Meditation induces shifts in neural oscillations, brain complexity, and critical dynamics: novel insights from MEG.
Annalisa Pascarella, Philipp Thölke, David Meunier, Jordan O'Byrne, Tarek Lajnef, Antonino Raffone, Roberto Guidotti, Vittorio Pizzella, Laura Marzetti, Karim Jerbi
Neuroscience of Consciousness 2025 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaf047 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Expert Buddhist monks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Complexity Criticality Focused-attention meditation fam Magnetoencephalography Open-monitoring meditation omm |
| Key findings | Increased neural signal complexity and widespread reductions in gamma-band LRTC and 1/f slope during both Samatha and Vipassana meditation compared to resting state, with distinct computational states separating the two practices. |
Abstract
While the beneficial impacts of meditation are increasingly acknowledged, its underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. We examined the electrophysiological brain signals of expert Buddhist monks during two established meditation methods known as Samatha and Vipassana, which employ focused attention and open-monitoring technique. By combining source-space magnetoencephalography with advanced signal processing and machine learning tools, we provide an unprecedented assessment of the role of brain oscillations, complexity, and criticality in meditation. In addition to power spectral density, we computed long-range temporal correlations (LRTC), deviation from criticality coefficient (DCC), Lempel-Ziv complexity, 1/f slope, Higuchi fractal dimension, and spectral entropy. Our findings indicate increased levels of neural signal complexity during both meditation practices compared to the resting state, alongside widespread reductions in gamma-band LRTC and 1/f slope. Importantly, the DCC analysis revealed a separation between Samatha and Vipassana, suggesting that their distinct phenomenological properties are mediated by specific computational characteristics of their dynamic states. Furthermore, in contrast to most previous reports, we observed a decrease in oscillatory gamma power during meditation, a divergence likely due to the correction of the power spectrum by the 1/f slope, which could reduce potential confounds from broadband 1/f activity. We discuss how these results advance our comprehension of the neural processes associated with focused attention and open-monitoring meditation practices.
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 5
- LSD Reconfigures Cortical Dynamics Through Faster Brain Rhythms and Increased Fractal Dimension bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) January 29, 2026
- The Neuroscience of Religious and Spiritual Practices: A Systematic Review of Neurotheological Evidence Brain and Behavior August 30, 2026
- The Neurodynamic Core of Meditation: Dissociating Meditation from Rest and Task in a Reliability-based EEG study bioRxiv Preprint Server May 27, 2026
- Near-critical brain dynamics track effortlessness during meditation bioRxiv August 12, 2026
- From visibility graphs to cognition. Frontiers in Network Physiology 2026
Cites 37
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
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