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Daoist Zhanzhuang and Human Flourishing

NCT06573034 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 120

Last updated 2026-05-01

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This project investigates the impact of Daoist Zhanzhuang (sometimes spelled as Chan Chuang) on human flourishing, and explores the physiological, psychological, and spiritual mechanisms. This study will be a two-arm randomized controlled trial, with mixed-methods and repeated-measures assessment of outcome variables. The two arms will include an active control condition (i.e., sham wall squat) and the Daoist Zhanzhuang condition. Outcome variables will include physiological measures of heart rate variability and inflammatory biomarkers, psychological scales of human flourishing variables, phenomenological interviews of mystical experiences, and daily ecological momentary assessment of human flourishing and mysticism. Randomly assigned into two conditions, 120 participants will complete a three-week intensive practice phase with 9 in-person sessions, followed by a nine-week self-guided practice phase with 4 in-person check-in sessions, and 3 follow-up practice and assessment sessions. Complete assessment (physiological measures, psychological scales, and phenomenological interviews) will be administered at five time points: T1 at about two weeks before the intervention, T2 at the end of the three-week intensive practice, T3 at the end of the 3-month intervention, T4 at the 6-month follow-up, and T5 at the 12-month follow-up. In addition, daily ecological momentary assessment of flourishing variables and practice-induced experiences will be administered daily after the practice for the entire 3-month intervention period.

Conditions

  • Stress, Physiological
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Inflammatory Response
  • Well-Being, Psychological

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Daoist Zhanzhuang

Each session of practice will last 30 minutes, and participants are expected to participate every day for 3 months. During the initial 3 weeks, participants will engage in in-person sessions 3 times a week. On non-session days, they can choose to either attend a Zoom practice session with the coach or submit a recording of their individual practice for fidelity check. In Week 4, participants will attend an in-person session for both practice and assessment. Over the subsequent 8 weeks, participants will either attend in-person or Zoom sessions, with a total of 3 check-in sessions.

BEHAVIORAL

Sham Wall Squat

Same as the Zhanzhuang group.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of North Carolina, Charlotte

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
25 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-08-29
Primary Completion
2027-02-28
Completion
2027-07-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06573034 on ClinicalTrials.gov