Similar States, Different Paths: Neurodynamics of diverse meditation techniques
Prakash Shrimali, Arun Sasidharan, Saketh Malipeddi, Bianca Ventura, Rahul Venugopal, Ajay Kumar Nair, Ravindra P. Nagendra, Bindu M Kutty, Georg Northoff
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) June 26, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2025.06.20.660652 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 170 |
| Population | Advanced meditators and controls across four traditions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognitive psychology Archaeology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Meditative and non-meditative states can be distinguished with 91% accuracy using EEG features, with nonlinear features contributing most, and each tradition showing distinct neurodynamic profiles. |
Abstract
Abstract Meditation encompasses diverse practices that train attention inward, in contrast to externally oriented task states. However, the neurodynamic features distinguishing meditative states from non-meditative states across traditions remain unclear. We analyzed high-density EEG data (N=170; 121 advanced meditators, 49 controls) across four traditions: Vipassana, Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga, Heartfulness, and Isha Yoga. EEG features spanned oscillatory, aperiodic, nonlinear, and timescale components. Using random forest classifiers, we distinguished meditative from non-meditative states with robust classification performance (91%). Nonlinear features contributed the most, suggesting a core neurodynamic profile. Classification performance was higher in advanced meditators (92%) than in controls (85%), with distinct feature importance: nonlinear and aperiodic features dominated in meditators, and oscillatory and timescale features in controls. Each tradition showed distinct neurodynamic profiles, indicating technique-specific constellations. Our findings revealed shared yet distinct neurodynamic signatures across meditation techniques, suggesting that multiple neurodynamic pathways lead to meditative states.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 42
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
- Interoceptive awareness in experienced meditators Psychophysiology May 22, 2008
- Review of the Neural Oscillations Underlying Meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience March 26, 2018
- From many to (n)one: Meditation and the plasticity of the predictive mind. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 1, 2021
and 37 more in the library