The EEG spectral properties of meditation and mind wandering differ between experienced meditators and novices
Neuroimage October 1, 2021 J. Rodríguez-Larios, Eduardo A. Bracho Montes de Oca, K. Alaerts
People with meditation training report greater focus and less mind wandering during meditation than those without training. EEG recordings from 29 experienced meditators and 29 non-meditators showed that these subjective differences correspond to distinct brain activity patterns. During meditation, meditators exhibited a decrease in individual alpha frequency and amplitude and a steeper 1/f slope compared to rest, changes not seen in controls. During mind wandering, controls showed increased alpha amplitude relative to focused breathing, while meditators did not. These findings indicate that meditation experience alters both the subjective experience and the underlying oscillatory and non-oscillatory EEG properties during meditation.