Using Electroencephalography to Advance Mindfulness Science: A Survey of Emerging Methods and Approaches.

Abstract

Throughout the brief history of contemplative neuroscience, electroencephalography (EEG) has been a valuable and enduring methodology used to elucidate the neural correlates and mechanisms of mindfulness. In this review, we provide a reminder that longevity should not be conflated with obsoletion and that EEG continues to offer exceptional promise for addressing key questions and challenges that pervade the field today. Toward this end, we first outline the unique advantages of EEG from a research strategy and experimental design perspective, then highlight an array of new sophisticated data analytic approaches and translational paradigms. Along the way, we provide illustrative examples from our own work and the broader literature to showcase how these innovations can be leveraged to spark new insights and stimulate progress across both basic science and translational applications of mindfulness. Ultimately, we argue that EEG still has much to contribute to contemplative neuroscience, and we hope to solicit the interest of other investigators to make full use of its capabilities in service of maximizing its potential within the field.