Higher theta and alpha1 coherence when listening to Vedic recitation compared to coherence during Transcendental Meditation practice.
Frederick Travis, Niyazi Parim, Amrita Shrivastava
Consciousness and Cognition March 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.02.002 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractListening to live Vedic recitation produces deeper inner experiences and distinct brain patterns compared to Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice. Thirty-seven subjects reported that Vedic recitation felt deeper, more internal, and characterized by lively silence. EEG recordings showed significantly higher theta2 and alpha1 coherence in frontal, parietal, and frontal-parietal regions during Vedic recitation than during TM. Theta2 coherence, associated with attending to internal mental processes, supports subjects' descriptions of the recitations as internal vibrations rather than external sounds. Higher alpha1 coherence, seen during pure consciousness experiences in TM, supports reports of greater depth during recitation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Within-subjects comparison Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 37 |
| Population | Subjects who practice Transcendental Meditation |
| Interventions | listening to live Vedic recitation practicing Transcendental Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Alpha Frontal EEG Coherence Tm Theta Transcendental meditation |
| Key finding | Listening to live Vedic recitation produces significantly higher theta2 and alpha1 EEG coherence and deeper subjective experiences than Transcendental Meditation practice. |
Abstract
This study compared subjective experiences and EEG patterns in 37 subjects when listening to live Vedic recitation and when practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM). Content analysis of experiences when listening to Vedic recitation yielded three higher-order code. Experiences during Vedic recitation were: (1) deeper than during TM practice; (2) experienced as an inner process; and (3) characterized by lively silence. EEG patterns support these higher-order codes. Theta2 and alpha1 frontal, parietal, and frontal-parietal coherence were significantly higher when listening to Vedic recitation, than during TM practice. Theta2 coherence is seen when attending to internal mental processes. Higher theta2 coherence supports subjects' descriptions that the Vedic recitations were "not external sounds but internal vibrations." Alpha1 coherence is reported during pure consciousness experiences during TM practice. Higher alpha1 coherence supports subjects' descriptions that they "experienced a depth of experience, rarely experienced even during deep TM practice." These data support the utility of listening to Vedic recitation to culture deep inner experiences.