Non-duality in brain and experience of advanced meditators—key role for intrinsic neural timescales
Saketh Malipeddi, Arun Sasidharan, Bianca Ventura, Rahul Venugopal, Clemens Christian Bauer, Prejaas K.b. Tewarie, Ravindra P. Nagendra, Seema Mehrotra, John P John, B Subramaniam, Steven Laureys, Bindu M Kutty, Georg Northoff
Communications Biology June 12, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10473-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Advanced meditators from the Isha Yoga tradition, novice meditators, and meditation-naïve controls |
| Interventions | breath-watching meditation cognitive task |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognition Neural activity Operationalization Task project management Perception Interval graph theory Cognitive psychology Consciousness |
| Key findings | Advanced meditators show similar intrinsic neural timescale durations during internal and external attention, and this reduced difference correlates with stronger reported non-dual experiences. |
Abstract
Distinguishing between self (internal) and environment (external) is fundamental to human experience, yet mind-body traditions describe non-dual states where this boundary dissolves. However, the neural basis of non-duality remains underexplored. We investigate this in advanced and novice meditators from the Isha Yoga tradition and meditation-naïve controls using psychological scales and EEG-based intrinsic neural timescales (INT). Subjects perform breath-watching meditation (internal attention) and a cognitive task (external attention), allowing us to operationalize non-duality as reduced internal-external distinction. Key findings include: (a) advanced meditators report stronger non-dual experiences during breath-watching than novices and controls; (b) across participants, INTs are longer during internal than external attention; (c) advanced meditators show similar INT durations between internal and external attention; and (d) this reduced INT difference correlates with stronger reported non-dual experiences. These results suggest that similar duration of intrinsic neural timescales during internal and external attention may serve as a neural signature of non-duality.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |