Neurofeedback-enhanced gamma brainwaves from the prefrontal cortical region of meditators and non-meditators and associated subjective experiences.
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) February 1, 2011 Beverly Rubik
In a single-session pilot study, 12 adults (six Transcendental Meditation practitioners and six non-meditators) used a neurofeedback system to increase gamma brainwaves from the prefrontal cortex. Both groups successfully increased gamma output, with meditators showing greater increases than controls. Participants reported the strongest associations with the descriptors 'happy' and 'loving', and the weakest with 'stressed' and 'disappointed'. The findings suggest that increasing prefrontal gamma amplitude through neurofeedback is linked to positive emotions and reduced stress, and that meditation experience may enhance the ability to modulate gamma brainwaves.