The Mindful Brain at Rest: Neural Oscillations and Aperiodic Activity in Experienced Meditators
Mindfulness October 1, 2024 Brittany McQueen, Oscar W. Murphy, Paul B. Fitzgerald et al. 6 citations
Meditation experience is associated with higher oscillatory power and altered distributions of theta, alpha, and gamma brain waves, even after controlling for non-oscillatory 1/f activity. Forty-eight experienced meditators and 44 matched non-meditators provided resting EEG recordings. Results indicated differences in theta, alpha, and gamma oscillatory power between groups, primarily driven by differences in the distribution of neural activity rather than overall power across the scalp. These band-specific differences in oscillatory activity may be a mechanism through which meditation leads to neurophysiological benefits.