Electroencephalographic (EEG) measurements of mindfulness-based Triarchic body-pathway relaxation technique: a pilot study.
Agnes S Chan, Yvonne M Y Han, Mei-Chun Cheung
Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback March 2008 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-008-9050-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subject experimental comparison Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 19 |
| Population | College students aged 19-22 years |
| Intervention | music audiotape |
| Measures | alpha asymmetry index, frontal midline theta activity |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Both TBRT meditation and music listening increased left-sided anterior activation, an EEG pattern associated with positive emotions. Only TBRT produced greater frontal midline theta power, a pattern associated with internalized attention. The authors argue this supports that TBRT induces positive emotion together with focused internalized attention. |
Abstract
The "Triarchic body-pathway relaxation technique" (TBRT) is a form of ancient Chinese mindfulness-based meditation professed to give rise to positive emotions and a specific state of consciousness in which deep relaxation and internalized attention coexist. The purpose of this study was to examine the EEG pattern generated during the practice of this mindfulness exercise, and compare it to music listening which has been shown to induce positive emotions. Nineteen college students (aged 19-22 years) participated in the study. Each participant listened to both the TBRT and music audiotapes while EEG was recorded. The order of presentation was counterbalanced to avoid order effect. Two EEG indicators were used: (1) alpha asymmetry index, an indicator for left-sided anterior activation, as measure of positive emotions, and (2) frontal midline theta activity, as a measure for internalized attention. Increased left-sided activation, a pattern associated with positive emotions, was found during both TBRT exercise and music conditions. However, only TBRT exercise was shown to exhibit greater frontal midline theta power, a pattern associated with internalized attention. These results provided evidence to support that the TBRT gives rise to positive emotional experience, accompanied by focused internalized attention.
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 24
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Quantitative change of EEG and respiration signals during mindfulness meditation Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation May 14, 2014
- State Effects of Two Forms of Meditation on Prefrontal EEG Asymmetry in Previously Depressed Individuals Mindfulness March 1, 2010
- EEG Derived Neuronal Dynamics during Meditation: Progress and Challenges Advances in Preventive Medicine 2015
- A Methodological Review of Meditation Research Frontiers in Psychiatry July 1, 2014
and 19 more in the library
Cites 9
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2007
- Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation Neuroreport May 1, 2000
- Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation Neuropsychobiology 2004
- Meditation states and traits: EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging studies. Psychological Bulletin March 2006
and 4 more in the library