The effect of transcendental meditation on right hemispheric functioning.
Robert R. Pagano, L R Frumkin
Biofeedback and self-regulation December 1977 DOI: 10.1007/bf00998625 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Experienced transcendental meditators, inexperienced meditators, and non-meditators |
| Intervention | Transcendental meditation |
| Measures | Seashore Tonal Memory Test |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Experienced meditators showed significantly better Seashore Tonal Memory Test performance than non-meditators in both experiments, and also outperformed inexperienced meditators in the second experiment, with no pretest-posttest differences. The authors argue these results support the hypothesis that meditation facilitates right hemispheric functioning, while acknowledging alternative explanations such as selection bias. |
Abstract
This study reports two experiments investigating the effects of transcendental meditation on right hemispheric functioning. The task used in both experiments was the Seashore Tonal Memory Test. In the first experiment a non-meditator group and an experienced meditator group were run. The design involved three periods: a pretest, a meditation or rest period, and then a posttest. The results showed the experienced meditators were significantly better in both pretest and posttest performance. There were no pretest-posttest differences. The second experiment was done to replicate the first experiment and to control for possible selection bias. The design was the same as the first experiment, except that an additional group of inexperienced meditators was included. The results again showed significantly superior performance for the experienced meditators compared to the non-meditators. In addition, the experienced meditators were superior to the inexperienced meditators. There were no significant differences between the non-meditators and the inexperienced meditators. These results support the hypothesis that meditation facilitates right hemispheric functioning. Alternative explanations, such as selection bias, are also discussed.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
- A Methodological Review of Meditation Research Frontiers in Psychiatry July 1, 2014
- Neurophysiological, cognitive-behavioral and neurochemical effects in practitioners of transcendental meditation - A literature review Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira May 1, 2019
- Intermediate effects of mindfulness practice on the brain activity of college students: An EEG study IBRO Neuroscience Reports March 7, 2023
- Electrocortical activity and related phenomena associated with meditation practice: a literature review. International Journal of Neuroscience November 1984
and 1 more in the library