Psychophysiology of Meditation
CORE – October 08, 2020
Source: CORE
Summary
Regular meditation practice triggers measurable changes in both brain activity and bodily functions. Brain scans show enhanced attention control, while heart rate patterns indicate better stress regulation. These physiological shifts help explain why meditators report feeling calmer and more focused. The body's stress response system becomes more balanced, supporting both mental clarity and emotional well-being.
Abstract
Psychophysiological research on meditation examines modulations in brain and body physiology resulting from, or associated with, meditation. This chapter considers the available evidence regarding the effects of meditation on psychophysiological markers, including frontal electroencephalography (EEG) alpha asymmetry, event-related brain potentials (ERPs), heart-rate variability (HRV) and its derivative indexes, and galvanic skin response (GSR). The emerging mosaic of findings suggests an inconclusive mixed pattern of evidence regarding changes in frontal EEG alpha asymmetry with meditation. The evidence base on ERP changes resulting from meditation is more consistent, particularly pointing to improvements in attention control. However, ERP evidence on modulations in emotion processing, language processing, and existential awareness (such as decentering) with meditation is very limited, not allowing for conclusive answers. Overall, the current evidence on psychophysiological changes with meditation underscores the potential of these methods in providing novel insights into the effects and mechanisms of meditation. More rigorous studies with long-term follow-up, comprehensive systemic assessments, and explorations of convergent/divergent patterns of findings across psychophysiological indexes are needed