Exploring the Embodied Mind: Functional Connectome Fingerprinting of Meditation Expertise.
Sébastien Czajko, Jelle Zorn, Loïc Daumail, Gaël Chételat, Daniel S Margulies, Antoine Lutz
Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100372 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 75 |
| Population | Long-term Buddhist practitioners (expert meditators) and matched novices |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognitive defusion Connectome Expertise Traits |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Meditation expertise is associated with enduring trait-like patterns of increased large-scale brain network integration, present during both meditative and resting states. |
Abstract
Short mindfulness-based interventions have gained traction in research due to their positive impact on well-being, cognition, and clinical symptoms across various settings. However, these short-term trainings are viewed as preliminary steps within a more extensive transformative path, presumably leading to long-lasting trait changes. Despite this, little is still known about the brain correlates of these meditation traits. To address this gap, we investigated the neural correlates of meditation expertise in long-term Buddhist practitioners, comparing the large-scale brain functional connectivity of 28 expert meditators with 47 matched novices. Our hypothesis posited that meditation expertise would be associated with specific and enduring patterns of functional connectivity present during both meditative (open monitoring/open presence and loving-kindness and compassion meditations) and nonmeditative resting states, as measured by connectivity gradients. Applying a support vector classifier to states not included in training, we successfully decoded expertise as a trait, demonstrating its non-state-dependent nature. The signature of expertise was further characterized by an increased integration of large-scale brain networks, including the dorsal and ventral attention, limbic, frontoparietal, and somatomotor networks. The latter correlated with a higher ability to create psychological distance from thoughts and emotions. Such heightened integration of bodily maps with affective and attentional networks in meditation experts could point toward a signature of the embodied cognition cultivated in these contemplative 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 7
- ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide Consortium for Neuroscientific Investigations of Meditation Practices. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Thoughtseeds: A Hierarchical and Agentic Framework for Investigating Thought Dynamics in Meditative States. Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) April 24, 2025
- Decoding Mindfulness With Multivariate Predictive Models. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Without birth, without death-issues in the research of nondual awareness or consciousness itself. Frontiers in Psychology November 25, 2025
- Bridging Science and Spirituality: Investigating the Effects of OM Chanting on Brain Waves Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences October 13, 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 36
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Interoceptive inference, emotion, and the embodied self Trends in Cognitive Sciences October 12, 2013
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
and 31 more in the library