Changes in EEG and autonomic nervous activity during meditation and their association with personality traits.
International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology February 1, 2005 Tetsuya Takahashi, Tetsuhito Murata, Toshihiko Hamada et al.
During Zen meditation, brainwave activity shifts toward increased fast theta and slow alpha power in the frontal area, while heart rate variability indicates greater parasympathetic and reduced sympathetic activity. These changes correlate with specific personality traits: increased slow alpha power, reflecting internalized attention, is linked to higher novelty seeking scores and reduced sympathetic indices; increased fast theta power, reflecting mindfulness, is linked to higher harm avoidance scores and greater parasympathetic activity. The findings suggest that internalized attention and mindfulness during meditation involve distinct psychophysiological and personality profiles.