Short-term meditation training alters brain activity and sympathetic responses at rest, but not during meditation
Anna Rusinova, Maria Volodina, Alexei Ossadtchi
Scientific Reports May 15, 2024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60932-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Individuals with no prior meditation experience |
| Intervention | Taoist meditation course |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | After eight weeks of Taoist meditation training, beginners exhibited band-specific topical changes in resting-state brain activity and heart rate variability associated with sympathetic activation, but no significant changes occurred during meditation sessions in either group. |
Abstract
Abstract Although more people are engaging in meditation practices that require specialized training, few studies address the issues associated with nervous activity pattern changes brought about by such training. For beginners, it remains unclear how much practice is needed before objective physiological changes can be detected, whether or not they are similar across the novices and what are the optimal strategies to track these changes. To clarify these questions we recruited individuals with no prior meditation experience. The experimental group underwent an eight-week Taoist meditation course administered by a professional, while the control group listened to audiobooks. Both groups participated in audio-guided, 34-min long meditation sessions before and after the 8-week long intervention. Their EEG, photoplethysmogram, respiration, and skin conductance were recorded during the mediation and resting state periods. Compared to the control group, the experimental group exhibited band-specific topically organized changes of the resting state brain activity and heart rate variability associated with sympathetic system activation. Importantly, no significant changes were found during the meditation process prior and post the 8-week training in either of the groups. The absence of notable changes in CNS and ANS activity indicators during meditation sessions, for both the experimental and control groups, casts doubt on the effectiveness of wearable biofeedback devices in meditation practice. This finding redirects focus to the importance of monitoring resting state activity to evaluate progress in beginner meditators. Also, 16 h of training is not enough for forming individual objectively different strategies manifested during the meditation sessions. Our results contributed to the development of tools to objectively monitor the progress in novice meditators and the choice of the relevant monitoring strategies. According to our findings, in order to track early changes brought about by the meditation practice it is preferable to monitor brain activity outside the actual meditation sessions.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Stress Recovery Through Mindful Breathing: Convergent Neural Signatures in Around-Ear and Scalp EEG bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) April 24, 2026
- Mindfulness training modulates EEG oscillations and improves shooting accuracy in competitive stress. Frontiers in Psychology May 18, 2026
- The Impact of Meditation on Instantaneous Respiration Rate and Amplitude: A Secondary Data Analysis Mindfulness February 1, 2026
- Neural Dynamics of Heartfulness Meditation: EEG Alpha Modulation Across Experience Levels. Annals of Neurosciences January 19, 2026
- Effects of heartfulness and bell meditation on brain activities and autonomic function in university students: An exploratory study. Journal of Education and Health Promotion 2026
and 2 more in the library
Cites 31
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- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well‐being Journal of Clinical Psychology May 16, 2008
- The meeting of meditative disciplines and western psychology: A mutually enriching dialogue. American Psychologist 2006
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
and 26 more in the library