noun
deep meditation; absorption in thought
Literary or formal term for being deeply absorbed in quiet contemplation or meditation. Not an everyday word; 瞑想 (めいそう) is more common for meditation.
彼は書斎で潜心して思索にふけっていた。
He was absorbed in deep meditation in his study.
瞑想 is the common word for meditation; 潜心 is a more literary, less frequent synonym.
Compound of 潜 (せん, 'to dive, to hide') and 心 (しん, 'heart, mind'), literally 'submerged mind'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with deep mental absorption.