Beyond mindfulness: Arousal-driven modulation of attentional control during arousal-based practices.
Maria Kozhevnikov, Alina Veronika Irene Strasser, Elizabeth Mcdougal, Rupali Dhond, Geoffrey Samuel
Current Research in Neurobiology 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100053 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects comparison Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Highly experienced Vajrayana practitioners |
| Interventions | Yidam Tummo Tantric Mahamudra non-Tantric Mahamudra |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Arousal-based meditation Attentional control Autonomic nervous system Mindfulness-related meditation Non-dual awareness |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key points | Tantric Mahamudra, preceded by arousal-based Yidam or Tummo, produces a unique state of high cortical excitability and reduced attentional control, distinct from the relaxation and active monitoring seen in non-Tantric Mahamudra. |
Abstract
Here we report meditative techniques, which modulate attentional control by arousal-driven influences and not by monitoring continuous thought processes as during mindfulness-related practices. We focus on Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism) practices, during which a sequence of generation (self-visualization as a deity - Yidam) or completion with sign (inner heat -Tummo) stages necessarily precedes non-dual awareness (NDA) Tantric Mahamudra. We compared the electrocardiographic and electroencephalographic correlates of Mahamudra performed after rest (non-Tantric Mahamudra) with Mahamudra performed after Yidam (Tantric Mahamudra) in 16 highly experienced Vajrayana practitioners, 10 of whom also performed Tummo. Both Yidam and Tummo developed the state of PNS withdrawal (arousal) and phasic alertness, as reflected by HF HRV decreases and Alpha2 power increases, later neurophysiologically employed in Tantric Mahamudra. The latter led to the unique state of high cortical excitability, "non-selective" focused attention, and significantly reduced attentional control, quantified by power reductions in all frequency bands, except Theta. In contrast, similar to mindfulness-related practices, non-Tantric Mahamudra was performed in a state of PNS dominance (relaxation), tonic alertness, and active monitoring, as suggested by Alpha1 power increases and less pronounced decreases in other frequency bands. A neurobiological model of meditation is proposed, differentiating arousal-based and mindfulness-related practices.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques. Neuroimage August 15, 2024
- A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of fMRI studies on arousing or wake-promoting effects in Buddhist meditation Frontiers in Psychology October 27, 2023
- The Spiral of Attention, Arousal, and Release: A Comparative Phenomenology of Jhāna Meditation and Speaking in Tongues. American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council December 1, 2024
- Alpha-Theta Correlations during the Different States of the Brain for a Designed Cognitive Task International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Research June 30, 2023
- Tattva, vrata, caryā: On the Relationship of View and Practice in the First Chapter of Padmavajra’s Guhyasiddhi Religions February 25, 2024
and 4 more in the library
Cites 30
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Short-term autonomic and cardiovascular effects of mindfulness body scan meditation Annals of Behavioral Medicine November 15, 2006
and 25 more in the library