Heartfulness Meditation-induced State and Trait Effects on Long-term, Short-term and Non-meditators Using Connectivity Analysis: An EEG Study on Prefrontal Cortex
Anurag Shrivastava, Bikesh Kumar Singh, Deepeshwar Singh
Annals of Neurosciences August 31, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/09727531261470953 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 34 |
| Population | Long-term meditators, short-term meditators, and non-meditators |
| Intervention | Heartfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Heartfulness meditation improved brain network coordination and efficiency, indicating positive state effects. Long-term meditators showed significant trait changes in delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands, suggesting neuroplastic changes. |
Abstract
Background: Heartfulness meditation (HM) is a heart-based meditation practice that features a unique yogic transmission that involves transfer of subtle energy from a certified, experienced meditator to an aspirant.
Purpose: This study was conducted on HM practice to assess the state (momentary changes during meditation result in temporary physiological and neurological shifts) and trait (long-term personality changes developed with experience) effects on the brain using electroencephalogram (EEG) signal analysis.
Methods: Thirty-four participants were recruited into three groups (long-term meditators [LTM], short-term meditators [STM] and non-meditators). EEG signals from the prefrontal cortex were recorded across four states: baseline, meditation, transmission and post-transmission. Functional connectivity and graph theory measures were calculated for each frequency band (delta, theta, alpha and beta). Within-group and between-group analyses were performed to quantify HM-induced state and trait effects. Significance level was tested through statistical analysis.
Results: The results show improved coordination among brain networks, increased global and local efficiency, representing a positive state effect. While performing between-group analysis, significant trait changes were observed in the LTM group over frequency bands (delta, theta and alpha) of the EEG signal. These findings suggest that the altered EEG resulting from meditation reflects neurophysiological changes and functional integration of the brain network.
Conclusion: The positive state and trait effects were observed for HM practice in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Furthermore, the enhanced connectivity in EEG frequency bands may lead to significant neuroplastic changes. This finding provides insights into employing functional connectivity parameters as measures for quantifying meditation quality.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 20
- Effects of Meditation Experience on Functional Connectivity of Distributed Brain Networks Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Quantitative change of EEG and respiration signals during mindfulness meditation Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation May 14, 2014
- Meditation is associated with increased brain network integration. Neuroimage September 1, 2017
- Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines November 15, 2024
- Neurophenomenological Investigation of Mindfulness Meditation "Cessation" Experiences Using EEG Network Analysis in an Intensively Sampled Adept Meditator. Brain Topography September 1, 2024
and 15 more in the library