Brain activity during meditation in first-time meditators
International Journal of Neuroscience March 25, 2021 Maciej Śliwowski, Paulina Jastrzębska, P. Holas et al.
A single guided mindfulness meditation session in people with no prior meditation experience produces brain activity patterns that differ from those seen in experienced meditators. In 16 healthy novices, electroencephalogram recordings showed that information flow between brain regions decreased in the theta and alpha frequency ranges during meditation compared with a passive listening control condition. Alpha power also decreased across the scalp. These changes may reflect heightened alertness or vigilance during the task rather than the relaxed, focused state typical of meditation. The findings suggest that the neural signatures of first-time meditation are distinct from those observed in long-term practitioners.