Zazen meditation and no-task resting EEG compared with LORETA intracortical source localization.
Cognitive processing February 1, 2015 Pascal L Faber, Dietrich Lehmann, Lorena R R Gianotti et al.
During Zazen meditation, experienced practitioners show increased alpha-1 and alpha-2 brain wave activity in a right-lateralized cluster spanning prefrontal areas, insula, somatosensory, motor, and temporal cortices compared to resting without a task. Decreased alpha and beta-2 activity occurs in the left angular gyrus, and decreased beta-1 and beta-2 activity in a large bilateral posterior cluster including visual cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and parietal cortex. These patterns involve parts of the default mode network and suggest enhanced automatic memory and emotion processing alongside reduced conceptual thinking and self-reference, supporting a more detached moment-to-moment awareness during Zazen.