Alpha and theta oscillations are inversely related to progressive levels of meditation depth
Neuroscience of Consciousness November 1, 2021 S. Katyal, P. Goldin
Theta and alpha brain oscillations relate to meditation depth in opposite ways. Theta amplitude increases with hindrances (distractions, drowsiness) and decreases as meditation deepens, while alpha amplitude shows the opposite pattern. Long-term meditators report more transpersonal qualities and nonduality, whereas meditation-naïve controls report more hindrances. The inverse theta-depth relationship appears over frontal midline in long-term meditators and frontal lateral in controls, suggesting downregulation of different executive processes during deep meditation. These findings indicate a functional dissociation of alpha and theta as neural signatures of meditation training.