Electrophysiological and Behavioural Markers of Novice State Mindfulness in Relation to Trait Mindfulness, Values, Personality Traits and Academic Dispositions

In novice meditators, the personality trait Acting with Awareness was linked to less mind-wandering and greater theta brainwave activity during breath-focused meditation, suggesting improved attention. Discontinuity of Mind—a measure of fragmented thinking—correlated with higher alpha and beta brainwaves, indicating effortful mentation. Planning-related thinking was associated with early STEM proficiency and reduced delta and alpha power, implying unnecessary mental activity during meditation. Individuals with higher Stimulation values showed lower prefrontal alpha power, possibly reflecting heightened alertness. Extraversion and Emotional Stability also showed modest connections to state mindfulness. These findings suggest that pre-existing traits and academic background shape how beginners engage in meditation, though the predictive power was weak.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Background: highlight the neurocognitive-affective mechanisms underpinning mindfulness in young learners. Purpose: This study explored how trait-level psychological dispositions and academic factors relate to electrophysiological and behavioural markers of state mindfulness in novice student meditators. Methods: Ninety-seven university students (mean age = 24.59 years) participated in the study, with 89 consenting to electroencephalography (EEG) recording during a tristage Ānāpānasati-inspired meditation. EEG spectral powers were analysed across five neural oscillatory bands in the prefrontal, occipital, and default mode regions to assess state mindfulness, complemented by behavioural evaluation using the Amsterdam Resting-State Questionnaire. Additionally, trait-level data encompassing personality, values, mindfulness and academic background were gathered through validated self-report measures. Results: The mindfulness trait of Acting with Awareness was associated with reduced Discontinuity of Mind and Theory of Mind, as well as heightened theta power during meditation, indicating enhanced breath-focused attention. Discontinuity of Mind also correlated with elevated posterior alpha and prefrontal beta, consistent with fragmented or effortful mentation. Planning-related thinking was consistently associated with self-reported early STEM subjects' proficiency, and corresponded with reduced delta and alpha power-suggesting unnecessary mentation during meditation. While value traits showed negligible robust behavioural correlations, EEG findings revealed that individuals scoring higher on Stimulation values exhibited lower prefrontal alpha power, possibly reflecting heightened alertness while meditating. Modest associations also emerged between Extraversion, Emotional Stability and state mindfulness dimensions across neurobehavioural indices. Conclusion: These findings offer preliminary support for trait-to-state continuity in early meditative experience, highlighting how attentional traits and academic conditioning may shape neural engagement in novices. Although predictive value was weak, the results underscore the importance of dispositional context in shaping novice state mindfulness, warranting further replications and investigations to clarify the directionality and stability of the observed trait-state associations.