Neurophysiology of Yoga Meditation
Roy King, Ann Brownstone
International Journal of Yoga Therapy 1999 DOI: 10.17761/ijyt.9.1.v17860173jw24g70 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that functional brain imaging distinguishes Tantra-based meditations, which activate frontal and occipital regions for attention and imagery, from pure-consciousness meditation, which deactivates sensory areas, and suggests Yoga therapy may reduce activity in brain regions linked to negative emotion processing. |
Abstract
Recent neuroimaging studies of brain function have led to an explosion of knowledge about psychological processes and states. In this paper functional brain imaging studies of Yoga meditation are reviewed. Tantra-based meditations activate frontal and occipital cortical regions involved in focused, sustained attention and visual imagery. The overall pattern of brain activation in Tantra-based meditations is similar to that of self-hypnosis but different from that of sleep onset. Pure consciousness, the ultimate aim of Vedanta-based meditation, also activates frontal cortical areas regulating focused attention but deactivates sensory areas involved in imagery. Functional brain imaging studies thus support the distinction between meditation with conceptual support and pure-consciousness meditation without conceptual support, a distinction that appears throughout Yoga meditation texts. Brain imaging investigations also explain how Yoga therapy may be helpful to those with anxiety disorders by reducing activity in brain regions linked to the processing of negative emotions.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 3
- Cerebral mechanisms of hypnotic induction and suggestion. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience January 1999
- Autonomic patterns during respiratory suspensions: possible markers of Transcendental Consciousness. Psychophysiology January 1997
- Changed pattern of regional glucose metabolism during yoga meditative relaxation. Neuropsychobiology