Personality Correlates of EEG Change during Meditation
Thomas K. Akers, Don M Tucker, Randy S. Roth, John S. Vidiloff
Psychological Reports April 1, 1977 DOI: 10.2466/pr0.1977.40.2.439 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Seminary students who regularly practiced Christian meditation |
| Intervention | Christian meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Higher Hypochondriasis scores on the MMPI were associated with increased alpha activity during meditation compared to mental arithmetic. |
Abstract
15 seminary students who regularly practiced a form of Christian meditation were given the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were recorded and analyzed for percent time alpha during performance of a series of mental arithmetic tasks and also during a period of meditation. Higher scores on the Hypochondriasis scale of the MMPI were associated with increase in alpha as the subject proceeded from the mental arithmetic tasks to the meditation period. This result is discussed in terms of previous research, the pre-meditation level of alpha, and the implications for the use of meditation as a therapeutic procedure.