Cureus
February 14, 2023
Anurag Shrivastava, Bikesh Kumar Singh, Dwivedi Krishna et al.
7 citations
A feasibility study examined whether electroencephalogram (EEG) connectivity patterns can distinguish long-term Heartfulness meditation practitioners, short-term practitioners, and non-meditators. EEG data from 34 participants were analyzed using functional connectivity parameters as features for machine learning classifiers. When classifying long-term meditators versus non-meditators, model accuracy ranged from 84% to 100%; for short-term meditators versus non-meditators, accuracy ranged from 80% to 93%. Decision trees, support vector machines, k-nearest neighbors, and ensemble classifiers outperformed linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression. The results suggest that machine learning applied to EEG functional connectivity may serve as a marker for meditation proficiency.
Annals of Neurosciences
February 28, 2025
Sushanta Kumar Mohanty, Amit Kumar Singh, Subarna Surajita Mohanty et al.
3 citations
College students who practiced the Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT) for one month showed improved cognitive performance and heart rate variability compared with those who rested supine. In a randomized controlled study of 50 experienced yoga practitioners aged 19–30, the MSRT group had significant changes in heart rate variability at rest, during a Stroop task, and afterward, along with better accuracy and faster reaction times. No significant changes occurred in the supine rest group. MSRT may help college students cope with stress and enhance cognitive and psychophysiological function.
Multidisciplinary Research Journal
January 21, 2025
Anurag Jayswal, Kabita Devi, Bhabesh Deka et al.
1 citation
A middle-aged person practiced a short-duration meditation method called mind-body relaxation and rejuvenation technique (MBRRT), inspired by ancient mālā japa, for two and a half years. Over 60 practice sessions, the participant slept well in 32 sessions (more than 50%), slept only for some time in 19 sessions (more than 30%), felt the sensation of sleep in 4 sessions, and did not experience sleep in 5 sessions. Calmness, relaxation, and rejuvenation were reported after every session. A single-trial EEG showed increased delta, theta, and alpha brain waves and decreased beta and gamma waves across all brain regions during MBRRT, supporting the observed sleep and relaxation.
Cureus
August 1, 2024
Sushanta Mohanty, Deepeshwar Singh, Amit Singh et al.
1 citation
Practicing the mind sound resonance technique (MSRT), a meditative relaxation approach, improved oxygenation in the right prefrontal cortex and altered heart rate variability—increasing low-frequency and decreasing high-frequency components—compared to baseline in college students aged 19–30. Fifty volunteers (30 women, 20 men) were split into MSRT and supine rest groups. MSRT also showed a significant difference from supine rest in the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals of heart rate variability. Self-reported mindfulness and anxiety were measured before and after. The evidence suggests MSRT may help develop anxiety-related coping skills by promoting prefrontal cortex oxygenation and modulating heart rate variability.
Research Square
August 16, 2023
Anurag Jayswal, Kabita Devi, Ajanta Deka et al.
A five-minute technique coordinating breathing with thumb movement on finger divisions, performed with eyes closed, calmed participants and induced sleep in a group of 28 people in a classroom setting. EEG results from one participant showed increased low-frequency delta waves and decreased higher-frequency waves during the practice, with the strongest effect in the prefrontal lobe. The technique appears effective for quick rejuvenation and relaxation, and may help those with restlessness and anxiety.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
January 1, 2025
Dwivedi Krishna, Deepeshwar Singh, N K Manjunath
Long-term heartfulness meditation practitioners show distinct frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) patterns in their EEG compared to non-meditators, and these patterns correlate positively with self-reported depth of meditation. The study of 26 long-term practitioners and 33 non-meditators aged 30-45 used the Meditation Depth Questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale to measure meditation depth. FAA findings exhibited interaction effects highlighting group differences. The results suggest heartfulness meditation may modulate FAA patterns, potentially linked to enhanced emotional balance.
Clinical EEG and Neuroscience
May 1, 2019
Shirley Telles, Deepeshwar Singh, K. V. Naveen et al.
Meditative focusing increased sympathetic arousal, as shown by higher low-frequency heart rate variability (HRV), lower high-frequency HRV, and a faster average heart rate. Defocused meditation decreased average heart rate. Both forms of meditation improved attention, measured by increased P300 brain-wave amplitude; defocused meditation also reduced P300 latency, meaning participants responded faster to an auditory oddball task. The findings indicate that meditation's effects on attention and sympathetic activity depend on the type of meditation practiced.
Gyaneshwar Singh, S Saleema J., Krishna Dwivedi et al.
Heartfulness Meditation is linked to greater alpha brainwave activity, a marker of relaxation and attention, particularly in frontal, parietal, and occipital regions. Long-term and short-term meditators showed significantly higher alpha power than nonmeditators during meditation and afterward, with moderate-to-large effects (d = 0.52–0.65). The strongest effects appeared in the right parietal and frontal cortices, especially early in meditation, and persisted into postmeditation rest. These results suggest that regular Heartfulness practice may support cognitive and emotional well-being through enhanced alpha activity.