Exploring neural markers of dereification in meditation based on EEG and personalized models of electrophysiological brain states.
Scientific Reports October 16, 2024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73789-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Meditators of varying experience levels |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health Cognitive science |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | The authors report that the Inner Dereification Index distinguished meditation from thinking states moment by moment with a median AUC of 0.996, stratified meditator cohorts by experience, and identified the practices most effective at training dereification. They suggest the models may serve as a real-time proxy for dereification and meditation progress, requiring only 1 minute of mind wandering data and no meditation data during training. |
Abstract
With mounting evidence for the benefits of meditation, there has been a growing interest in measuring and quantifying meditative states. This study introduces the Inner Dereification Index (IDI), a class of personalized models designed to quantify the distance from non-meditative states such as mind wandering based on a single individual's neural activity. In addition to demonstrating high classification accuracy (median AUC: 0.996) at distinguishing meditation from thinking states moment by moment, IDI can accurately stratify meditator cohorts by experience, and correctly identify the practices most effective at training the dereification aspect of meditation (decentering from immersion with thoughts and perceptions and recognizing them as mental constructs). These results suggest that IDI models may be a useful real-time proxy for dereification and meditation progress, requiring only 1 min of mind wandering data (and no meditation data) during model training. Thus, they show promise for applications such as real-time meditation feedback, progress tracking, personalization of practices, and potential therapeutic applications of neurofeedback-assisted generation of positive states of consciousness.
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 3
- Similar States, Different Paths: Neurodynamics of diverse meditation techniques bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) June 26, 2025
- Meditation and neurofeedback: A systematic scoping review, synthesis, and future directions Imaging Neuroscience 2026
- Effects of heartfulness and bell meditation on brain activities and autonomic function in university students: An exploratory study. Journal of Education and Health Promotion 2026
Cites 46
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- The default mode network in cognition: a topographical perspective Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 5, 2021
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
and 41 more in the library