Simultaneous enhancement of stimulus-induced and stimulus-free gamma in open-eye meditators.
Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.) January 1, 2026 Ankan Biswas, Srishty Aggarwal, Kanishka Sharma et al.
Long-term meditators show stronger stimulus-induced gamma oscillations and steeper power spectral density slopes compared to matched controls, suggesting enhanced inhibitory function. Both stimulus-induced and stimulus-free gamma coexist during meditation but arise from different brain regions—occipital and fronto-temporal respectively—indicating distinct mechanisms. Meditation-induced broadband gamma localizes to fronto-temporo-parietal regions, with stronger effects in parietal areas of meditators, while stimulus-induced gamma is stronger in occipital areas. Meditators also report higher mindfulness, lower stress, and more mystical experiences, though these traits do not correlate with gamma power. These findings suggest meditation may boost inhibitory mechanisms and mitigate age-related neural decline.