Positive Neuroscience: Comparing the Neural Correlates of Meditation and Creative Flow
Journal of Student Research November 30, 2023 Lisa D. Ordóñez 1 citation
A content analysis of 21st-century neuroscientific literature on meditation and creative flow reveals overlapping neural mechanisms that may characterize the flourishing human brain. Both states show increased activity in the VLPFC, DLPFC, and parietal regions, enhancing emotional and attentional regulation. Aligned deactivations occur in the amygdala and default mode network (including mPFC and PCC), along with increased theta and alpha oscillations and an inverse relationship between the default mode and central executive networks. These patterns suggest that enhanced emotional and attentional processing underlies mental wellbeing, pointing toward future research in positive neuroscience.