Heart–brain Rhythmic Synchronization during Meditation: A Nonlinear Signal Analysis
Shrivastava Anurag, B. K. Singh, Dwivedi Krishna, Krishna Prasanna, Singh Deepeshwar
International Journal of Yoga May 1, 2023 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_161_23 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 45 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers categorized as long-term meditators, short-term meditators, and nonmeditators |
| Intervention | Heartfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Heart–brain synchronization, indicated by correlated detrended fluctuation analysis values, was observed in long-term meditators during heartfulness meditation but not in short-term or nonmeditators. |
Abstract
Background: Heart–brain synchronization is the integration of mind, body, and spirit. It occurs when the electrical activity of the heart and brain is synchronized. In recent years, there has been mounting curiosity to investigate the effects of meditation on heart–brain synchronization with respect to mental and emotional health and well-being. The current investigation aims to explore the rhythmic synchronicity between the brain and the heart during heartfulness meditation (HM) practice.
Materials and Methods: The study was performed on 45 healthy volunteers who were categorized into three equal groups: long-term meditators (LTMs), short-term meditators (STMs), and nonmeditators (NMs). The electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were recorded to measure the prefrontal activity, and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals were recorded to measure the cardiac activity. The data were recorded in four states: baseline, meditation, transmission, and posttransmission. The detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) method was used for the analysis of EEG and ECG signals.
Results: The result indicates that DFA values of EEG and ECG declined during meditation and transmission states as compared to pre- and postmeditation states. Significant results were obtained for the LTM group in all the states. A positive correlation was also observed between DFA of the heart and brain for the LTM group and no significant correlations were observed for the STM and NM groups.
Conclusion: The shreds of evidence suggest that heart–brain synchronization facilitates mental and emotional stability. HM practice has the potential to regulate the fluctuation of the mind. Regular meditation practice may result in physiological synchrony between cardiac and neural behavior, which can be considered a quality index for meditation practice.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Heartfulness Meditation-induced State and Trait Effects on Long-term, Short-term and Non-meditators Using Connectivity Analysis: An EEG Study on Prefrontal Cortex Annals of Neurosciences August 31, 2026
- Bridging Science and Spirituality: Heartfulness Meditation, Heart–Brain Coherence, and the Evolution of Consciousness in Indic Psychological Perspectives Vidhyayana June 8, 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
- Assessing Respiratory, Cardiac and Neural Interactions During Rest and Breath-Focus in Novice and Expert Meditation Practitioners
Cites 19
- Quantitative change of EEG and respiration signals during mindfulness meditation Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation May 14, 2014
- EEG dynamics of experienced Zen meditation practitioners probed by complexity index and spectral measure Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology 2009
- Brain-Heart Interactions Underlying Traditional Tibetan Buddhist Meditation. Cerebral Cortex March 21, 2020
- Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective Frontiers in Psychology May 10, 2022
- Nonlinear analysis of heart rate variability signals in meditative state: a review and perspective BioMedical Engineering OnLine April 13, 2023
and 14 more in the library