Brain criticality and advanced meditation “cessation” events: An intensively sampled electroencephalography case study

Remko Van Lutterveld; Thomas Cahaly; Lukas van Herk; Daniel M. Ingram; Matthew D. Sacchet

doi:10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.07.011

Brain criticality and advanced meditation “cessation” events: An intensively sampled electroencephalography case study

Remko Van Lutterveld, Thomas Cahaly, Lukas van Herk, Daniel M. Ingram, Matthew D. Sacchet

IBRO Neuroscience Reports August 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.07.011 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

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Characteristics	Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size	1
Population	A single advanced meditator
Topics	Meditation
Keywords	Cessation Advanced meditation Nirodha Detrended fluctuation analysis Critical point
Key findings	Brain criticality, measured by the DFA exponent, spiked before and remained elevated after cessation events, indicating movement toward the critical point.

Abstract

Advanced meditation includes meditative endpoints that are outcomes of meditation practice and occur with time and mastery of meditation. The “cessation” event (c.f. nirodha in Theravada Buddhism) is a meditative endpoint characterized by a loss of consciousness followed by a sense of mental reset and deep clarity. In general, organization of brain activity exists along a “criticality” spectrum: order and disorder occupy the extremes, and the critical point, which is thought to represent optimal information processing, is in between. In this exploratory, hypothesis-generating case study, we assessed brain criticality in the 39.9 s pre-cessation to 39.9 s post-cessation window by applying detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) to electroencephalography (EEG) data in relation to 37 cessations in a single advanced meditator. Changepoint analysis and linear mixed effects modeling revealed a spike in the whole-brain DFA exponent starting from 11.3 to 3.1 s pre-cessation, suggesting a strengthening of long-range temporal correlations (LRTC) and movement towards the critical point. In addition, a sustained elevation was observed from 3.1 to 23.6 s post-cessation. Linear changepoint analysis effects were most pronounced in central, right frontal, and posterior EEG channels, while frontal channels Fp1, F3, and F7 incurred into supercritical territory surrounding cessations. Additional analysis revealed a temporary drop in the mean DFA exponent around cessation onset relative to immediately surrounding segments. For most channels, the mean DFA exponent reached a time series maximum at 1.0–3.1 s following cessation onset, often near the critical point or just into the supercritical range. These preliminary findings in a single case study, which are consistent with reported phenomenology of cessations, show large-scale modulation in criticality related to cessations.

Comparable studies

Other case reports and case series on meditation, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self Advanced meditator	2001	Case study	n = 1
Mindfulness Meditation for Alcohol Relapse Prevention: A Feasibility Pilot Study Adult alcohol-dependent graduates of an intensive outpatient program	2008	Prospective case series	n = 19
How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. A single long-term mindfulness practitioner (S) with 40 years of practice in...	2015	Qualitative case study	n = 1
Loving‐kindness meditation to enhance recovery from negative symptoms of schizophrenia Individuals suffering from schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with persistent negative...	2009	Case study
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Problem Gambling A female problem gambler	2011	Case study	n = 1

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