Effect of SOHAM meditation on human brain: a voxel-based morphometry study.
Uttam Kumar, Anupam Guleria, Sadguru Sri Kunal Kishan, C L Khetrapal
Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging 2014 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12040 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Long-term "SOHAM" meditators and age-matched nonmeditators |
| Intervention | "SOHAM" meditation |
| Measures | voxel-based morphometry (VBM) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Brain stem Ventral pallidum Voxel-based morphometry |
| Key findings | Voxel-based morphometry indicates significantly higher gray matter density in the brain stem, ventral pallidum, and supplementary motor area in long-term "SOHAM" meditators compared with age-matched nonmeditators. The authors compare these structural differences with those observed in other forms of meditation. |
Abstract
The anatomical correlates of long-term meditators involved in practice of "SOHAM" meditation have been studied using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). The VBM analysis indicates significantly higher gray matter density in brain stem, ventral pallidum, and supplementary motor area in the meditators as compared with age-matched nonmeditators. The observed changes in brain structure are compared with other forms of meditation.
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 11
- Rajyoga meditation induces grey matter volume changes in regions that process reward and happiness Scientific Reports September 30, 2020
- 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
- An updated classification of meditation methods using principles of taxonomy and systematics Frontiers in Psychology February 8, 2023
- Improving Prefrontal Oxygenation and Cardiac Autonomic Activity Following Meditation: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Study. Cureus August 1, 2024
- Meditation: Philosophical Foundations and its Role in Managing Common Noncommunicable Diseases. Indian Journal of Community Medicine February 1, 2026
and 6 more in the library
Cites 8
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience December 3, 2007
- Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density Psychiatry Research November 10, 2010
- An investigation of brain processes supporting meditation. Cognitive Processing February 2010
- The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter. Neuroimage April 1, 2009
and 3 more in the library