Brain-electric activity during eyes open Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga meditation.
Kanishka Sharma, P. Achermann, Bhawna Panwar, Shrikant Sahoo, Ramakrishnan Angarai, R. Pascual-Marqui, P. Faber
May 8, 2020 DOI: 10.31231/osf.io/e48bv (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDuring open-eyed 'seed stage meditation' practiced by Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga meditators, brain activity shifts: delta frequencies decrease and low alpha frequencies increase. These changes involve the central executive, mirroring, task-positive, and task-negative networks, reflecting attention modulation, self-related processing, and the experience of the soul as a point of light endowed with peacefulness. The study used frequency domain brain electric source localization on EEG recordings from 52 meditators, comparing meditation to open-eyed, task-free resting. Exploratory analyses examined effects of time from rest through meditation to final rest. Future research should differentiate between the meditation's stages.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 52 |
| Population | Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga meditators |
| Keywords | Psychology |
| Key finding | Seed stage meditation reduces delta and increases low alpha brain activity, affecting networks involved in attention, self-processing, and the experience of the soul. |
Abstract
Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga’s open eyed ‘seed stage meditation’ was studied in 52 meditators. Meditation stages: concentration on peace, realization of being a soul and communion with the Supreme Soul. Frequency domain brain electric source localization was used on multichannel EEG recordings to establish activation differences between meditation and open eyed, task-free resting. Additional exploratory analyses probed for effects of passing time from initial rest through meditation to final rest. Meditation showed reduced activity in delta and increased activity in low alpha frequencies. Affected brain areas comprised the following networks: central executive network, mirroring network, task-positive and task-negative network. These altered activations reflect the main cognitive-affective and behavioral specifics of seed stage meditation: attention modulation, self-related processing, experiencing the soul as a point of light between the eyes, endowing the soul with the properties (peacefulness) of the Supreme Soul. Future studies need to differentiate between the stages of the meditation.