Investigation of meditation scenario by quantifying the complexity index of EEG
Pei-Chen Lo, Hsuan‐Yung Huang
Journal of the Chinese Institute of Engineers April 1, 2007 DOI: 10.1080/02533839.2007.9671267 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 33 |
| Population | Zen-Buddhist practitioners and control subjects |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Brain dynamics during deep meditation showed high delta (δ) activity, with three distinct meditation scenarios identified from the running complexity index chart, and spatial characteristics differing from controls. |
Abstract
A practitioner in true meditation should already transcend the physiological, mental, subconscious, and Alaya state, and eventually attain the spiritual realm. The scientific approach to the scope of Zen meditation provides insight into the mechanism in addition to the vague sketch of meditation sensation and its multiform benefits to human beings. In meditation research, it is difficult to access changes of the consciousness state during meditation. Meditators once transcending the physiological and mental state cannot convey information outside. As a consequence, quantitative results together with post‐experimental, subjective narration may provide us with a glimpse of the meditation scenario. This paper mainly reports our preliminary results of quantifying the long‐term brain waves, recorded by the electroencephalogram (EEG), for both experimental (meditators) and control groups. Based on the nonlinear dynamic analysis of multi‐channel EEG signals, we found that brain dynamics exhibited high δ (F/ß EEG) in deep meditation. Three different meditation scenarios have been identified from the running 8 (averaged complexity index) chart. Spatial characteristics also deviate from that of the control group. This observation was summarized from the results of analyzing the meditation EEG's collected from 17 Zen‐Buddhist practitioners and 16 control subjects.
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
Cited by 5
- Meditation and Complexity: a Systematic Review June 28, 2023
- Meditation and complexity: a review and synthesis of evidence. Neuroscience of Consciousness 2025
- Classification of Electroencephalographic Changes in Meditation and Rest: using Correlation Dimension and Wavelet Coefficients International Journal of Information Technology and Computer Science March 27, 2012
- Dynamic Alterations of EEG Oscillations and Networks from Resting to Deep Meditation 2019 12th International Congress on Image and Signal Processing, BioMedical Engineering and Informatics October 1, 2019
- Spectral power and functional connectivity changes during mindfulness meditation with eyes open: A magnetoencephalography (MEG) study in long-term meditators. International Journal of Psychophysiology October 1, 2015
Cites 14
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences December 1, 1966
- Lower Lipid Peroxide Levels in Practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation[registered sign] Program Psychosomatic Medicine 1998
- Sleep During Transcendental Meditation Science January 23, 1976
- EEG Alpha Blocking Correlated with Perception of Inner Light During Zen Meditation The American Journal of Chinese Medicine 2003
and 9 more in the library