Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis on magnetic resonance imaging: similarities and differences. A scoping review.
Sindy Sim, Igor Lima Maldonado, Pierre Castelnau, Laurent Barantin, Wissam El-Hage, Frédéric Andersson, Jean-Philippe Cottier
Journal of neuroradiology = Journal de neuroradiologie March 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2023.11.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 97 |
| Population | Participants in MRI studies of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis for stress, anxiety, and depression |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Connectivity Hypnosis MRI Mental health Networks |
| Citations | 14 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation and hypnosis share decreased default mode network activity and increased central executive-salience network connectivity, but only mindfulness increases default mode-salience network connectivity. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation (MM) and hypnosis practices are gaining interest in mental health, but their physiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to synthesize the functional, morphometric and metabolic changes associated with each practice using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to identify their similarities and differences. MRI studies investigating MM and hypnosis in mental health, specifically stress, anxiety, and depression, were systematically screened following PRISMA guidelines from four research databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO) between 2010 and 2022. In total, 97 references met the inclusion criteria (84 for MM and 13 for hypnosis). This review showed common and divergent points regarding the regions involved and associated brain connectivity during MM practice and hypnosis. The primary commonality between mindfulness and hypnosis was decreased default mode network intrinsic activity and increased central executive network - salience network connectivity. Increased connectivity between the default mode network and the salience network was observed in meditative practice and mindfulness predisposition, but not in hypnosis. While MRI studies provide a better understanding of the neural basis of hypnosis and meditation, this review underscores the need for more rigorous studies.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide Consortium for Neuroscientific Investigations of Meditation Practices. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Mapping Knowledge Landscapes and Evolving Trends of Clinical Hypnotherapy Practice: A Bibliometrics-Based Visualization Analysis. International journal of general medicine 2024
- Religious and spiritual experiences from a neuroscientific and complex systems perspective. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews October 1, 2025
- Yoga-based meditation improves self-regulation and well-being in medical students: a pilot study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 12, 2026
- Shared neural mechanisms of trait mindfulness and hypnotic susceptibility: A scoping review toward a unifying predictive coding framework. Brain Research Bulletin June 27, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 78
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
- A mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress in university students (the Mindful Student Study): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial The Lancet Public Health December 18, 2017
- Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
and 73 more in the library