Mantra Meditation Suppression of Default Mode Beyond an Active Task: a Pilot Study
May 22, 2017 Rozalyn Simon, Johan Pihlsgård, Ulrika Berglind et al.
Mantra meditation training over a two-week period of Kundalini yoga/meditation reduced activity in key default mode network (DMN) regions—the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and precuneus—with trends toward decreased activation in the posterior cingulate cortex. These reductions occurred even when compared to a finger-tapping control task that itself deactivates DMN regions, indicating that mantra practice suppresses DMN activity beyond the control task. The choice of control task matters: prior studies using language-based controls may have masked these effects. The findings suggest that mantra meditation, like focused attention and open monitoring practices, modulates DMN activity.