Meditation Enhances Small-World Network Efficiency: MEG-Based Evidence from Attention and Control Systems.
Brain Connectivity June 1, 2026 Geeta Prem Chandoo Damisetti, C M Markan, Sona Ahuja et al.
Meditation alters brain network organization in a frequency- and experience-dependent way. Using magnetoencephalography, researchers measured small-world propensity (SWP), a marker of neural efficiency, in three functional networks—default mode, fronto-parietal, and attention—among advanced meditators, beginner meditators, and a control group with no formal training. Advanced meditators showed higher SWP in the attention network at 19 Hz (beta frequency) compared to controls, while beginners showed higher SWP in the fronto-parietal network at 8 Hz (theta frequency). These results suggest that Surat-Shabda-Yoga meditation engages brain networks in a stage-specific manner, supporting efficient information processing.