Increased Gamma Brainwave Amplitude Compared to Control in Three Different Meditation Traditions.
PLoS One January 1, 2017 Claire Braboszcz, B Rael Cahn, Jonathan Levy et al.
Meditators from three traditions (Vipassana, Himalayan Yoga, Isha Shoonya) show higher gamma brainwave amplitude in the parieto-occipital region (60-110 Hz) compared to non-meditators, both during meditation and during instructed mind-wandering. This gamma activity increases with more meditation experience and is not due to eye or muscle artifacts. Vipassana practitioners also show higher alpha activity (7-11 Hz) than all other groups, while Himalayan Yoga practitioners show lower alpha activity (10-11 Hz) specifically during meditation. The findings indicate that meditation practice is associated with changes in gamma frequency EEG activity common across different meditation styles.