From thoughtless awareness to effortful cognition: alpha - theta cross-frequency dynamics in experienced meditators during meditation, rest and arithmetic
Julio Rodriguez-Larios, Pascal L Faber, Peter Achermann, Shisei Tei, Kaat Alaerts
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational EEG study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 43 |
| Population | Highly experienced meditators |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Measures | EEG (19 electrodes) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The occurrence of transient alpha:theta 2:1 harmonic cross-frequency relationships increased from meditation to rest to an arithmetic task, contrary to the hypothesis that meditation would decrease them. The authors argue that these transient arrangements, which prevent alpha:theta coupling, may facilitate the experience of 'mental emptiness' by avoiding interaction between memory and executive components of cognition. |
Abstract
Abstract: Neural activity is known to oscillate within discrete frequency bands and the synchronization between these rhythms is hypothesized to underlie information integration in the brain. Since strict synchronization is only possible for harmonic frequencies, a recent theory proposes that the interaction between different brain rhythms is facilitated by transient harmonic frequency arrangements. In this line, it has been recently shown that the transient occurrence of 2:1 harmonic cross-frequency relationships between alpha and theta rhythms (i.e. f alpha ≈12 Hz; f theta ≈6 Hz) is enhanced during effortful cognition. In this study, we tested whether achieving a state of ‘mental emptiness’ during meditation is accompanied by a relative decrease in the occurrence of 2:1 harmonic cross-frequency relationships between alpha and theta rhythms. Continuous EEG recordings (19 electrodes) were obtained from 43 highly experienced meditators during meditation practice, rest and an arithmetic task. We show that the occurrence of transient alpha:theta 2:1 harmonic relationships increased linearly from a meditative to an active cognitive processing state (i.e. meditation< rest< arithmetic task). It is argued that transient EEG cross-frequency arrangements that prevent alpha:theta cross-frequency coupling could facilitate the experience of ‘mental emptiness’ by avoiding the interaction between the memory and executive components of cognition.
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 3
- Alpha-Theta Correlations during the Different States of the Brain for a Designed Cognitive Task International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Research June 30, 2023
- Brain-heart interactions in novice meditation practitioners during breath focus and an arithmetic task medRxiv July 8, 2023
- Recalibrating stress regulation through mindfulness: a framework for adapting interventions for ACE-affected populations Frontiers in Psychology April 10, 2026
Cites 16
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- The wandering brain: Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of mind-wandering and related spontaneous thought processes Neuroimage February 25, 2015
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience April 22, 2015
and 11 more in the library