High Theta–Low Alpha Modulation of Brain Electric Activity During Eyes-Open Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga Meditation
Kanishka Sharma, Peter Achermann, Bhawna Panwar, Shrikant Sahoo, Roberto D Pascual-Marqui, Pascal L Faber, Ramakrishnan Angarai Ganesan
Mindfulness July 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-023-02163-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 52 |
| Population | Long-term Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga meditators |
| Intervention | Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga meditation |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Rajyoga meditation EEG Source localization Eloreta Frequency domain Central executive network Mirroring network Task-positive network Task-negative network Soul consciousness Non-dual awareness |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key findings | Meditation compared to resting showed reduced delta and increased low alpha activity, with altered activation in central executive, mirroring, task-positive, and task-negative networks. |
Abstract
Objectives: The objective was to analyze EEG recorded during Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga meditation (BKRYM) using eLORETA applied in the frequency domain for localizing sources during meditation vis-à-vis baseline condition. Unlike many other popular meditation practices, BKRYM is practiced with open eyes. To our knowledge, there has been no study of the changes in the brain’s activity during the practice of BKRYM using source localization. Furthermore, this seed-stage meditation goes through specific stages, and the corresponding changes in the brain activity, including the different brain networks, were explored.
Method: EEG recorded during Brahma Kumaris seed-stage meditation was studied in 52 long-term meditators. The meditation comprised three stages, namely focusing on peace, imagining being a soul, and communion with the Supreme Soul. Brain electric source localization in the frequency domain was used on multichannel EEG recordings to establish activation differences between meditation and open-eyed, task-free resting. Additional exploratory analyses were performed for the differences between initial rest, meditation, and final rest.
Results: After 5000 randomized statistical tests of significance ( p < 0.05), meditation showed reduced activity in delta and increased activity in low alpha frequencies. The brain networks altered in their activation during meditation are the following: central executive network, mirroring network, and task-positive and task-negative networks.
Conclusions: The observed changes in activity reflect the main cognitive-affective and behavioral specifics of seed-stage meditation: attention modulation, self-related processing, visual imagery, extra corporeal experience. Future studies need to distinctly differentiate between the stages of the meditation.
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
Cited by 8
- Changes in high-order interaction measures of synergy and redundancy during non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by meditation, hypnosis, and auto-induced cognitive trance. Neuroimage June 1, 2024
- Similar States, Different Paths: Neurodynamics of diverse meditation techniques bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) June 26, 2025
- The Neurodynamic Core of Meditation: Dissociating Meditation from Rest and Task in a Reliability-based EEG study bioRxiv Preprint Server May 27, 2026
- Open-eyed meditation suppresses functional connectivity in EEG across a broad frequency range bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) May 18, 2026
- Impacts of Mindfulness Meditation on Episodic Memory: A Review of Recent Studies Mindfulness December 28, 2025
and 3 more in the library
Cites 27
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience April 22, 2015
- Neural correlates of nondual awareness in meditation. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2014
- Toward a unifying taxonomy and definition for meditation Frontiers in Psychology 2013
and 22 more in the library