Common EEG spectral power characteristics during meditation in five meditation traditions
European Psychiatry March 1, 2011 P. Milz, A. Theodoropoulou, S. Tei et al.
Across five different meditation traditions (Tibetan Buddhist, Qigong, Sahaja Yoga, Ananda Marga Yoga, and Zen), experienced meditators showed common changes in brain electrical activity when moving from resting to meditation. Compared to resting, meditation produced a significant decrease in alpha-2 brainwave power (10.5–12 Hz) and significant increases in beta-3 (21.5–30 Hz) and gamma (35–44 Hz) power. Theta band power (6.5–8 Hz) also increased but this change was not statistically significant. These shared patterns suggest that despite differing techniques, meditation traditions may engage common neural processes.