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)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractFifteen seminary students who regularly practiced a form of Christian meditation took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and had their electroencephalographic (EEG) signals recorded. Alpha brainwave activity was measured during mental arithmetic tasks and during meditation. Higher scores on the Hypochondriasis scale of the MMPI were linked to an increase in alpha activity when moving from arithmetic to meditation. The finding is discussed in relation to past research, baseline alpha levels, and possible therapeutic uses of meditation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Seminary students who regularly practiced Christian meditation |
| Intervention | Christian meditation |
| Key finding | 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.