Source-space EEG neurofeedback links subjective experience with brain activity during effortless awareness meditation
R. Lutterveld, Sean Dae Houlihan, Prasanta Pal, Matthew D. Sacchet, Cinque McFarlane-Blake, P. Patel, John S. Sullivan, Alexei Ossadtchi, Susan Druker, Clemens C C Bauer, Judson A. Brewer
Neuroimage February 26, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.02.047 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 32 |
| Population | 16 novice and 16 experienced meditators |
| Intervention | EEG neurofeedback from the PCC |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Decreased PCC gamma-band activity corresponded with the subjective experience of effortless awareness, and both novice and experienced meditators could volitionally control the signal in that direction. |
Abstract
Background: Meditation is increasingly showing beneficial effects for psychiatric disorders. However, learning to meditate is not straightforward as there are no easily discernible outward signs of performance and thus no direct feedback is possible. As meditation has been found to correlate with posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) activity, we tested whether source‐space EEG neurofeedback from the PCC followed the subjective experience of effortless awareness (a major component of meditation), and whether participants could volitionally control the signal.
Methods: Sixteen novice meditators and sixteen experienced meditators participated in the study. Novice meditators were briefly trained to perform a basic meditation practice to induce the subjective experience of effortless awareness in a progressively more challenging neurofeedback test‐battery. Experienced meditators performed a self‐selected meditation practice to induce this state in the same test‐battery. Neurofeedback was provided based on gamma‐band (40–57 Hz) PCC activity extracted using a beamformer algorithm. Associations between PCC activity and the subjective experience of effortless awareness were assessed by verbal probes.
Results: Both groups reported that decreased PCC activity corresponded with effortless awareness (P < 0.0025 for each group), with high median confidence ratings (novices: 8 on a 0–10 Likert scale; experienced: 9). Both groups showed high moment‐to‐moment median correspondence ratings between PCC activity and subjective experience of effortless awareness (novices: 8, experienced: 9). Both groups were able to volitionally control the PCC signal in the direction associated with effortless awareness by practicing effortless awareness meditation (novices: median % of time = 77.97, P = 0.001; experienced: 89.83, P < 0.0005).
Conclusions: These findings support the feasibility of using EEG neurofeedback to link an objective measure of brain activity with the subjective experience of effortless awareness, and suggest potential utility of this paradigm as a tool for meditation training. HighlightsEEG neurofeedback from the PCC corresponds with subjective experience of meditation.Meditators can volitionally manipulate PCC activity by meditating.These results suggest utility of this paradigm as a tool for meditation training.
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 45
- The brain on silent: mind wandering, mindful awareness, and states of mental tranquility Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2016
- Meditation is associated with increased brain network integration. Neuroimage September 1, 2017
- Can Mindfulness Address Maladaptive Eating Behaviors? Why Traditional Diet Plans Fail and How New Mechanistic Insights May Lead to Novel Interventions. Frontiers in Psychology 2018
- Beyond the veil of duality—topographic reorganization model of meditation Neuroscience of Consciousness 2022
- Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Frontiers in Psychiatry August 11, 2021
and 40 more in the library
Cites 10
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- 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
- What about the “Self” is Processed in the Posterior Cingulate Cortex? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
and 5 more in the library