economics.
[64]Overall, J. S. Wise, S. (2016) The antecedents of entrepreneurial success: The importance of travel. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 24(3), 1-33.
[65]Pargament, K. I., & Exline, J. J. (2021). Working with spiritual struggles in psychotherapy: From research to practice. Guilford Press.
[66]Parker, A., & Schooler, J. (2024). Meditation and its effects on emotion regulation: The role of trait mindfulness in short vs. long-term interventions. Journal of Integrated Social Sciences, 14(1), 1–26.
[67]Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., & Ski, C. F. (2023). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 14(2), 345–364.
[68]Perls, F. (1969). Gestalt Therapy Verbatim. Real People Press.
[69]Pew Research Center. (2017). In U.S., mindfulness meditation is growing in popularity among all ages. Pew Research Center Report.
[70]Pollan, M. (2018). How to change your mind: What the new science of psychedelics teaches us about consciousness, dying, addiction, depression, and transcendence. Penguin Press.
[71]Ragin, C. C. (2007). Fuzzy sets: Calibration versus measurement. University of Arizona. pp. 1-31.
[72]Ragin, C. C., & Fiss, P. C. (2008). Redesigning social inquiry: Fuzzy sets and beyond. University of Chicago Press.
[73]Ragin, C. C., & Sonnett, J. (2007). Between complexity and parsimony: Limited diversity, counterfactual cases, and comparative analysis. Department of Sociology, University of Arizona, Tucson.
[74]Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. Houghton Mifflin.
[75]Rutjens, B. T., & van der Lee, R. (2020). Spiritual skepticism? Heterogeneous science skepticism in the Netherlands. Public Understanding of Science, 29(3), 335–352.
[76]Schimmel, A. (1975). Mystical dimensions of Islam. University of North Carolina Press.
[77]Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Astin, J. A., & Freedman, B. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(3), 373–386.
[78]Sharf, R. H. (1995). Buddhist modernism and the rhetoric of meditative experience. Numen, 42(3), 228-283.
[79]Sharma, A. (1996). The philosophy of religion: A Buddhist perspective. Oxford University Press.
[80]Siegel, D. J. (2010). The mindful therapist: A clinician’s guide to mindsight and neural integration. W. W. Norton.
[81]Silverman, D. (2008). Interpreting Qualitative Data, 3rd ed. London: Sage Publications LTD.
[82]Stevens, J. (1990). Three Zen masters: Ikkyu, Hakuin, and Ryokan. Kodansha International.
[83]Stokke, C., & Rodriguez, M. C. (2021). Spiritual awakening experiences: A phenomenological study in transpersonal psychology. Self & Society, 49(2), 9–25.
[84]Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of Grounded Theory Methods. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
[85]Suddaby, R. (2006). From the editors: What grounded theory is not. Academy of Management Journal, 49(4), 633-642.
[86]Suzuki, D. T. (1956). Zen Buddhism: Selected writings of D.T. Suzuki. Doubleday Anchor Books.
[87]Suzuki, S. (1970). Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Weatherhill.
[88]Taves, A. (2009). Religious experience reconsidered: A building-block approach to the study of religion and other special things. Princeton University Press.
[89]Taylor, S. (2017). The leap: The psychology of spiritual awakening. New World Library.
[90]Trott, B. (2010). Listening as spiritual practice in dyadic enlightenment intensives. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 42(1), 25–41.
[91]Underhill, E. (1999). Mysticism: A study in the nature and development of spiritual consciousness. Oneworld Publications.
[92]van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. SUNY Press.
[93]Vonk, R., & Visser, A. (2021). An exploration of spiritual superiority: The paradox of self-enhancement. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51(1), 152–165.
[94]Wahbeh, H., Yount, G., & Radin, D. (2022). Mapping the characteristics of non-ordinary states of consciousness: An inventory based on contemporary empirical studies. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 29(5–6), 95–123.
[95]Washburn, M. (1995). The ego and the dynamic ground: A transpersonal theory of human development. SUNY Press.
[96]Wilber, K. (2007). Integral spirituality: A startling new role for religion in the modern and postmodern world. Shambhala Publications.
[97]Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J. E. (2001). Crafting a job: Revisioning employees as active crafters of their work. Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 179–201.
[98]Yaden, D. B., Haidt, J., Hood, R. W., et al. (2017). The varieties of self-transcendent experience. Review of General Psychology, 21(2), 143–160.
[99]Yampolsky, P. B. (1967). The platform sutra of the sixth patriarch: The text of the Tun-Huang manuscript. Columbia University Press.
