The functional neuroimaging of meditation: A quantitative whole-brain meta-analysis and systematic review.
Caitlin Baten, Arielle S Keller, Chris H. Miller, Matthew D. Sacchet
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106709 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 700 |
| Population | Individuals from 34 primary fMRI studies of meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Focused attention Loving-kindness Mantra recitation Open monitoring Quantitative whole-brain meta-analysis |
| Key findings | Consistent activation across meditation practices in the rolandic operculum, insula, superior temporal gyrus, supplementary motor area, and hippocampus, with distinct neural patterns for each practice type. |
Abstract
The study of meditation has grown considerably in academic research, including robust findings demonstrating its positive impact on several domains of psychological well-being. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have provided evidence for neural correlates underlying these effects; however, there has not yet been a comprehensive whole-brain meta-analytic synthesis across meditation practices combined with a meta-analytic comparison to identify their unique neural correlates. Therefore, in accordance with the pre-registration protocol with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we performed a series of systematic meta-analyses employing multilevel kernel density analysis to identify shared and distinct neural correlates of meditative states across varied practices. Analyses included 34 primary studies with data from 700 individuals, and including four widely-used meditation practices: focused attention, open monitoring, mantra, and loving-kindness. These results identify consistent activation across meditation practices in regions such as the rolandic operculum, insula, superior temporal gyrus, supplementary motor area, and hippocampus. Using functional decoding, we identified psychological features most associated with meditation engagement, including self-monitoring, reappraisal, motivation, experience, and awareness states. Additionally, meta-analytic comparisons of practice types revealed distinct neural patterns uniquely associated with each practice. The present findings provide the most robust scientific characterization of the neural mechanisms of meditative states to date. This work sets the stage for future research into advanced meditation, increasingly clear phenomenological characterization of meditation and identifies potential targets for facilitating meditative development.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 49
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis Neuron May 10, 2023
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
- Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation Neuroreport May 1, 2000
and 44 more in the library