Meditation and complexity: a review and synthesis of evidence.
Daniel A Atad, Pedro A. M. Mediano, Fernando E. Rosas, Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
Neuroscience of Consciousness 2025 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaf013 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Entropy Fractal dimension Literature review Neuroimaging Predictive processing Meditation-neuroscience Brain-complexity-patterns Consciousness-states Predictive-processing |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | Higher neural complexity occurs during the meditative state compared to waking rest or mind-wandering, while regular meditation practice is linked to decreased baseline complexity as a trait. |
Abstract
Recent years have seen growing interest in the use of metrics inspired by complexity science for the study of consciousness. Work in this field has shown remarkable results in discerning conscious from unconscious states, and in characterizing states of altered conscious experience following psychedelic intake as involving enhanced complexity. Here, we study the relationship between complexity and a different kind of altered state of consciousness: meditation. We provide a scoping review of the growing literature studying the complexity of neural activity in meditation, disentangling different families of measures, short-term (state) from long-term (trait) effects, and meditation styles. Beyond families of measures used, our review uncovers a convergence toward identifying higher complexity during the meditative state when compared to waking rest or mind-wandering and decreased baseline complexity as a trait following regular meditation practice. In doing so, this review contributes to guide current debates and provides a framework for understanding the complexity of neural activity in meditation, while suggesting practical guidelines for future research.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- The entropic brain today Brain December 12, 2025
- Decoding the Self: Single-Trial Prediction of Self-Boundary Meditation States From Magnetoencephalography Recordings. Human Brain Mapping 2026
- Similar States, Different Paths: Neurodynamics of diverse meditation techniques bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) June 26, 2025
- The Neurodynamic Core of Meditation: Dissociating Meditation from Rest and Task in a Reliability-based EEG study bioRxiv Preprint Server May 27, 2026
- Rhythm-Induced Altered States and the Evolution of Human Dance and Music Fascinating life sciences 2026
and 6 more in the library
Cites 80
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- A Theoretically Based Index of Consciousness Independent of Sensory Processing and Behavior Science Translational Medicine August 14, 2013
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
and 75 more in the library