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Meditation Enhances Small-World Network Efficiency: MEG-Based Evidence from Attention and Control Systems.

Geeta Prem Chandoo Damisetti, C M Markan, Sona Ahuja, Manjari Tripathi

Brain Connectivity June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/21580014261455602 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

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Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Population Advanced meditators, beginner meditators, and control meditators with no formal training
Intervention Surat-Shabda-Yoga meditation
Duration 10-minute meditation sessions
Topics Meditation
Keywords Meg Surat-shabda-yoga meditation Functional connectivity Graph analysis Neural efficiency Small-world network
Key findings Advanced meditators showed higher small-world propensity in the attention network at beta frequency (19 Hz), and beginner meditators showed higher small-world propensity in the fronto-parietal network at theta frequency (8 Hz), compared to controls.

Abstract

Brain networks and meditation have recently gained attention, with studies suggesting that more efficiently organized meditation brain networks are linked to better cognitive performance. This efficiency is exemplified in small-world brain networks, which combine local segregation with global integration, facilitating optimal information processing. This study examines the small-world propensity (SWP), a marker of neural efficiency, among three functional brain networks: the default mode network (DMN), fronto-parietal network (FPN), and attention network (AN) in three groups: advanced meditators (AM), beginner meditators (BM), and control meditators (CM). Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we recorded 10-min meditation sessions from AM and BM groups practicing Surat-Shabda-Yoga meditation at different stages. The CM (baseline group), with no formal training in meditation, had introductory exposure to "four chakra meditation" and practiced the same. SWP was computed using coherence-based connectivity measures across frequencies ranging from 4 to 45 Hz during stable meditative states. Significant differences were observed between meditators and non-meditators, with AM and BM groups compared with the CM group. Specifically, the AN in the AM group compared with CM exhibited higher SWP at the beta frequency range (19 Hz), while the FPN in the BM group compared with the CM showed increased SWP at the theta frequency range (8 Hz). These findings highlight how meditation engages the brain's intrinsic network architecture in a frequency- and stage-specific manner, supporting efficient information processing and offering a scientific basis for its cognitive and regulatory benefits.

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

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