Interbrain connectivity during mindfulness and meditation: narrative review of hyperscanning research.
Frontiers in cognition 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fcogn.2026.1719931 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7 |
| Population | Studies of dyads engaged in mindfulness or meditation practices |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Hyperscanning Interbrain synchrony Social neuroscience |
| Key findings | Interbrain synchrony during mindfulness and meditation practices varies with expertise, task heterogeneity, and personality traits such as agreeableness. |
Abstract
Over the past century, research on meditation and mindfulness has aimed to characterize the behavioral phenomenology and the neurophysiology of the contemplative mind. In recent years, investigators have extended this work beyond single participants to dyads and larger groups using hyperscanning (the simultaneous recording of neural activity from two or more individuals). This narrative review synthesizes interbrain connectivity research and explores dyadic synchrony findings within mindfulness and meditation practices. Among the selected studies (n = 7), interbrain synchronization was observed across protocols and spectral bands in five studies. Anterior theta phase synchrony was evident during cooperation tasks following mindfulness induction. Motor coordination tasks with shared breathing and physical mirroring elicited alpha, theta, and delta coherence in frontal brain regions. Gamma synchrony increased in socio-emotional paradigms and among expert meditators practicing together. Dyadic coupling in lower-frequency spectral bands was potentiated when breath focus was combined with a shared goal. The evidence reviewed suggests that interbrain synchrony varies as a function of expertise, task heterogeneity, and personality traits such as agreeableness.
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
Cites 17
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
and 12 more in the library