Meditation alters how the brain represents signals from the heart, particularly within the default mode network (DMN), and reorganizes large-scale brain networks. In a large group of long-term Tibetan Buddhist monks, meditation produced distinct, transient changes in the brain's response to heartbeats in the DMN and reconfigurations of EEG gamma and theta band networks. Theta-band connectivity between temporal and frontal regions decreased with more meditation experience, and gamma oscillations became directionally coupled to theta oscillations during meditation. These findings suggest that changes in the neural representation of cardiac activity and large-scale network integration underlie meditation's effects, implying that meditation induces both immediate and lasting plasticity in brain organization.
Training in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) improves brain-computer interface (BCI) performance by reducing mind wandering and enhancing self-awareness. In a longitudinal intervention study, participants who completed MBSR showed significantly better BCI control compared to controls. This improvement was accompanied by increased frontolimbic alpha activity (9-15 Hz) and decreased alpha connectivity among the limbic network, frontoparietal network, and default-mode network. The changes in frontolimbic alpha activity correlated positively with meditation experience duration and the extent of BCI performance improvement. The findings suggest that mindfulness enables participants to modulate frontolimbic alpha power, thereby improving sensorimotor rhythm-based BCI control.