Heartfulness meditation practitioners showed higher theta and alpha brainwave power and lower beta and delta power, along with greater brainwave coherence in theta, alpha, and beta bands, compared to nonmeditators. They also reported higher mindfulness and lower anxiety, both as a stable trait and in the moment. These patterns suggest that regular Heartfulness meditation may produce a state of wakeful relaxation and focused internal attention that supports cognitive and emotional well-being.
Meditation shortens the time it takes for the brain to process sounds in the auditory association cortex, as measured by a faster P2 component of long latency auditory evoked potentials. In contrast, random thinking and nonmeditative focusing reduce the number of neurons recruited in the secondary auditory cortex, auditory association cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex, shown by smaller peak amplitudes of P1, P2, and N2 components. The study assessed 60 male participants aged 18–31 years across four mental states based on traditional texts.