Meditative State Research Articles

Default mode network functional connectivity as a transdiagnostic biomarker of cognitive function.

The default mode network (DMN) is intricately linked with processes such as self-referential thinking, episodic memory recall, goal-directed cognition, self-projection, and theory of mind. Over recent years, there has been a surge in examining its functional connectivity, particularly its relationship with frontoparietal networks (FPN) involved in top-down attention, executive function, and cognitive control. The fluidity in switching between these internal and external modes of processing-highlighted by anti-correlated functional connectivity-has been proposed as an indicator of cognitive health. Due to the ease of estimation of functional connectivity-based measures through resting state fMRI paradigms, there is now a wealth of large-scale datasets, paving the way for standardized connectivity benchmarks. This review delves into the promising role of DMN connectivity metrics as potential biomarkers of cognitive state across attention, internal mentation, mind wandering and meditation states, and investigating deviations in trait-level measures across aging and in clinical conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, depression, ADHD, and others. Additionally, we tackle the issue of reliability of network estimation and functional connectivity and share recommendations for using functional connectivity measures as a biomarker of cognitive health.

Effects of intentionally-treated water on cell migration of human glioblastoma cells.

This study investigated if human glioblastoma cancer cells (U87MG cell line) cultured in intentionally treated water could reduce cell migration, a prerequisite for metastasis, as compared to the same cells cultured in untreated (control) water. Three Buddhist monks entered a meditative state and directed their awareness to bottles of ultrapure water while holding the intention that the water would cause beneficial changes in U87MG. The study was conducted double-blind whereby all aspects of the study involving cell growth and migration measures, as well as all subsequent statistical evaluations, were performed without knowledge of the type of water being used. Cell cultures were incubated in growth mediums prepared with treated and untreated water, and a wound healing assay was employed to measure cell migration. U87MG cells incubated with treated water migrated less efficiently than the same cells in untreated water. A repeated measures ANOVA, spanning four time periods (0, 3, 6, and 9 h), determined that the time × water condition interaction was associated with p < 0.005. Intentioned awareness appeared to change as-yet unknown properties of ultrapure water, resulting in a reduction of U87MG cells migration activity. Further research is warranted to replicate these results and to investigate the underlying protein expression mechanisms in influencing cell migration.

Multimodal neurophenomenology of advanced concentration absorption meditation: An intensively sampled case study of Jhana.

Using a combination of fMRI, EEG, and phenomenology ratings, we examined the neurophenomenology of advanced concentrative absorption meditation, namely jhanas (ACAM-J), in a practitioner with over 23,000 h of meditation practice. Our study shows that ACAM-J states induce reliable changes in conscious experience and that these experiences are related to neural activity. Using resting-state fMRI functional connectivity, we found that ACAM-J is associated with decreased within-network modularity, increased global functional connectivity (GFC), and desegregation of the default mode and visual networks. Compared to control tasks, the ACAM-J were also related to widespread decreases in broadband EEG oscillatory power and increases in Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZ, a measure of brain entropy). Some fMRI findings varied by the control task used, while EEG results remained consistent, emphasizing both shared and unique neural features of ACAM-J. These differences in fMRI and EEG-measured neurophysiological properties correlated with specific changes in phenomenology - and especially with ACAM-J-induced states of bliss - enriching our understanding of these advanced meditative states. Our results show that advanced meditation practices markedly dysregulate high-level brain systems via practices of enhanced attention to sensations, corroborating recent neurocognitive theories of meditation as the deconstruction of the brain's cortical hierarchy. Overall, our results suggest that ACAM-J is associated with the modulation of large-scale brain networks in both fMRI and EEG, with potential implications for understanding the mechanisms of deep concentration practices and their effects on subjective experience.

Experiencing timelessness and the phenomenology of temporal flow

ABSTRACT Our conscious experience seemingly involves the subjective sense or feeling of the passage of time. However, in recent years, several authors have denied that such an aspect or feature of experience can be found. If the experience of the flow of time exists, it remains elusive and intangible. My aim here is to try to pin it down. For this purpose, I will investigate acute disturbances of normal temporal experience that accompany deep meditative and psychedelic states. I will argue that these experiences of altered temporality provide phenomenal contrast cases to ordinary passage phenomenology, allowing us to establish the existence of the latter and making it amenable to theorizing.

Hemispheric annealing and lateralization under psychedelics (HEALS): A novel hypothesis of psychedelic action in the brain.

Current models of psychedelic action in the brain propose changes along the dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior axes but neglect to address the lateral axis. This article proposes a novel model of psychedelic action called HEALS (Hemispheric Annealing and Lateralization Under Psychedelics) which involves the reversal of the typical hierarchical relationship between the two hemispheres of the brain. In typical modes of consciousness, the hemispheres act in parallel process with the left predominating. Under psychedelics, as well as in other altered states of consciousness (ASCs), this hierarchy is reversed, with the right hemisphere released from inhibition by the left. In support of this model, the available neuroimaging evidence for lateralization under psychedelics is reviewed. Then, various cognitive and emotional changes observed under psychedelics are contrasted with those same functions in each hemisphere. These include attention; social and emotional intelligence; creativity and insight; and language. The article concludes with a review of laterality in other ASCs, such as meditative and trance states, and suggests that many phenomena associated with psychedelics, and other ASCs, might be explained by an atypical annealing between the hemispheres toward right hemisphere predominance.

Mindfulness meditation is associated with global EEG spectral changes in theta, alpha, and beta amplitudes

Mindfulness meditation is linked to a broad range of psychological and physical health benefits, potentially mediated by changes in neural oscillations. This study explored changes in neural oscillations associated with both immediate and regular mindfulness meditation practice. Electroencephalographic (EEG) data were collected from 40 healthy young adults (Mage = 20.8, 24 females) during eyes-closed resting and mindfulness meditation states in two separate recording sessions, six weeks apart. Participants were novice meditators, and following the first recording session, were randomly assigned to either a daily mindfulness meditation practice or classical music listening as an active control, which they completed until the second recording session. Traditional bands of delta (1.0–3.5 Hz), theta (4.0–7.5 Hz), alpha (8.0–13.0 Hz), beta (13.5–30.0 Hz), and gamma (30.5–45.0 Hz) were used to explore changes in global EEG spectral amplitude. A significant increase in theta between sessions was observed in both groups and states. Alpha decreased significantly during meditation compared with rest, and a three-way interaction indicated a smaller reduction during meditation between sessions in the mindfulness group. There was a similar interaction in beta, which remained stable between sessions during both rest and meditation in the mindfulness group while varying in the classical music listening group. No significant effects were observed in global delta or gamma amplitudes. These findings suggest that changes in neural oscillations associated with breath-focused mindfulness meditation may be related to processes underlying attention and awareness. Further research is necessary to consolidate these findings, particularly in relation to the associated health benefits.

A PRE-PROCESSING-FREE MENTAL STATE DETECTION MODEL USING NOISY ECG PLOTS AND DEEP TRANSFER LEARNING

In recent years, the prevalence of mental disorders, such as depression and stress, has been on the rise, yet a large number of individuals do not receive timely treatment. Addressing mental health concerns involves the evaluation of an individual’s mental state, which can be influenced by a variety of factors. Technological advancements have introduced smart wearable devices that enable real-time monitoring of vital signs, offering potential applications for self-care in mental health. However, the current methodology utilized by most of these devices relies on hand-crafted features and demands time-consuming pre-processing. To address this limitation, our research aims to develop a pre-processing-free model for real-world application, focusing on noisy electrocardiograph (ECG) signals for four-class mental state detection. For this purpose, we used an available wearable stress and affect detection dataset. We took raw ECG signals and transformed them into two-second plots, which were then fed into seven pre-trained convolutional neural networks (AlexNet, GoogLeNet, EfficientNetB0, VGG16, VGG19, XceptionNet, and InceptionV3). Through our experimentation, the fine-tuned VGG16 model emerged as the most effective, outperforming other techniques in accurately detecting baseline, stress, amusement, and meditation states, achieving an impressive accuracy of 99.35%. This achievement stands significantly higher than existing literature, making our model a suitable option for classifying mental states even in noisy raw ECG signals. Furthermore, it exhibits reduced computational complexity when compared to other state-of-the-art studies.

Oscillating Mindfully: Using Machine Learning to Characterize Systems-Level Electrophysiological Activity During Focused Attention Meditation

BackgroundThere is rapid growth of neuroelectrophysiological study aspiring to uncover the “black box” of mindfulness and meditation. Reliance on traditional data analysis methods hinders understanding of the complex, nonlinear, multi-dimensional and systemic nature of the functional neuroelectrophysiology of meditation states. MethodsThus, to reveal complex systemic neuroelectrophysiology of meditation, we applied Machine Learning Extreme Gradient Boosting classification algorithm, and four complementary feature importance methods, to extract systemic Electroencephalography (EEG) features characterizing mindful states from EEG recorded during a Focused Attention meditation and a control mind-wandering state among 26 experienced meditators. ResultsAlgorithm classified meditation vs. mind-wandering states with 83% accuracy, AUC-ROC of 79% and F1 score of 74%. Feature importance techniques identified 10 EEG features associated with increased power and coherence of high frequency oscillations during Focused Attention meditation relative to an instructed mind-wandering state. ConclusionsFindings help delineate the complex systemic oscillatory activity characterizing meditation.

Exploring neural markers of dereification in meditation based on EEG and personalized models of electrophysiological brain states

With mounting evidence for the benefits of meditation, there has been a growing interest in measuring and quantifying meditative states. This study introduces the Inner Dereification Index (IDI), a class of personalized models designed to quantify the distance from non-meditative states such as mind wandering based on a single individual’s neural activity. In addition to demonstrating high classification accuracy (median AUC: 0.996) at distinguishing meditation from thinking states moment by moment, IDI can accurately stratify meditator cohorts by experience, and correctly identify the practices most effective at training the dereification aspect of meditation (decentering from immersion with thoughts and perceptions and recognizing them as mental constructs). These results suggest that IDI models may be a useful real-time proxy for dereification and meditation progress, requiring only 1 min of mind wandering data (and no meditation data) during model training. Thus, they show promise for applications such as real-time meditation feedback, progress tracking, personalization of practices, and potential therapeutic applications of neurofeedback-assisted generation of positive states of consciousness.

Interpersonal and individual effects of an app-based Christian and Islamic heart meditation intervention in healthy adults: protocol of a stratified randomised controlled trial

BackgroundThe academic development and widespread adoption of meditation practices for well-being and therapy have predominantly focused on secularised adaptations of Buddhist and Hindu techniques. This study aims to expand the field by investigating Christian and Islamic meditation that emphasize the spiritual significance of the heart through elements of visualisation and recitation. It compares the effects of spiritual heart-centred meditation with mindfulness meditation and a waitlist control, focusing on dimensions of social functioning, psychophysiology, cognition, and mental health.MethodThis study employs a stratified 3-arm randomised controlled method with mixed-method repeated measures across three assessment time points: before intervention (T1), after an 8-week intervention (T2), and at a 3-month follow up (T3). The three conditions include spiritual meditation (either Christian or Islamic), mindfulness meditation (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction – MBSR), and a waitlist. Participants will be stratified into Christian and Muslim samples and randomly allocated to the spiritual meditation, MBSR, or waitlist control conditions. Importantly, participants assigned to the spiritual meditation condition will be matched to the spiritual meditation program corresponding to their religion. The intervention will be administered through a mobile phone app with daily 20-minute guided meditation sessions for eight weeks. Primary outcomes pertain to the domain of interpersonal functioning, focusing on prosociality, forgiveness, empathy, and perspective taking. Secondary outcomes include physiology: pain tolerance, pain intensity, stress reactivity assessed via heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), psychophysiological reactivity associated with a forgiveness task as measured through HR and HRV, attention (alerting, orienting, and executive attention networks), and mental health (stress, depression, anxiety, subjective well-being, positive and negative affect).DiscussionThis trial aims to test the effects of an app-based Christian and Islamic meditation, compared to secular mindfulness and a waitlist, using a randomised controlled trial. If the results yield positive outcomes, this study will support the efficacy of these contemplations, offering practitioners a way to enhance their well-being within their religious framework.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06136676. Registered on 18 November 2023.https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06136676.

Can You Stop Your Mind and Your Daily Activities?

The paper investigates meditation as a state of consciousness that isolates an individual from the attitude of everyday life and the perspective of practical actions. It is an “ethnography of the mind” instead of the place. The paper analyses self-reports from meditators’ self-observations as part of hatha yoga practice and data from semi-structured interviews with hatha yoga teachers. Elements that distract or help people meditate were analysed and interpreted. The features of the meditative state during the practice of sitting meditation are also reconstructed. Attention is paid to three essential aspects that are related to each other when entering the meditative state: emerging thoughts, body sensations, and emotions. The analysis focuses on how practitioners deal with these obstacles; what tactics do they employ to eliminate barriers or redirect attention and include them in the background of the concentration point? What is the role of teaching meditation? What are the effects of meditation from a practitioner’s point of view? Empirical materials obtained from the first-person perspective of the researcher, the author of this article, and his collaborators in the study were also analysed.

TRADITIONAL REPETITION PATTERNS IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF THE KETUT SUGANTIKA LEKUNG’S POROSAN SERIES

This research examines the repetition patterns found in the creative process of Ketut Sugantika Lekung's Porosan Series artworks. Porosan Series is one of Ketut Sugantika Lekung's artworks, inspired by the shape and the making process of a sacred ritual object called Porosan. In general, Porosan Series artworks display visualizations that emphasize the impression of repetition. The creative process of the Porosan Series imitates the process of making the original Porosan. Imitation activities in this creative process were studied to see the influence of traditional repetition patterns originating from making original porosan. This research uses a descriptive method with a qualitative approach, which emphasizes more in-depth data analysis. The results of the research show indications of the influence of original porosan making's traditional repetition pattern in the creative process of the Porosan Series. The Porosan Series creative process also uses three stages like the original porosan: preparation, realization, and finishing, but the original Porosan's final stage is drying, not finishing. Even though there are several modifications, the strong influence of the traditional repetition pattern is still visible because it shows some behaviors that are similar in every stage and process between the two things, such as focus, relaxation, and sincerity, thus creating a meditative state without realizing it. This research is essential to see the impact of local wisdom, which can positively influence the creative process of original Balinese artists to create a potential new method based on Balinese traditions and local wisdom.

Mindfulness meditation alters neural oscillations independently of arousal

Neuroscience has identified that mindfulness meditation induces a state of relaxed alertness, characterised by changes in theta and alpha oscillations and reduced sympathetic arousal, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to address this gap by examining changes in neural oscillations and arousal during mindfulness meditation using both traditional and data-driven methods. Fifty-two healthy young adults underwent electroencephalography (EEG) and skin conductance level (SCL) recordings during resting baseline and mindfulness meditation conditions, both conducted with eyes closed. The EEG data revealed a significant decrease in traditional alpha (8–13 Hz) amplitude during mindfulness meditation compared to rest. However, no significant differences were observed between conditions in traditional delta, theta, beta, or gamma amplitudes. Frequency Principal Components Analysis (fPCA) was employed as a data-driven approach, identifying six components consistent across conditions. A complex delta-theta-alpha component significantly increased during mindfulness meditation. In contrast, low alpha (~9.5 Hz) and low alpha-beta (~11 Hz) components decreased significantly during mindfulness meditation. No significant differences were observed between conditions in the delta, high alpha, and high alpha-beta components. Additionally, there were no significant differences in SCL between conditions, nor were there correlations between traditional alpha or fPCA components and SCL. These findings support the conceptualisation of mindfulness meditation as a state of relaxed alertness, characterised by changes in neural oscillations likely associated with attention and awareness. However, the observed changes do not appear to be driven by arousal.

Neurophenomenology and Neuroepistemology Approaches to Integrating Constructivist, Perennialist, and Universalist Perspectives on Mystical Experiences

Differences among constructivist, perennialist, and universalist perspectives on mystical experiences are bridged with neurophenomenology and neuroepistemology perspectives that illustrate constructivist and deconditioning processes and universal innate experiences. These approaches show that phenomenal similarities and differences in the features of meditative experiences are related to specific brain functions and processes. This illustrates that recurrent forms of mystical consciousness involve the activation or suspension of specific brain functions and their forms of knowing. Meditators’ deliberate modifications of brain processes engage constructivist and deconditioning processes that provide access to intrinsic states understood as mystical experiences. Deconditioning of habitual cognitive processes through meditation changes habitual attention and cognition, permitting access to preconceptual awareness and normally unconscious intrinsic mental processes. Different mystical experiences involve changes in specific neurologically mediated forms of self that provide the basis for universal forms of mystical experience. Neuroepistemological perspectives on qualia of meditative states and their relations to mental processes and brain features provide a framework for understanding recurrent forms of mystical experiences as natural brain states.

Bridging the Gap Between Sīla and Samādhi: The Role of Mindfulness in Pre-Meditative Practice

This article explores the dynamic aspect of sīla, which entails divergent constructions of the moral practice in the schemes of the path in the Pāli canonical and post-canonical texts. In early Buddhist tradition, sīla is usually defined as the moral discipline consisting of three factors of the Eightfold Path (Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood), corresponding with varied lists of precepts applied to different agents. In addition to that partial understanding, this paper aspires to enrich the concept of sīla that goes beyond mere observance of precepts and includes practices related to the extended category of mindfulness. In the advanced stages of the path, mindfulness is usually incorporated with samādhi (concentration) to access deep meditative states. Nonetheless, the different interpretations of the path imply that some features of mindfulness practice have an active role in the prior mental dimension of moral development. Practices such as sati-sampajañña (mindfulness and clear comprehension), bhojane mattaññū (moderation in eating), jāgariyā (wakefulness), and santosa (contentment) all precede formal meditative development. However, they are included under the wide framework of mindfulness. Although these practices are not identified as ethical per se, they play a vital role in the practice of sīla and provide the necessary conditions for advanced mental development in formal meditative practice. As a result of these findings, this paper aspires to expand the notion of sīla as an integrated stage that combines bodily, verbal, and mental development, which comprises the pre-meditative practice.

Awareness without time

Abstract Recently, philosophers with an interest in consciousness have turned their attention towards ‘fringe states of consciousness’. Examples include dreams, trances, and meditative states. Teetering between wakefulness and non-consciousness, fringe states illuminate the limits and boundaries of consciousness. This paper aims to give a coherent conceptualization of deep meditative states, focussing in particular on phenomenal temporality during meditation. Advanced meditators overwhelmingly describe deep states of meditation as atemporal and timeless; however, they also report being continuously alert while meditating. I intend to give a coherent interpretation of this apparent contradiction. After introducing some candidate interpretations, I shall argue that during (deepest) meditation, the subject experiences ‘pure duration’ without temporal structure. This, I argue, explains best why meditators describe deep meditation as ongoing but timeless awareness. A central part of the paper will expand on an account of phenomenal duration without phenomenal succession. The conclusion points towards some further avenues of research.

Indigenous Gond Art in Art Therapy: A Nature-Based Creative Process

There is a growing interest in understanding the connection between Indigenous art, nature, and art therapy, however information on the health implications of Indian Indigenous art practices is scarce. This case study highlights the application of nature-based Indian Indigenous art form Gond and explores its therapeutic potential in art therapy. A workshop was organized, combining nature-based guided imagery visualization with Gond folktale narration, followed by Gond-inspired artmaking using natural pigments and repetitive patterns. Workshop participants’ responses indicated that this approach fostered engagement, intense concentration, present moment awareness, a relaxed meditative state, and personal expression. Sensitively adapting Indigenous knowledge, like Gond practices, can promote awareness about interconnectedness with nature, artmaking, and storytelling, offering therapeutic benefits for self-care in art therapy.

Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, and Smell as Pathways for Meditation – A Review of Classical and Neuroscience Texts

Meditation has emerged as a useful tool to address various mental health issues and hence has become a fertile area of interdisciplinary research. Contemporary research is focused on evaluating the effects of meditation using different neural correlates and also on developing theoretical models to explain different meditative states. The value of these neuroscientific studies can be enhanced by integrating them with time-tested philosophical framework of classical meditation practices. This work attempts to review and summarize philosophical underpinnings of meditation with the help of hierarchical meditative states discussed in Patañjali’s Yoga darśana and an information flow model proposed based on Sāṅkhya and Yoga darśana. Sense perception as a vehicle to achieve higher meditative states is the focus of this review. Usage of gross sense objects via sense pathways of sound, touch, form, smell and taste to establish in Vitarka state and then moving to Vicāra state by replacing them with subtle sense object has been discussed in detail. A brief discussion on fundamentals of sense transduction has been discussed, which explains how sense stimulation in gross world gets converted to subtle neuro-electrical signals via multiple ionic processes. A summary of various ayurvedic, classical and contemporary yogic practices related to each sense pathway has also been presented.

Inducing a meditative state by artificial perturbations: A mechanistic understanding of brain dynamics underlying meditation.

Contemplative neuroscience has increasingly explored meditation using neuroimaging. However, the brain mechanisms underlying meditation remain elusive. Here, we implemented a mechanistic framework to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of expert meditators during meditation and rest, and controls during rest. We first applied a model-free approach by defining a probabilistic metastable substate (PMS) space for each condition, consisting of different probabilities of occurrence from a repertoire of dynamic patterns. Moreover, we implemented a model-based approach by adjusting the PMS of each condition to a whole-brain model, which enabled us to explore in silico perturbations to transition from resting-state to meditation and vice versa. Consequently, we assessed the sensitivity of different brain areas regarding their perturbability and their mechanistic local-global effects. Overall, our work reveals distinct whole-brain dynamics in meditation compared to rest, and how transitions can be induced with localized artificial perturbations. It motivates future work regarding meditation as a practice in health and as a potential therapy for brain disorders.

Effect of a yogic stress management technique (cyclic meditation) on stress, mindfulness, and well-being: A systematic review

ABSTRACT Cyclic meditation (CM) is a unique form of guided meditation that alternates between yoga postures and relaxation techniques to achieve a state of deep relaxation. Originating from ancient yogic wisdom and developed by SVYASA University, CM has gained popularity as an effective method for stress management and overall well-being which can be practiced by even beginners to induce the meditative state. This systematic review aims to fill this gap by summarizing peer-reviewed studies on CMs impact on stress and well-being. The authors conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines to summarize the evidence of CM for recommending it as a well-being practice or an intervention for stress and related health problems. Electronic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, CNKI, and Google Scholar) were searched for peer-reviewed studies related to CM that reported at least one outcome of stress and well-being in the diverse populations. The search was limited to papers published in the English language and published between 2006 and 2022. A search yielded 109 results. In all, 16 papers were considered for the review. Studies demonstrated a significant reduction in stress levels and improvement in well-being. The review showcased the positive effect of CM, and the quality of the studies was consistent; however, more high-quality randomized controlled trials with the long-term follow-ups are needed to confirm the result in the clinical and nonclinical populations.