What is the history of meditation journaling?

Meditation journaling dates back 2,500 years to early Buddhist practitioners who kept gammatthana notes tracking subtle mental states during practice. Stoic philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca practiced daily written reflection after contemplation. Christian Desert Fathers kept detailed records of prayer practice. Medieval monks integrated writing into lectio divina. This tradition spans every major contemplative practice—Buddhist, Stoic, Christian, Sufi—with the consistent pattern of silence first, then writing.