fMRI during Transcendental Meditation practice
Brain and Cognition June 1, 2018 Michelle C. Mahone, F. Travis, R. Gevirtz et al.
During Transcendental Meditation practice, long-term practitioners showed increased blood flow in brain regions involved in executive function and attention (anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices) and decreased blood flow in arousal-related areas (pons and cerebellum). This pattern, which has not been reported for other meditation practices, suggests that Transcendental Meditation requires minimal effort and involves automatic attentional processes.