Mindfulness
April 13, 2023
Julieta Galante, Andrea Grabovac, Malcolm Wright et al.
82 citations
About half of the millions of people who learn mindfulness meditation continue regular practice after initial instruction, but it is unclear whether benefits increase with ongoing practice or whether harm can occur. Evidence shows a wide range of experiences from positive to challenging and potentially harmful. Complex interactions and temporal sequences may explain these experiences and their links to health and well-being. Effects may vary systematically due to factors like initial dosage, accumulated practice, developing skill, and interactions with past experiences and environment. The authors call for interdisciplinary, ontologically agnostic research using longitudinal models and insights from contemplative traditions to develop safer, more effective applications.
Mindfulness
April 10, 2023
Malcolm Wright, Joseph L. Sanguinetti, Shinzen Young et al.
41 citations
Incongruities between meditator self-reports and objective measurements (e.g., of brain states) hamper research into meditation-related emergent phenomenology. Key theories from Buddhist contemplative traditions are translated into scientific terms and systematized as a functionalist model of the mind—the Thin Model—which demonstrates immediate explanatory power. The model's nested nature allows explanations to be restricted to specific problems, connecting complex higher-level phenomena like self-reports to lower-level phenomena like brain states without requiring simplistic assumptions. A detailed demonstration shows how the model converts subjective accounts of ecstatic meditative states (jhānas) into testable neuroscientific hypotheses. The Thin Model offers an organizing principle for explanations of mental phenomena and may be relevant to other fields.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
January 1, 2024
Brian Lord, Joseph L. Sanguinetti, Lisannette Ruiz et al.
28 citations
Transcranial focused ultrasound (TFUS) aimed at the posterior cingulate cortex reduces functional connectivity along the midline of the default mode network (DMN) in healthy people. In a randomized, single-blind trial with 30 participants, those receiving active TFUS showed significant connectivity decreases and reported increased state mindfulness, reduced vigor, and temporary changes in sense of self, time, and memory recall. The sham group also showed increased mindfulness but no other subjective effects. TFUS can alter DMN connectivity and subjective experience, suggesting it may serve as a research tool and potential therapeutic intervention.
January 31, 2024
Joshua Cain, Tracy Brandmeyer, Ninette Simonian et al.
9 citations
preprint
Focused ultrasound stimulation of the caudate nucleus significantly improves self-reported meditative depth and mood in experienced vipassana meditators, and is accompanied by reduced heart rate and increased heart rate variability. These physiological changes strongly correlate with reported depth, suggesting a mechanistic link between reduced arousal and successful meditation. Stimulation of the posterior cingulate cortex or insula did not produce similar effects. The findings indicate that targeted neuromodulation may help lower the barrier to consistent meditation practice for novice or intermediate meditators.
Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging
April 1, 2025
Brian Lord, John J B Allen, Shinzen Young et al.
4 citations
Mindfulness benefits mental health and cognition through a combination of top-down attention and bottom-up emotional processes, with equanimity—the ability to maintain an open, nonreactive attitude toward all experiences—driving many of these benefits. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) can alter neural circuits involved in mindfulness, but most studies have focused on cognitive control rather than equanimity. Preliminary findings using focused ultrasound on the posterior cingulate cortex suggest NIBS can directly facilitate equanimity by inhibiting self-referential processing in the default mode network, promoting a more present-centered state. Future research should integrate NIBS with mindfulness training, targeting equanimity to advance contemplative neuroscience and develop individualized wellness interventions.
October 8, 2025
Sebastian Ehmann, Brian Lord, Erica Cook et al.
preprint
Inhibiting the posterior cingulate cortex with transcranial focused ultrasound during a ten-day silent retreat enhanced meditative qualities such as equanimity, concentration, and sensory clarity. Twenty-eight meditators received two stimulation sessions and reported significant increases in trait mindfulness, nondual awareness, and interoceptive body listening. Qualitative reports showed consistent differences between stimulation and non-stimulation days, including shifts in self-perception and cathartic emotional release. The effects often interacted with participants' ongoing psychological challenges, suggesting tFUS may increase baseline equanimity and support meditative development. Implementation was feasible but required logistical planning; limitations include the quasi-experimental design and reliance on self-reports.