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Experienced meditators show greater forward traveling cortical alpha wave strengths.

Neil W. Bailey, Aron T. Hill, Kate Godfrey, M Prabhavi N Perera, Jakob Hohwy, Andrew W. Corcoran, Nigel C Rogasch, Bernadette M. Fitzgibbon, Paul B Fitzgerald

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences July 2, 2025 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15401 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 126
Population Meditators and nonmeditators
Topics Meditation
Keywords Cortical traveling waves Electroencephalography Predictive processing Meditation mindfulness meditation Experienced meditators Backward waves Neural shifts Sensory awareness Bottom-up processing Reduced top-down expectations Sharpen attention
Citations 4
Key findings Meditators exhibited stronger forward traveling cortical alpha waves than nonmeditators during both resting and task performance, and weaker backward traveling waves during rest.

Abstract

Mindfulness meditation involves training attention, commonly toward sensory experiences, with nonjudgmental awareness. Theoretical perspectives propose that meditation increases the precision of sensory processing and reduces the generation/elaboration of top-down expectations. Research suggests forward traveling cortical alpha waves may reflect bottom-up inhibition to enhance signal-to-noise ratios of sensory processing, while backward traveling alpha waves may reflect top-down inhibition based on expectations. We used electroencephalography to test whether the strength of forward and backward traveling cortical alpha waves differed between meditators and a matched sample of nonmeditators during eyes-closed resting (N = 97) and during a visual cognitive (Go/No-go) task (N = 126). Our results showed meditators produced stronger forward traveling waves compared to nonmeditators while resting with their eyes closed and during task performance. Meditators also exhibited weaker backward traveling waves while resting with their eyes closed. These results may indicate a neural mechanism underpinning enhanced attention associated with meditation, as well as a potential neural marker of reductions in mind-wandering, suggested to be associated with meditation. The results also support models of brain function that suggest attention modification is achievable through mental training to increase sensory awareness, which might be indexed by the greater strength of forward traveling cortical waves.

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

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