Large-Scale Functional Brain Network Reorganization During Taoist Meditation.
Brain Connectivity February 1, 2016 Tun Jao, Chia-Wei Li, Petra E Vértes et al.
Meditation produces a distinct, reversible mental state that reorganizes brain network hubs and connections without altering global network properties like small-worldness. Analyzing resting-state fMRI data from 18 Taoist meditators of varying expertise, the study found that during meditation, sensory cortex areas (primary visual and auditory cortices, temporopolar areas) showed decreased connectivity, while the thalamus and default mode network components (precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex) increased connectivity. Long-distance front-to-back connections increased, while right-left connections between homologous cortices decreased. These changes suggest that shifts in consciousness involve both topological and spatial reorganization of brain networks, with the anatomical pattern of integration being as important as its overall level.