Short-Term Longitudinal Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on EEG Power and Coherence

Dillbeck, Michael C.; Bronson, Edward C.

doi:10.3109/00207458108985827

Cited by 91 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…It has been reported that an increase in alpha coherence from the frontal to the central regions is a more sensitive EEG parameter of the meditative state than power or amplitude [8,9]. Findings suggestive of autonomic relaxation during meditation have been widely reported [10,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation

Murata¹,

Takahashi²,

Hamada³

et al. 2004

Neuropsychobiology

122

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Meditation is a specific consciousness state in which deep relaxation and increased internalized attention coexist. There have been various neurophysiological studies on meditation. However, the personal predispositions/traits that characterize the properties of meditation have not been adequately studied. We analyzed changes in neurophysiological parameters [EEG coherence and autonomic nervous activity using heart rate variability (HRV) as an index] during Zen meditation, and evaluated the results in association with trait anxiety (assessed by Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) in 22 healthy adults who had not previously practiced any form of meditation. During meditation, in terms of mean values in all subjects, an increase in slow alpha interhemispheric EEG coherence in the frontal region, an increase in high-frequency (HF) power (as a parasympathetic index of HRV), and a decrease in the ratio of low-frequency to HF power (as a sympathetic index of HRV) were observed. Further evaluation of these changes in individuals showed a negative correlation between the percent change (with the control condition as the baseline) in slow alpha interhemispheric coherence reflecting internalized attention and the percent change in HF reflecting relaxation. The trait anxiety score was negatively correlated with the percent change in slow alpha interhemispheric coherence in the frontal region and was positively correlated with the percent change in HF. These results suggest that lower trait anxiety more readily induces meditation with a predominance of internalized attention, while higher trait anxiety more readily induces meditation with a predominance of relaxation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation

Murata¹,

Takahashi²,

Hamada³

et al. 2004

Neuropsychobiology

122

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“…Alertness is indicated by increased electroencephalogram (EEG) coherence during Transcendental Meditation practice; increased integration of brain functioning is also found longitudinally (Dillbeck & Bronson, 1981;Travis et al, 2010;Travis et al, 2009). Additional research, including reduced cortisol during the practice and more effective cortisol response to stress, indicates that the physiological changes during the practice are counter to those found during stress and support recovery from stress (Jevning, Wilson, & Davidson, 1978;MacLean et al, 1997;Walton et al, 2004).…”

Section: Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation® and TM-Sidhi® Program and Reductions in Infant Mortality and Drug-Related Death

Dillbeck

Cavanaugh

2017

Sage Open

Self Cite

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These two studies tested the prediction that the group practice of a procedure for the development of consciousness, the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program, by a sufficiently large group of individuals would be sufficient to reduce collective stress in the larger population, reflected in two stress-related health indicators, infant mortality rate and drugrelated fatality rate. Based on theoretical prediction and prior research, from January 2007 through 2010 (intervention period), this effect should have been measurable. Change in the rates of these two indicators during the intervention period were estimated from 2002 through 2010 data using a broken-trend (or segmented trend) intervention model with time series regression methods. Significant changes in trend for both the infant mortality rate and drug-related fatality rate were evident at the predicted time and in the predicted direction, controlling for preintervention trends, seasonality, and autocorrelation. The changes in trend were both statistically and practically significant, indicating an average annual decline of 3.12% in infant mortality rate and 7.61% in drug-related fatality rate. Diagnostic tests are satisfactory and indicate that it is unlikely that the statistical results are attributable to spurious regression. The mechanism for these collective effects is discussed in view of possible alternative hypotheses.

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“…These studies have shown increased EEG coherence during Transcendental Meditation (e.g. Gaylord et al, 1989;Levine, 1976;Travis and Orme-Johnson, 1989;Travis et al, 2002; experienced practitioners of Transcendental Meditation as well as novices showed increased alpha coherence compared to resting (Dillbeck and Bronson, 1981;Travis, 2001;Travis and Wallace, 1999). Zenmeditation reportedly increased alpha coherence in meditation novices (Murata et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Reduced functional connectivity between cortical sources in five meditation traditions detected with lagged coherence using EEG tomography

Lehmann¹,

Faber²,

Tei

et al. 2012

NeuroImage

138

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Brain functional states are established by functional connectivities between brain regions. In experienced meditators (13 Tibetan Buddhists, 15 QiGong, 14 Sahaja Yoga, 14 Ananda Marga Yoga, 15 Zen), 19-channel EEG was recorded before, during and after that meditation exercise which their respective tradition regards as route to the most desirable meditative state. The head surface EEG data were recomputed (sLORETA) into 19 cortical regional source model time series. All 171 functional connectivities between regions were computed as 'lagged coherence' for the eight EEG frequency bands (delta through gamma). This analysis removes ambiguities of localization, volume conduction-induced inflation of coherence, and reference-dependence. All significant differences (corrected for multiple testing) between meditation compared to no-task rest before and after meditation showed lower coherence during meditation, in all five traditions and eight (inhibitory as well as excitatory) frequency bands. Conventional coherence between the original head surface EEG time series very predominantly also showed reduced coherence during meditation. The topography of the functional connectivities was examined via PCAbased computation of principal connectivities. When going into and out of meditation, significantly different connectivities revealed clearly different topographies in the delta frequency band and minor differences in the beta-2 band. The globally reduced functional interdependence between brain regions in meditation suggests that interaction between the self process functions is minimized, and that constraints on the self process by other processes are minimized, thereby leading to the subjective experience of noninvolvement, detachment and letting go, as well as of all-oneness and dissolution of ego borders during meditation. AbstractBrain functional states are established by functional connectivities between brain regions. In experienced meditators (13 Tibetan Buddhists, 15 QiGong, 14 Sahaja Yoga, 14 Ananda Marga Yoga, 15 Zen), 19-channel EEG was recorded before, during and after that meditation exercise which their respective tradition regards as route to the most desirable meditative state. The head surface EEG data were recomputed (sLORETA) into 19 cortical regional source model time series. All 171 functional connectivities between regionswere computed as 'lagged coherence' for the eight EEG frequency bands (delta through gamma). This analysis removes ambiguities of localization, volume conduction-induced inflation of coherence, and reference-dependence. All significant differences (corrected for multiple testing) between meditation compared to no-task rest before and after meditation showed lower coherence during meditation, in all five traditions and eight (inhibitory as well as excitatory) frequency bands. Conventional coherence between the original head surface EEG time series very predominantly also showed reduced coherence during meditation. The topography of the functional connectivities was examined ...

show abstract

Short-Term Longitudinal Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on EEG Power and Coherence

Cited by 91 publications

References 7 publications

Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation

Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation

Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation® and TM-Sidhi® Program and Reductions in Infant Mortality and Drug-Related Death

Reduced functional connectivity between cortical sources in five meditation traditions detected with lagged coherence using EEG tomography

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