Dynamic Change of Awareness during Meditation Techniques: Neural and Physiological Correlates

Jerath, Ravinder; Barnes, Vernon A.; Dillard-Wright, David; Jerath, Shivani; Hamilton, Brittany N.

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2012.00131

Cited by 25 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Meditation-related cognitive and physiological mechanisms involving refining the attention, enhancing attention skills, and developing very sophisticated means for investigating the nature of the mind from a first person perspective (Barinaga, 2003), have been consistently addressed by neuroscience regarding its potential benefit for mental and physical health (Davidson and McEwen, 2012). Accordingly, there has been a growing interest in brain imaging studies addressing the neural substrates of meditative brain states (Sperduti et al, 2011; Hasenkamp and Barsalou, 2012; Jerath et al, 2012; Tang et al, 2012; Vago and Silbersweig, 2012). There are many types of meditation practices eliciting different cognitive processes (e.g., silence, attention to own body, sense of joy, mantras, etc.).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meditation-related activations are modulated by the practices needed to obtain it and by the expertise: an ALE meta-analysis study

Tomasino¹,

Fregona²,

Škrap³

et al. 2013

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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The brain network governing meditation has been studied using a variety of meditation practices and techniques practices eliciting different cognitive processes (e.g., silence, attention to own body, sense of joy, mantras, etc.). It is very possible that different practices of meditation are subserved by largely, if not entirely, disparate brain networks. This assumption was tested by conducting an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of meditation neuroimaging studies, which assessed 150 activation foci from 24 experiments. Different ALE meta-analyses were carried out. One involved the subsets of studies involving meditation induced through exercising focused attention (FA). The network included clusters bilaterally in the medial gyrus, the left superior parietal lobe, the left insula and the right supramarginal gyrus (SMG). A second analysis addressed the studies involving meditation states induced by chanting or by repetition of words or phrases, known as “mantra.” This type of practice elicited a cluster of activity in the right SMG, the SMA bilaterally and the left postcentral gyrus. Furthermore, the last analyses addressed the effect of meditation experience (i.e., short- vs. long-term meditators). We found that frontal activation was present for short-term, as compared with long-term experience meditators, confirming that experts are better enabled to sustain attentional focus, rather recruiting the right SMG and concentrating on aspects involving disembodiment.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meditation-related activations are modulated by the practices needed to obtain it and by the expertise: an ALE meta-analysis study

Tomasino¹,

Fregona²,

Škrap³

et al. 2013

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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“…We propose that slower respiration rates, which correspond to increased levels of cardiorespiratory synchronization (Porta et al 2000), lead to a shift towards parasympathetic dominance via widespread hyperpolarization and inhibition of amygdala and thalamic cells (Jerath et al 2012). Cardiorespiratory synchronization is an interaction between the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in which cardiac and respiratory signals synchronize (Schafer et al 1998).…”

Section: Possible Role Of Membrane Potential In Cardiorespiratory Modmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Regulation of Breathing as a Primary Treatment for Anxiety

Jerath¹,

Crawford²,

Barnes

et al. 2015

Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback

Self Cite

184

125

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Understanding the autonomic nervous system and homeostatic changes associated with emotions remains a major challenge for neuroscientists and a fundamental prerequisite to treat anxiety, stress, and emotional disorders. Based on recent publications, the inter-relationship between respiration and emotions and the influence of respiration on autonomic changes, and subsequent widespread membrane potential changes resulting from changes in homeostasis are discussed. We hypothesize that reversing homeostatic alterations with meditation and breathing techniques rather than targeting neurotransmitters with medication may be a superior method to address the whole body changes that occur in stress, anxiety, and depression. Detrimental effects of stress, negative emotions, and sympathetic dominance of the autonomic nervous system have been shown to be counteracted by different forms of meditation, relaxation, and breathing techniques. We propose that these breathing techniques could be used as firstline and supplemental treatments for stress, anxiety, depression, and some emotional disorders.

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“…The DST and OAT both link DMN physiology with the self, meditation, and this infinite 3D virtual space with one's own being [86]. The DST advances the concepts of self and the DMN through linking it to respiratory and cardio activity, helping to explain some effects of deep-breathing meditative practices [30].…”

Section: Operational Architectonics Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Critique and Comparison of Prevailing Consciousness Models with a Novel Embodied Cognition Model

Jerath¹,

Beveridge²

2018

WJNS

Self Cite

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In order to produce insight to the current state of consciousness research, we provide a review of some of the more preeminent models of consciousness via a comparison of these theories with a novel holistic model. The main goal of this review is to present the advantages in theoretical power of an embodied cognition, metastable model of consciousness manifest in the Default Space Theory by comparing it to other popular brain-based metastable models that though provide important insight into the cognitive nature of consciousness, are incomplete in their model of an architecture of consciousness. The Default Space Theory is a world simulation model in which the thalamus fills in processed sensory information from corticothalamic feedback loops into an internal 3D matrix termed the default space. This article examines some of the most regarded brain-based, metastable consciousness models, the Operational Architectonics Theory of Brain-Mind, Global Workspace Theory, Information Integration Theory, and the Dynamic Core Hypothesis. Through an overview and critique of these models, we illustrate their insights and deficits, and discuss why the Default Space Theory is the most comprehensive theory of consciousness.

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Dynamic Change of Awareness during Meditation Techniques: Neural and Physiological Correlates

Cited by 25 publications

References 25 publications

Meditation-related activations are modulated by the practices needed to obtain it and by the expertise: an ALE meta-analysis study

Meditation-related activations are modulated by the practices needed to obtain it and by the expertise: an ALE meta-analysis study

Self-Regulation of Breathing as a Primary Treatment for Anxiety

Critique and Comparison of Prevailing Consciousness Models with a Novel Embodied Cognition Model

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