Transcendental meditation: a double-edged sword in epilepsy?
Ephraim Philip Lansky, Erik K St Louis
Epilepsy & Behavior November 1, 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2006.04.019 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Transcendental Meditation may pose a risk of epileptic kindling due to neuronal hypersynchrony, but similar techniques suggest potential antiepileptic benefits, warranting further clinical study. |
Abstract
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is derived from ancient yogic teachings. Both short- and long-term physiological correlates of TM practice have been studied. EEG effects include increased alpha, theta, and gamma frequencies and increased coherence and synchrony. Neuronal hypersynchrony is also a cardinal feature of epilepsy, and subjective psychic symptoms, apnea, and myoclonic jerking are characteristic of both epileptic seizures and meditative states. Clinical vignettes have highlighted the potential risk of human kindling from repetitive meditation in persons practicing TM, but clinical studies of similar techniques suggest that meditation may also be a potential antiepileptic therapy. Future clinical studies of meditating subjects using video/EEG monitoring are warranted to determine whether behavioral phenomena have an underlying epileptic basis, and prospective clinical trials of TM in subjects with well-delineated epilepsy syndromes are necessary to establish the safety of this technique and its potential efficacy for seizure reduction and improvement of quality of life.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Toward the Integration of Meditation into Higher Education: A Review of Research Evidence Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education March 1, 2011
- Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science PLoS One November 7, 2018
- EEG Derived Neuronal Dynamics during Meditation: Progress and Challenges Advances in Preventive Medicine 2015
- 5-MeO-DMT: An atypical psychedelic with unique pharmacology, phenomenology & risk? Psychopharmacology December 11, 2023
- EEG based interpretation of human brain activity during yoga and meditation using machine learning: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice February 14, 2021
and 7 more in the library
Cites 36
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging November 1, 2001
- Impact of transcendental meditation on ambulatory blood pressure in African-American adolescents American Journal of Hypertension April 1, 2004
- Short-Term Longitudinal Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on EEG Power and Coherence International Journal of Neuroscience 1981
- Lower Lipid Peroxide Levels in Practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation[registered sign] Program Psychosomatic Medicine 1998
and 31 more in the library