Nondirective meditation activates default mode network and areas associated with memory retrieval and emotional processing.
Jian Xu, Alexandra Vik, Inge R Groote, Jim Lagopoulos, Are Holen, Øyvind Ellingsen, Asta K Håberg, Svend Davanger
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience February 26, 2014 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00086 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental fMRI study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 14 |
| Population | Experienced practitioners of Acem meditation |
| Measures | functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Brain Attention FMRI Mind wandering Nondirective |
| Key findings | Nondirective meditation produced significantly greater activity than rest in brain areas associated with attention, mind wandering, episodic memory, and emotional processing, and greater right medial temporal lobe activity (parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala) than concentrative practice. The authors propose that allowing mind wandering during nondirective meditation engages memory and emotion-related brain regions more than concentrative practice or rest. |
Abstract
Nondirective meditation techniques are practiced with a relaxed focus of attention that permits spontaneously occurring thoughts, images, sensations, memories, and emotions to emerge and pass freely, without any expectation that mind wandering should abate. These techniques are thought to facilitate mental processing of emotional experiences, thereby contributing to wellness and stress management. The present study assessed brain activity by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 14 experienced practitioners of Acem meditation in two experimental conditions. In the first, nondirective meditation was compared to rest. Significantly increased activity was detected in areas associated with attention, mind wandering, retrieval of episodic memories, and emotional processing. In the second condition, participants carried out concentrative practicing of the same meditation technique, actively trying to avoid mind wandering. The contrast nondirective meditation > concentrative practicing was characterized by higher activity in the right medial temporal lobe (parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala). In conclusion, the present results support the notion that nondirective meditation, which permits mind wandering, involves more extensive activation of brain areas associated with episodic memories and emotional processing, than during concentrative practicing or regular rest.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |
Citations in the library
Cited by 45
- The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies BioMed Research International 2015
- Beyond the veil of duality—topographic reorganization model of meditation Neuroscience of Consciousness 2022
- Co-emergence Reinforcement and Its Relevance to Interoceptive Desensitization in Mindfulness and Therapies Aiming at Transdiagnostic Efficacy Frontiers in Psychology December 22, 2020
- Susceptibility of Women to Cardiovascular Disease and the Prevention Potential of Mind–Body Intervention by Changes in Neural Circuits and Cardiovascular Physiology Biomolecules May 10, 2021
- Neuroplasticity within and between Functional Brain Networks in Mental Training Based on Long-Term Meditation. Brain Sciences August 18, 2021
and 40 more in the library
Cites 28
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review July 26, 2011
and 23 more in the library