Meditators show more stable brain activity over time and a different pattern of voltage fluctuations, particularly in a central-parietal brain region, compared to non-meditators. Analyzing over 7,000 time-series features from resting EEG data of 49 meditators and 46 non-meditators, classifiers could identify meditators with 67% accuracy using features from one principal component. Meditators exhibited higher stationarity—more consistent statistical properties across short time segments—and an altered distribution of voltage values around the mean. Traditional band-power measures did not distinguish the groups. These findings suggest that meditation is associated with greater temporal stability in brain activity, which may relate to enhanced attentional stability.
Experienced mindfulness meditators show altered brain reactivity to magnetic stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex compared to non-meditators. In a sample of 15 meditators and 19 matched controls, transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography revealed that meditators had larger P60/N100 ratios in response to both left and right prefrontal stimulation, suggesting differences in inhibitory activity. The spatial distribution of neural activity around 300 milliseconds after stimulation also differed between groups, potentially reflecting altered connectivity between cortical and subcortical regions. These findings indicate that long-term mindfulness practice is associated with measurable neurophysiological changes in brain regions supporting attention and cognitive control.
Experienced mindfulness meditators show altered brain reactivity to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) compared to non-meditators. When TMS was applied to the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, meditators had larger P60/N100 ratios in their brain responses, suggesting differences in cortical reactivity. No differences were seen in the individual P60 or N100 amplitudes. Preliminary evidence also indicated differences in the distribution of neural activity about 300 milliseconds after stimulation, possibly reflecting greater inhibitory activity in frontal regions and differences in cortico-subcortical reverberation. These findings contribute to understanding the neurophysiology of mindfulness.
Over 7,000 time-series features extracted from resting EEG data distinguished meditators from non-meditators with 67% accuracy, but only in a central-parietal brain component. Meditators showed higher temporal stability (more consistent statistical properties across short time segments) and altered distribution of voltage values around the mean. Traditional band-power measures failed to differentiate the groups. The findings suggest that meditation is associated with greater attentional stability reflected in more stationary neural dynamics.