Effect of "SOHAM" meditation on the human brain: an fMRI study.
Anupam Guleria, Uttam Kumar, Sadguru Sri Kunal Kishan, Chunni Lal Khetrapal
Psychiatry Research December 30, 2013 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.06.012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Long-term meditators |
| Intervention | "SOHAM" meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Inferior frontal gyrus Prefrontal cortex |
| Key points | During "SOHAM" meditation, long-term meditators showed activation in the left middle prefrontal cortex (BA 46), left inferior frontal gyrus (BA 44), left supplementary motor area (BA 6), and left precuneus (BA 5) compared with a no-meditation control period. The authors interpret these activations as related to regulation of emotional state, attention, and working memory. |
Abstract
The effect of "SOHAM" meditation has been investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in long-term meditators while they were meditating and not meditating. The results have revealed activation in left middle prefrontal cortex (MPFC) (Brodmann's area, BA 46), left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) (BA 44), left supplementary motor area (SMA) (BA 6) and left precuneus (BA 5) during the meditation period compared to the control period (no-meditation period). The results have been interpreted in terms of regulation of the emotional state, attention and working memory of the meditators.
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 14
- The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies BioMed Research International 2015
- Susceptibility of Women to Cardiovascular Disease and the Prevention Potential of Mind–Body Intervention by Changes in Neural Circuits and Cardiovascular Physiology Biomolecules May 10, 2021
- Neurophenomenology of an Altered State of Consciousness: An fMRI Case Study. Explore 2016
- Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders March 1, 2025
- The functional neuroimaging of meditation: A quantitative whole-brain meta-analysis and systematic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2026
and 9 more in the library
Cites 15
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation Neuroreport May 1, 2000
- The psychological and neurophysiological concomitants of mindfulness forms of meditation Acta Neuropsychiatrica April 1, 2007
and 10 more in the library