Dongguk University to Host 'Seoul International Meditation Festival' Starting from the 23rd

International Conference and Poster Presentation until the 25th
Live Meditation Coaching on YouTube on the 24th

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Dongguk University will hold the "2nd Seoul International Meditation Festival" from the 23rd to the 25th to globalize and popularize meditation.

Under the theme "2021 Meditation, New Connections," this event is hosted by Dongguk University and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Jongho Sunim, Vice President of Planning at Dongguk University and Chair of the Organizing Committee, said, "As the largest event among meditation festivals, a total of 12 programs will be held across four parts: academic, experiential, cultural, and archive, to build an international meditation platform. We aim to offer comfort and happiness through meditation to citizens suffering from the mental pandemic of anxiety, depression, and anger spread by COVID-19, and furthermore, to spread health and happiness beyond nations and social classes."

The international academic conference will be held live via Zoom for three days from the 23rd to the 25th at Dongguk University’s main auditorium. Research presentations will focus on meditation and neuroscience, meditation and psychotherapy, and meditation and well-being.

There will also be an academic poster presentation open to anyone interested in meditation-related topics. Participants include researchers, businesspeople, and students who are not necessarily meditation experts. So far, a total of 38 diverse studies have been registered, including 21 domestic and 17 international papers.

Traditional meditation includes a lecture on Ganhwa Seon by Sunim Subul, as well as a session titled "The Meeting of Ganhwa Seon and Physics" featuring world-renowned physicist Professor Kapatos and Sunim Subul.

Applied meditation tailored to the general public’s level will also be offered. A total of 10 programs have been produced, including walking meditation, camping meditation, music meditation, coffee meditation, gratitude meditation, dialogue meditation, Pilates meditation, and contemplation prayer meditation, all of which can be used by anyone in daily life. Seven meditation guidebooklets, which people will want to keep, will be produced and distributed free of charge throughout Seoul.

Among the meditation programs, the "Happiness Delivery Meditation" is noteworthy. Aiming to share meditation, it has been custom-developed for different groups ranging from infants to the elderly. Ten programs have been created for infants, children, adolescents, university students, office workers, couples, seniors, and medical personnel. Along with videos, 10 meditation guides will be published and distributed free of charge throughout Seoul.

On the 24th, real-time meditation coaching and counseling will be conducted on YouTube. Meditation coaching led by Professors Kim Hyewon, Hwang Sookyung, and Kim Miyeon will provide public live coaching on themes such as emotional distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace and social relationships, and family issues.

The festival organizing committee has also developed Korea’s first meditation application using augmented reality (AR) technology called "Ako Meditation AR." By downloading the meditation app, users can follow a 3D character guide to explore various locations around Dongguk University and enjoy finding meditation spots interactively.

Korea’s first "Meditation Archive (Meditation Library)" will also be introduced. Using the meditation archive installed on a 3D homepage, anyone can easily access meditation-related information. It is provided in four languages: Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese. It offers extensive information including meditation-related papers and books, theories and practices, global conferences and workshops, academic society websites, and world meditation centers and research institutes.