Meditation and Complexity: a Systematic Review
Daniel Andrew Atad, Pedro A. M. Mediano, Fernando E. Rosas, Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
June 28, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/np97r (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Trait Consciousness Unconscious mind Cognitive psychology Systematic review Field mathematics Cognitive science Medline Psychoanalysis |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | Meditation is associated with higher neural complexity during the meditative state compared to waking rest or mind-wandering, but experienced meditators show decreased baseline complexity as a trait compared to novices and controls. |
Abstract
Recent years have seen a growing interest in the use of measures inspired by complexity science for the study of consciousness. The work done in this field has shown remarkable results in discerning conscious from unconscious states, and in characterizing states of altered conscious experience following intake of psychedelic substances as involving enhanced complexity. However, the relationship between meditation and complexity is unclear, as empirical studies based on different theoretical frameworks point to meditation being associated with either enhancement or reduction of complexity. Here we provide a systematic review of the accumulating literature studying the complexity of neural activity in meditation, which disentangles 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 a higher complexity of neural activity during the meditative state when compared to waking rest or mind-wandering, and a decreased baseline complexity as a trait in experienced meditators compared to novices and controls. This review contributes to guide current debates and provides a framework for understanding the complexity of neural activity in meditation, while suggesting some practical guidelines for future research in the field.
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 11
- Breathwork-induced psychedelic experiences modulate neural dynamics. Cerebral Cortex August 1, 2024
- The entropic heart: Tracking the psychedelic state via heart rate dynamics bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) November 9, 2023
- Development of a digital intervention for psychedelic preparation (DIPP). Scientific Reports February 19, 2024
- Neurophysiological mechanisms of focused attention meditation: A scoping systematic review Imaging Neuroscience 2025
- The meditative brain: State and trait changes in harmonic complexity for long-term mindfulness meditators bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) November 17, 2023
and 6 more in the library
Cites 72
- 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 67 more in the library