Hemispheric Laterality and Cognitive Style Associated with Transcendental Meditation
James E. Bennett
July 12, 2017 DOI: 10.4324/9780203785843-54 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 32 |
| Population | Transcendental Meditators and control subjects |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Transcendental meditation Laterality Transcendental number Style visual arts Cognition Cognitive psychology Cognitive style Developmental psychology Epistemology Literature Theology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Meditators showed a greater degree of lateral asymmetry on both analytical and spatial tasks compared to controls, but during meditation and relaxation the hemispheres were symmetrical with respect to alpha activity. |
Abstract
The hemispheres of the brain are thought to be specialized with respect to the manner in which they process information. In view of this it is possible to explore the way information is processed during the performance of a specified task by identifying the relative activity of the hemispheres. The hypothesis, that meditation is characterized by a gestalt, holistic and spacial cognitive style associated with the right hemisphere was tested. Sixteen Transcendental Meditators were compared to 16 control subjects with respect to the degree of lateral asymmetry during meditation-relaxation and the performance of two analytic and two spacial cognitive tasks. Lateral asymmetry was assessed by the relative distribution of alpha activity. The only difference between the two groups was that meditators showed a greater degree of lateral asymmetry on both analytical and spacial tasks. During both meditation and relaxation the hemispheres were found to be symmetrical with respect to the distribution of alpha activity, suggesting that neither analytical nor spacial processing was dominant during these exercises. DESCRIPTORS: Hemispheric laterality, Cognitive style, Transcendental meditation, EEG.
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 |