Intracerebral pain processing in a Yoga Master who claims not to feel pain during meditation.
Ryusuke Kakigi, Hiroki Nakata, Koji Inui, Nobuo Hiroe, Osamu Nagata, Manabu Honda, Satoshi Tanaka, Norihiro Sadato, Mitsumasa Kawakami
European Journal of Pain October 2005 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.12.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A Yoga Master who claims not to feel pain when meditating |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | During meditation, pain-related brain activity was markedly reduced: MEG responses in SI and SII were weak or absent, and fMRI showed decreased activity in the thalamus, insula, and cingulate cortex, with thalamic activity below baseline. The authors propose that changes in multiple pain-processing regions may underlie the claimed pain-free state. |
Abstract
We recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) following noxious laser stimulation in a Yoga Master who claims not to feel pain when meditating. As for background MEG activity, the power of alpha frequency bands peaking at around 10 Hz was much increased during meditation over occipital, parietal and temporal regions, when compared with the non-meditative state, which might mean the subject was very relaxed, though he did not fall asleep, during meditation. Primary pain-related cortical activities recorded from primary (SI) and secondary somatosensory cortices (SII) by MEG were very weak or absent during meditation. As for fMRI recording, there were remarkable changes in levels of activity in the thalamus, SII-insula (mainly the insula) and cingulate cortex between meditation and non-meditation. Activities in all three regions were increased during non-meditation, similar to results in normal subjects. In contrast, activities in all three regions were weaker during meditation, and the level was lower than the baseline in the thalamus. Recent neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies have clarified that the emotional aspect of pain perception mainly involves the insula and cingulate cortex. Though we cannot clearly explain this unusual condition in the Yoga Master, a change of multiple regions relating to pain perception could be responsible, since pain is a complex sensory and emotional experience.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 23
- Meditation reduces pain-related neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamus Frontiers in Psychology December 16, 2014
- Epistemic Challenges in Neurophenomenology: Exploring the Reliability of Knowledge and Its Ontological Implications Philosophies October 3, 2023
- fMRI-based explanations for how meditation could modulate pain processing. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2025
- The Relationship and Mechanism Underlying the Effect of Conscious Breathing on the Autonomic Nervous System and Brain Waves Perspectives in Nursing Science 2017
- Pranayama: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Holistic Well-Being Contemporaneity of English Language and Literature in the Robotized Millennium June 20, 2026
and 18 more in the library
Cites 6
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and 1 more in the library