Dissociating meditation proficiency and experience dependent EEG changes during traditional Vipassana meditation practice.
Ratna Jyothi Kakumanu, Ajay Kumar Nair, Rahul Venugopal, Arun Sasidharan, Prasanta Kumar Ghosh, John P John, Seema Mehrotra, Ravindra Panth, Bindu M Kutty
Biological Psychology May 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.03.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Vipassana meditators (Novice, Senior meditators, and Teachers) practicing as taught by S.N. Goenka |
| Interventions | mindfulness loving-kindness in a structured manner) |
| Topics | Neuroplasticity Meditation |
| Keywords | EEG Fractal dimensions Permutation entropy Vipassana meditation |
| Key findings | High proficiency in Vipassana meditation, but not merely duration of experience, is associated with consistent increases in EEG network complexity across meditation states. |
Abstract
Meditation, as taught by most schools of practice, consists of a set of heterogeneous techniques. We wanted to assess if EEG profiles varied across different meditation techniques, proficiency levels and experience of the practitioners. We examined EEG dynamics in Vipassana meditators (Novice, Senior meditators and Teachers) while they engaged in their traditional meditation practice (concentration, mindfulness and loving kindness in a structured manner) as taught by S.N. Goenka. Seniors and Teachers (vs Novices) showed trait increases in delta (1-4 Hz), theta-alpha (6-10 Hz) and low-gamma power (30-40 Hz) at baseline rest; state-trait increases in low-alpha (8-10 Hz) and low-gamma power during concentrative and mindfulness meditation; and theta-alpha and low-gamma power during loving-kindness meditation. Permutation entropy and Higuchi fractal dimension measures further dissociated high proficiency from duration of experience as only Teachers showed consistent increase in network complexity from baseline rest and state transitions between the different meditation states.
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 49
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Meditation Increases the Entropy of Brain Oscillatory Activity Neuroscience February 4, 2020
- Mapping meditative states and stages with electrophysiology: concepts, classifications, and methods. Current Opinion in Psychology August 1, 2019
- Neural Correlates of the Shamanic State of Consciousness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience March 18, 2021
- Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective Frontiers in Psychology May 10, 2022
and 44 more in the library
Cites 24
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- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- The psychological and neurophysiological concomitants of mindfulness forms of meditation Acta Neuropsychiatrica April 1, 2007
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