A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of fMRI studies on arousing or wake-promoting effects in Buddhist meditation
Inder S. Chaudhary, Gary C.‐w. Shyi, Shih-Tseng Tina Huang
Frontiers in Psychology October 27, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1136983 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation Buddhism |
| Keywords | Alertness Wakefulness Cognitive psychology Precuneus Neuroimaging Meta-analysis Electroencephalography |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | The most significant activation peaks during alertness-related meditation were in the medial frontal gyrus and precuneus, while areas like the medial prefrontal cortex, superior parietal lobule, basal ganglia, and thalamus were not identified, likely due to few relevant fMRI studies. |
Abstract
Conventional Buddhist texts illustrate meditation as a condition of relaxed alertness that must fend against extreme hypoarousal (sleep, drowsiness) and extreme hyperarousal (restlessness). Theoretical, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging investigations of meditation have highlighted the relaxing effects and hypoarousing without emphasizing the alertness-promoting effects. Here we performed a systematic review supported by an activation-likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis in an effort to counterbalance the surfeit of scholarship emphasizing the hypoarousing and relaxing effects of different forms of Buddhist meditation. Specifically, the current systematic review-cum-meta-analytical review seeks to highlight more support for meditation's wake-promoting effects by drawing from neuroimaging research during wakefulness and meditation. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 fMRI studies, we aim to highlight support for Buddhist meditation's wake-promoting or arousing effects by identifying brain regions associated with alertness during meditation. The most significant peaks were localized medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and precuneus. We failed to determine areas ostensibly common to alertness-related meditation such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), superior parietal lobule, basal ganglia, thalamus, most likely due to the relatively fewer fMRI investigations that used wakefulness-promoting meditation techniques. Also, we argue that forthcoming research on meditation, related to alertness or wakefulness, continues to adopt a multi-modal method to investigate the correlation between actual behaviors and neural networks connected to Buddhist meditation. Moreover, we recommend the implementation of fMRI paradigms on Buddhist meditation with clinically diagnosed participants to complement recent trends in psychotherapy such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zen Meditation: An Integration of Current Evidence | 2009 | Systematic review | |
| Wisdom-Based Buddhist-Derived Meditation Practices for Prosocial Behaviour: A Systematic Review Participants in mindfulness-based interventions incorporating Buddhist wisdom practices | 2024 | Systematic review | n = 2,185 |
| Effects of Buddhist Walking Meditation, Walking Meditation or Mindful Walking on the Health of Adults and Older Adults: A Systematic Review Adults and older adults | 2025 | Systematic review | |
| A meta-analysis on the effectiveness of Buddhist meditation intervention programs Participants in Buddhist meditation intervention studies from KCI-indexed or... | 2026 | Meta-analysis | n = 6,366 |
| Effects of Buddhist Interventions in Their Original Context: A Meta-analysis | 2026 | Meta-analysis |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide Consortium for Neuroscientific Investigations of Meditation Practices. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders March 1, 2025
- Effects of Buddhist Interventions in Their Original Context: A Meta-analysis Mindfulness March 25, 2026
Cites 85
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
and 80 more in the library