EEG Alpha Blocking Correlated with Perception of Inner Light During Zen Meditation
Pei-Chen Lo, Ming-Liang Huang, Kang-Ming Chang
The American Journal of Chinese Medicine 2003 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x03001272 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Zen-Buddhist practitioners who had been practicing meditation for years |
| Interventions | meditation blessing |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Citations | 64 |
| Key findings | A significant correlation was observed between perception of inner light and EEG alpha blockage, and significant alpha blocking occurred during a blessing in experienced meditators. |
Abstract
According to the experimental results and practitioners' subjective experience, we report some hypotheses that may account for meditative phenomena during the practice of Zen-Buddhism. Orthodox Zen-Buddhist practitioners, aiming to prove the most original true-self, discover and uncover the inner energy or light on the way towards their goal. Perception of the inner light can be comprehended as resonance. Uncovering the inner energy optimizes physiological and mental health. In the meditation experiment, a significant correlation was observed between perception of the inner light and electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha blockage. We further examined this phenomenon by recording the EEG from subjects during a blessing that the subjects did not know being given. During the blessing period, significant alpha blocking was observed in experimental subjects who had been practicing meditation for years in preparation for being in resonance with the inner light. This report provides a new insight into the debate that meditation benefits our health.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on buddhism, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 31
- A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations Psychological Medicine November 27, 2009
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- The psychological and neurophysiological concomitants of mindfulness forms of meditation Acta Neuropsychiatrica April 1, 2007
- A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives Frontiers in Psychology 2014
- A Systematic Review of Transcendent States Across Meditation and Contemplative Traditions. Explore 2018
and 26 more in the library
Cites 8
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences December 1, 1966
- Sleep During Transcendental Meditation Science January 23, 1976
- Physiological Responses to Clicks during Zen, Yoga, and TM Meditation Psychophysiology November 1, 1981
- The physiology of meditation: a review. A wakeful hypometabolic integrated response. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 1992
and 3 more in the library