Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice
Open accessAbstract
Practitioners understand “meditation,” or mental training, to be a process of familiarization with one's own mental life leading to long-lasting changes in cognition and emotion. Little is known about this process and its impact on the brain. Here we find that long-term Buddhist practitioners self-induce sustained electroencephalographic high-amplitude gamma-band oscillations and phase-synchrony during meditation. These electroencephalogram patterns differ from those of controls, in particular over lateral frontoparietal electrodes. In addition, the ratio of gamma-band activity (25-42 Hz) to slow oscillatory activity (4-13 Hz) is initially higher in the resting baseline before meditation for the practitioners than the controls over medial frontoparietal electrodes. This difference increases sharply during meditation over most of the scalp electrodes and remains higher than the initial baseline in the postmeditation baseline. These data suggest that mental training involves temporal integrative mechanisms and may induce short-term and long-term neural changes.
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Lutz et al. found increased gamma over frontolateral and posterior electrodes in non-referential, objectless compassion meditation.
“Lutz et al. [16] found increased gamma over frontolateral and posterior electrodes in non-referential, objectless compassion meditation”
From Increased Gamma Brainwave Amplitude Compared to Control in Three Different Meditation Traditions (2017) · cites this paper as [16]
The study contrasts with other EEG studies finding state effects in the EEG power spectrum in various meditation practices.
“As such, our study contrasts with other EEG studies finding state effects in the EEG power spectrum in various meditation practices [16–18, 72].”
From Increased Gamma Brainwave Amplitude Compared to Control in Three Different Meditation Traditions (2017) · cites this paper as [16]
Lutz et al. found a meditation state effect on the higher over lower frequencies ratio.
“Following the finding by Lutz et al. [16] of a meditation state effect on the higher over lower frequencies ratio”
From Increased Gamma Brainwave Amplitude Compared to Control in Three Different Meditation Traditions (2017) · cites this paper as [16]
Meditation may improve detection ability, monitor immediate ventilatory needs and respiratory load, improve mental acuity, promote active participation in daily life activities, and achieve better self-care management of disease for anxious patients with COPD.
“It is concluded that meditation may improve detection ability, monitor immediate ventilatory needs and respiratory load, improve mental acuity, promote patients' active participation in daily life activities, and achieve better self-care management of disease for anxious patients with COPD.31–33”
From The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for patients with COPD: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol (2019) · cites this paper as [33]
Tibetan monk meditators have been found to have 80 Hz gamma synchrony, and perhaps more intense experience.
“It may be noted that Tibetan monk meditators have been found to have 80 Hz gamma synchrony, and perhaps more intense experience [143].”
From Consciousness in the universe (2014) · cites this paper as [143]
Functional connectivity studies indicate increased connectivity between anterior and posterior default mode network nodes at rest and during meditation in experienced meditators with 10,000 h of practice but not following 8 weeks of training.
“Functional connectivity studies of meditation have indicated increased connectivity between anterior and posterior nodes of the DMN at rest123,124 and during meditation125,126 in experienced meditators with 10,000 h of practice but not following 8 weeks of training,127”
From Awakening is not a metaphor: the effects of Buddhist meditation practices on basic wakefulness (2014) · cites this paper as [124]
Other studies have reported higher baseline and state-related increases in gamma power in long-term Tibetan Buddhist practitioners, Vipassana meditators, and meditators in other traditions, indicative of a more highly alert and aware brain state.
“Other studies have reported higher baseline (trait) and state-related increases in gamma power in long-term Tibetan Buddhist practitioners,124 Vipassana meditators,146 as well as meditators in other traditions,150 which are indicative of a more highly alert and aware brain state.”
From Awakening is not a metaphor: the effects of Buddhist meditation practices on basic wakefulness (2014) · cites this paper as [124]
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- Authors
- Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Rawlings, N. B., Ricard, M., & Davidson, R. J.
- Affiliations
- W. M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior, Waisman Center, and Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705; and Shechen Monastery, P.O. Box 136, Kathmandu, Nepal
- University of Wisconsin System (US)
- ORCID
- Davidson, Richard J.
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2004-11-08
- Volume
- 101
- Issue
- 46
- Pages
- 16369-16373
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC526201
- OpenAlex
- W2165337576
- Cited by
- 1,328
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 58 · 2025: 62 · 2024: 55 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 83 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 87 · 2016: 80 · 2015: 70 · 2014: 85 · 2013: 69 · 2012: 70
- FWCI
- 34.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Mind and Life Institute
- Fondation Fyssen
- National Institute of Mental Health (P50MH061083)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Keywords
- meditation, long-term meditators, Buddhist meditation, gamma oscillations, phase synchronization, mental practice, frontoparietal cortex, neuroplasticity, temporal integration, EEG
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Electroencephalography, Humans, Middle Aged, Case-Control Studies, Meditation
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