EEG evidence for reproducible neural states during Buddhist Highest Yoga Tantra meditation
Ekaterina Mikhaylets, Alexandra Razorenova, Е.к. Карелина, Ngawang Norbu, Lodoe Sangpo, Yulia Zhironkina, Alexander Kaplan
Scientific Reports July 29, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-45893-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 36 |
| Population | Male Buddhist practitioners of Highest Yoga Tantra, aged 31-69 years |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | BHYT meditation unfolds as structured sequences of EEG-defined states; six reproducible state types emerged, and greater expertise was associated with longer, more diverse states featuring more alpha/theta and beta/gamma activity, whereas lower experience showed shorter sequences dominated by background or delta activity. |
Abstract
Meditation offers a naturalistic paradigm for studying introspection, yet the neural dynamics of advanced tantric practices remain largely unexplored. Buddhist Highest Yoga Tantra (BHYT) comprises a sequence of eight dissolution stages culminating in the “clear light” state. We recorded EEG during eyes-closed BHYT meditation performed in monasteries and hermitages (51 sessions from 36 male practitioners; age 31–69 years); analyses compared sessions within this single cohort, and some participants contributed multiple sessions. Using a state-detecting algorithm that combines EEG power spectrum and EEG synchronization features, we segmented each session into discrete EEG-defined states and clustered them. Six reproducible state types emerged, forming three symmetric pairs dominated by delta, alpha/theta, and beta/gamma activity, along with two background-like states. Representing each meditation as a 8-symbolic alphabet sequence enabled quantitative comparison across sessions and practitioners. Although all followed the same canonical BHYT protocol, sequences differed systematically and formed six meditation clusters. Greater expertise was associated with longer and more diverse states within a meditation, with increased presence of oscillatory alpha/theta and beta/gamma states, whereas lower-experience sessions were represented by shorter sequences dominated by background or delta activity. These findings suggest BHYT practice unfolds as structured neural state sequences and provide a quantitative bridge between canonical contemplative descriptions and measurable EEG dynamics.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Zen priests and disciples of Zen sects of Buddhism | 1966 | Observational study | n = 48 |
| “Thinking about Not-Thinking”: Neural Correlates of Conceptual Processing during Zen Meditation Regular Zen practitioners and matched control subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation Healthy adults who had not previously practiced any form of meditation | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion 20 Zen meditation experts and 20 healthy matched non-meditators | 2016 | Observational cohort | n = 40 |
| EEG dynamics of experienced Zen meditation practitioners probed by complexity index and spectral measure Experienced Zen meditation practitioners and matched controls | 2009 | Observational cohort | n = 46 |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Decreased electrophysiological activity represents the conscious state of emptiness in meditation Frontiers in Psychology 2014
- Experienced Mindfulness Meditators Exhibit Higher Parietal-Occipital EEG Gamma Activity during NREM Sleep PLoS One August 28, 2013
- Mind and body connection in expert meditators: a computational study based on central and peripheral nervous system BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies March 7, 2024
- SDA: a data-driven algorithm that detects functional states applied to the EEG of Guhyasamaja meditation Frontiers in Neuroinformatics January 29, 2024
and 3 more in the library