Purpose: Most of the preceding studies on True Self Meditation (TSM) have been quantitative studies, and various effects have been verified, but there has been a limit to revealing the specific psychological mechanisms of the meditation experience. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the meaning and essential structure of the experience of mental training by grasping the psychological mechanism through which the experience of TSM leads to practical healing and change in life using phenomenological research methods. Methods: Study participants comprised 14 adults (10 women and 4 men) aged≥20 years. They ranged in age from their mid-20s to their 70s and had practiced TSM for at least one year. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and data were collected through in-depth interviews conducted between October 26, 2025, and March 26, 2026. Data were collected through interviews, which lasted from 35 min to 4.5 h, with an average duration of approximately 2 h per session. Each participant underwent two to three interviews. The interview data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results: Data analysis yielded 29 themes grouped into, 9 theme clusters, and 3 categories. The three categories were ‘Confronting the past and experiencing inner purification’, ‘Profound transformation of cognitive structures and changes in self-identity’, and ‘Transcending the Self and Recovering Human Nature’. Conclusion: TSM can be seen as a fundamental healing method that ultimately causes externally revealed symptoms to disappear; rather than merely focusing on those symptoms, it guides practitioners to deeply search for and empty their minds of all the underlying causes and background factors by repeatedly reflecting on their entire past life. It can be utilized as a powerful psychological self-healing mechanism that heals wounds, and at the same time, as a tool for self-development by cultivating potential competencies such as concentration and insight. It can also be regarded as an important methodology that leads to not only individual happiness but also harmony and coexistence within organizations and society by improving the quality of human relationships. In addition, through a continuous process of self-reflection and emptying, TSM can contribute to discovering the nature of a larger consciousness that transcends the individual self.

서 론
    1. 연구의 필요성
    2. 연구목적
연 구 방 법
    1. 연구설계
    2. 연구자의 경험적 배경과 연구 준비
    3. 연구참여자의 선정
    4. 자료수집
    5. 참여자에 대한 윤리적 고려
    6. 자료분석
    7. 연구의 엄밀성 확보
연 구 결 과
    범주 1. 과거의 직면과 정화
    범주 2. 인지구조의 대전환과 자기 정체성의 변화
    범주 3. 개체의 초월과 존재론적 본성으로서의 현존안착
논 의
결 론 및 제 언
REFERENCES

• 유양경(국립군산대학교 간호학과 교수) | Yoo Yang Gyeong (Professor, Department of Nursing, Kunsan National University, Gunsan, Korea) Corresponding author
• 김진옥(전인교육학회 부편집이사) | Kim Jin Ok (Deputy Editorial Director, Academic Society for Human Completion, Daegu, Korea)