EEG Spectral Analysis on OM Mantra Meditation: A Pilot Study.
Bhavna P. Harne, Anil S. Hiwale
Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback June 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-018-9391-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 23 |
| Population | Naive meditators |
| Intervention | Loud OM chanting |
| Duration | 30-minute intervention, EEG recorded before and after |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | EEG Mantra meditation Om |
| Key points | Loud OM chanting for 30 minutes significantly increased theta power across all brain regions, indicating reduced cortical arousal and relaxation. |
Abstract
Mantra meditation is easy to practice. "OM" Mantra is the highest sacred symbol in Hinduism. The present study investigated the temporal dynamics of oscillatory changes after OM mantra meditation. Twenty-three naive meditators were asked to perform loud OM chanting for 30 min and the EEG were subsequently recorded with closed eyes before and after it. To obtain new insights into the nature of the EEG after OM chanting, EEG signals were analyzed using spectral domain analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures of analysis of variance. It did not reveal any specific band involvement into OM mantra meditation. But significantly increase in theta power was found after meditation when averaged across all brain regions. This is the main effect of OM mantra meditation. However, the theta power showed higher theta amplitude after condition at all regions in comparison to the before condition of meditation. Finding was similar to other studies documenting reduction in cortical arousal during a state of relaxation. The study argues for the potential role of loud 'OM' chanting in offering relaxation. It provides a new perspective of meditation to the naive meditators. This information may help to demystify meditation and encourage those considering this as beneficial practice.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 38
- Mapping meditative states and stages with electrophysiology: concepts, classifications, and methods. Current Opinion in Psychology August 1, 2019
- Efficacy Evaluation of Neurofeedback-Based Anxiety Relief Frontiers in Neuroscience October 28, 2021
- Baseline Power of Theta Oscillations Predicts Mystical-Type Experiences Induced by DMT in a Natural Setting Frontiers in Psychiatry November 5, 2021
- Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques. Neuroimage August 15, 2024
- Om chanting modulates the processing of negative stimuli: Behavioral and electrophysiological evidence Frontiers in Psychology October 13, 2022
and 33 more in the library
Cites 13
- AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences December 1, 1966
- EEG dynamics of experienced Zen meditation practitioners probed by complexity index and spectral measure Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology 2009
- Hemodynamic responses on prefrontal cortex related to meditation and attentional task. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience February 17, 2015
- Comparing individual preferences for four meditation techniques: Zen, Vipassana (Mindfulness), Qigong, and Mantra. Explore 2012
- Neurohemodynamic correlates of ′OM′ chanting: A pilot functional magnetic resonance imaging study International Journal of Yoga April 29, 2011
and 8 more in the library