Brain activity during meditation in first-time meditators
Maciej Śliwowski, Paulina Jastrzębska, Paweł Holas, J. Żygierewicz, P. Suffczynski
International Journal of Neuroscience March 25, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2021.1909010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Healthy subjects with no previous meditation experience |
| Intervention | guided mindfulness meditation session |
| Duration | Single session |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | In meditation-naive participants, a single mindfulness meditation session decreased theta and alpha information flow and alpha power, possibly indicating increased alertness rather than the target meditative state. |
Abstract
Abstract Aim of the study The electrophysiological correlates of meditation states in both short and long-term meditators have been increasingly documented; however, little is known about the brain activity associated with first-time meditation experiences. The goal of this study was to investigate the electrophysiological correlates of a single guided mindfulness meditation session in subjects with no previous meditation experience. Materials and methods We analyzed electroencephalogram (EEG) changes in signal power, hemispheric asymmetry, and information flow between EEG channels, in 16 healthy subjects who were new to meditation practice.
Results: Our results show that information flow decreases in the theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha ranges (8–13 Hz) during mindfulness meditation exercise as compared to control: a passive listening condition. These changes are accompanied by a general trend in the decrease of alpha power over the whole scalp. One possible interpretation of these results is that there is an increased level of alertness/vigilance associated with the meditation task rather than reaching the target state.
Conclusions: Our study expands on the existing body of knowledge concerning neural oscillations during breathing meditation practice by showing that in participants with no previous meditation training, EEG correlates are different from the electrophysiological signatures of mindfulness meditation found in studies of more advanced practitioners.