Evaluating the Psychological and Physiological Effects of Meditation
Jen-Wei Chang, Pei-Jung Lin
2025 International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering Researches December 6, 2025 DOI: 10.1109/icecer65523.2025.11400844 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | University students |
| Duration | One-month intervention |
| Measures | Tung's Depression Inventory for College Students, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, five-channel electroencephalography (EEG) with Emotiv Insight 2.0 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Following a one-month daily meditation program, university students showed significant improvement in sleep quality and a marked reduction in depressive symptoms, alongside increased alpha power and decreased beta power on EEG. The authors suggest these neural changes reflect enhanced stress regulation and a shift toward a more relaxed, stable nervous system state. |
Abstract
This study investigates the psychological and physiological effects of meditation training on university students. Through a one-month intervention consisting of structured daily meditation sessions, the research systematically examined changes in emotional states and sleep quality. A multimodal data collection strategy was employed, combining standardized psychological assessments with objective physiological measures through pre- and post-intervention analyses. The psychological evaluations included the Tung's Depression Inventory for College Students and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. For physiological monitoring, five-channel electroencephalography(EEG) signals were recorded with the Emotiv Insight 2.0 system, providing quantitative metrics of neural functional states. The Experimental findings revealed significant improvement in sleep quality and a marked reduction in depressive symptoms following the meditation program. In addition, consistent alterations in neural indices were observed, characterized by increased alpha power and decreased beta power, suggesting enhanced stress regulation and a shift of the nervous system toward a more relaxed and stable operational state.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances JAMA Internal Medicine February 16, 2015
- Consumer-Grade Neurofeedback With Mindfulness Meditation: Meta-Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research April 17, 2025
- Cortisol as a marker for improvement in mindfulness-based stress reduction. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice July 4, 2009
and 1 more in the library