Comparison of Spatio-Spectral Properties of Zen-Meditation and Resting EEG Based on Unsupervised Learning
Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science January 1, 2021 Pei-Chen Lo, Nasir Hussain 1 citation
During Zen meditation, practitioners focus on three brain regions simultaneously, producing widespread high-frequency brainwave activity above 16 Hz, in contrast to resting EEG which is dominated by lower frequencies around 14.4 Hz. Using an unsupervised machine learning technique called self-organizing maps on EEG data from 30 participants, the study found that Zen meditation EEG shows globally high-frequency oscillations throughout the recording. The authors note that while beta waves are typically associated with active concentration, they are also induced by benzodiazepine medications for anxiety and insomnia. They hypothesize that Zen practitioners achieve a unique state of mindful concentration combined with optimal body-mind relaxation.