Striatal functional connectivity associated with Sahaja Yoga meditation.
Scientific reports – April 25, 2025
Source: PubMed
Summary
Long-term practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation exhibit significant changes in brain connectivity, particularly in the striatum, which is crucial for attention and self-referencing. In a study involving 23 meditation experts and 23 control participants, meditators showed altered functional connectivity between the striatum and regions linked to sensory processing during meditation. Additionally, resting state scans revealed reduced connectivity in meditators that correlated with faster reaction times on interference tasks. These findings suggest that meditation may induce lasting enhancements in cognitive function and emotional regulation through striatal modulation.
Abstract
Neuroscience research has associated meditation practice with effects on cognitive, motivational and emotional processes. These processes are mediated by several brain circuits, including the striatum and its associated cortical connections. The aim of this study was to focus on the striatum and test how its functional connectivity is affected in long-term practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation. We studied differences between resting and meditation states in a group of 23 Sahaja Yoga Meditation experts. We also compared the resting state between meditation experts and a control group of 23 non-meditating participants. Functional connectivity contrasts between conditions and groups were performed using seeds in the dorsal and ventral striatum (caudate, putamen and nucleus accumbens). During meditation, compared to the resting state, meditators showed altered connectivity between the striatum and parietal, sensorimotor and cerebellar regions. Resting state in meditators relative to that of controls showed reduced functional connectivity between the left accumbens and the mid cingulate, which was correlated with reduced Simon Task interference reaction time effect in meditators. In conclusion, the striatum may play a pivotal role in the practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation by altering attention and self-referencing, and by modulating bodily sensations. Furthermore, meditation practice could produce long-term changes in striatal connectivity.