Integrated Phenomenology and Brain Connectivity Demonstrate Changes in Nonlinear Processing in Jhana Advanced Meditation.
Ruby M. Potash, Sean D. Van Mil, Mar Estarellas, Andrés Canales-Johnson, Matthew D. Sacchet
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience May 14, 2025 DOI: 10.1162/jocn.a.50 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A meditator with over 20,000 hours of practice |
| Duration | 29 sessions |
| Topics | Meditation Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Contemplation Deep meditation Advanced meditation Brain science Neurobiology Cognitive science Brain function Neural activity Consciousness Awareness Mind states Altered states Subjective experience Profound conscious states Brain processing Cognitive processing Information processing Mental processing Information handling Neural processing |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | Advanced concentrative absorption meditation (jhana) is better distinguished by nonoscillatory neural dynamics than by oscillatory synchrony, and deeper absorption involves an equalization of feedback and feedforward processes. |
Abstract
We present a neurophenomenological case study investigating distinct neural connectivity regimes during an advanced concentrative absorption meditation called jhana (ACAM-J), characterized by highly stable attention and mental absorption. Using EEG recordings and phenomenological ratings (29 sessions) from a meditator with +20,000 hr of practice, we evaluated connectivity metrics tracking distinct large-scale neural interactions: nonlinear (weighted symbolic mutual information and directed information), capturing nonoscillatory dynamics, and linear (weighted phase lag index) connectivity metrics, capturing oscillatory synchrony. Results demonstrate ACAM-J are better distinguished by nonoscillatory compared with oscillatory dynamics across multiple frequency ranges. Furthermore, combining attention-related phenomenological ratings with weighted symbolic mutual information improves Bayesian decoding of ACAM-J compared with neural metrics alone. Crucially, deeper ACAM-J indicate an equalization of feedback and feedforward processes, suggesting a balance of internally and externally driven information processing. The results from this intensively sampled case study are a promising initial step in revealing the distinct neural dynamics during ACAM-J, offering insights into refined conscious states and highlighting the value of nonlinear neurophenomenological approaches to studying attentional states.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. A single long-term mindfulness practitioner (S) with 40 years of practice in... | 2015 | Qualitative case study | n = 1 |
| An extended case study on the phenomenology of sequence-space synesthesia Single adult with sequence-space synesthesia | 2014 | Phenomenological case study | n = 1 |
| "I can't tell whether it's my hand": a pilot study of the neurophenomenology of body representation during the rubber hand illusion in trauma-related disorders. Individuals with the dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 2016 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Neurophenomenology of an Altered State of Consciousness: An fMRI Case Study. A single research participant with self-proclaimed ecstatic Kundalini meditative... | 2016 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Multimodal neurophenomenology of advanced concentration absorption meditation: An intensively sampled case study of Jhana. One advanced meditator with over 23,000 hours of meditation practice | 2024 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Mindfulness, cognition, and long-term meditators: Toward a science of advanced meditation. Imaging Neuroscience 2025
- Distinct Patterns of Directed Brain Connectivity in Focused Attention, Open Monitoring, and Loving Kindness Meditation: An Electroencephalographic Granger Causality Study with Long-term Meditators Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2026
- Advanced meditation, sleep, and consciousness science: An emerging frontier. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2026
- EEG brain reconfiguration during meditation-induced extended cessation of consciousness: A dense-sampling multi-participant microstate study bioRxiv Preprint Server February 10, 2026
- Toward an interdisciplinary mind science of advanced meditation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences September 9, 2026
and 2 more in the library
Cites 26
- From many to (n)one: Meditation and the plasticity of the predictive mind. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 1, 2021
- A neurophenomenological approach to non-ordinary states of consciousness: hypnosis, meditation, and psychedelics Trends in Cognitive Sciences December 22, 2022
- Self-specific processing in the meditating brain: a MEG neurophenomenology study. Neuroscience of Consciousness 2016
- A Framework for the Empirical Investigation of Mindfulness Meditative Development Mindfulness April 13, 2023
- Defining Meditation: Foundations for an Activity-Based Phenomenological Classification System. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
and 21 more in the library