Simultaneous enhancement of stimulus-induced and stimulus-free gamma in open-eye meditators.
Ankan Biswas, Srishty Aggarwal, Kanishka Sharma, Supratim Ray
Imaging Neuroscience 2026 DOI: 10.1162/imag.a.1145 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Long-term meditators and healthy matched controls |
| Intervention | open-eye meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | EEG Psd slope Eloreta Gamma oscillations Source localization |
| Key findings | Meditators exhibit stronger stimulus-induced gamma oscillations and steeper PSD slopes than controls, with distinct neural origins for stimulus-induced and stimulus-free gamma. |
Abstract
Visual stimuli-induced "narrowband" gamma oscillations (30-70 Hz) are generated due to excitation-inhibition interactions and are linked to attention/binding. These oscillations attenuate with aging and neurodegeneration, potentially indicating declining inhibitory function. In contrast, meditation enhances endogenous stimulus-free gamma (power in a broad frequency range above 25 Hz). However, it remains unknown how meditation affects stimulus-induced gamma or its interaction with endogenous broadband gamma, which could reveal whether meditation mitigates age-related decline in inhibitory function. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from long-term meditators and their healthy matched controls, performing open-eye meditation while gamma-inducing stimuli were presented before, during, and after meditation. We found that stimulus-induced gamma, like stimulus-free gamma, was stronger in meditators. Interestingly, both gamma signatures co-existed during meditation but were unrelated and prominent in occipital and fronto-temporal regions, respectively. This indicates that these two gamma signatures have different mechanisms and may be modulated differently. Reconstructed cortical sources showed meditation-induced broadband gamma localized in fronto-temporo-parietal regions, which was stronger in the parietal areas of meditators. Stimulus-induced gamma was localized to occipital areas and was stronger in meditators. Further, the power spectral density (PSD) slope, which becomes shallower with aging, was steeper for meditators. We also recorded personality traits and mystic experience using self-reported questionnaires and found that meditators were more mindful, less stressed, and had more mystical experience than the controls, but none of these scores were correlated with gamma power. Meditation could boost inhibitory mechanisms, leading to stronger gamma and steeper PSDs, potentially mitigating age-related neural changes.
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 2
- Adherence, Engagement and Participant Experiences in a Workplace Rajyoga Meditation Programme: Findings from an Eight-Week Intervention Study Among Corporate Executives International Journal of Latest Technology in Engineering Management & Applied Science August 4, 2026
- Open-eyed meditation suppresses functional connectivity in EEG across a broad frequency range bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) May 18, 2026
Cites 17
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence Journal of Neuroscience October 21, 2009
and 12 more in the library