Functional neuroanatomy of meditation: A review and meta-analysis of 78\n functional neuroimaging investigations

Different styles of meditation produce distinct patterns of brain activity. A meta-analysis of 78 functional neuroimaging studies (31 experiments, 527 participants) found that four common meditation styles—focused attention, mantra recitation, open monitoring, and compassion/loving-kindness—reliably activate and deactivate different brain regions, with suggestive differences for three others (visualization, sense-withdrawal, and non-dual awareness). Some areas like the insula and anterior cingulate cortex are recruited across multiple techniques, but convergence is the exception. Medium effect sizes for activations (d = .59) and deactivations (d = -.74) suggest practical significance. The findings support the neurophysiological dissociability of meditation practices while highlighting methodological concerns.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Meditation is a family of mental practices that encompasses a wide array of\ntechniques employing distinctive mental strategies. We systematically reviewed\n78 functional neuroimaging (fMRI and PET) studies of meditation, and used\nactivation likelihood estimation to meta-analyze 257 peak foci from 31\nexperiments involving 527 participants. We found reliably dissociable patterns\nof brain activation and deactivation for four common styles of meditation\n(focused attention, mantra recitation, open monitoring, and\ncompassion/loving-kindness), and suggestive differences for three others\n(visualization, sense-withdrawal, and non-dual awareness practices). Overall,\ndissociable activation patterns are congruent with the psychological and\nbehavioral aims of each practice. Some brain areas are recruited consistently\nacross multiple techniques - including insula, pre/supplementary motor\ncortices, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and frontopolar cortex - but\nconvergence is the exception rather than the rule. A preliminary effect-size\nmeta-analysis found medium effects for both activations (d = .59) and\ndeactivations (d = -.74), suggesting potential practical significance. Our\nmeta-analysis supports the neurophysiological dissociability of meditation\npractices, but also raises many methodological concerns and suggests avenues\nfor future research.\n