Non-duality in brain and experience of advanced meditators—key role for intrinsic neural timescales
Saketh Malipeddi, Arun Sasidharan, Bianca Ventura, Rahul Venugopal, Clemens Christian Bauer, Prejaas Tewarie, Ravindra P. Nagendra, Seema Mehrotra, John P. John, B Subramaniam, Steven Laureys, Bindu M. Kutty, Georg Northoff
Communications Biology June 12, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10473-9 via OpenAlex
Summary
Advanced meditators experience a stronger sense of non-duality during breath-watching meditation compared to novices and controls. The study found that intrinsic neural timescales (INTs) are longer during internal attention than external attention for all participants. However, advanced meditators show similar INT durations for both types of attention, which correlates with their stronger non-dual experiences. This suggests that similar INT durations during different attentional states may indicate a neural basis for non-duality.
Study at a glance
| Population | advanced and novice meditators from the Isha Yoga tradition and meditation-naïve controls |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Advanced meditators report stronger non-dual experiences during breath-watching meditation compared to novices and controls. |
Abstract
Distinguishing between self (internal) and environment (external) is fundamental to human experience, yet mind-body traditions describe non-dual states where this boundary dissolves. However, the neural basis of non-duality remains underexplored. We investigate this in advanced and novice meditators from the Isha Yoga tradition and meditation-naïve controls using psychological scales and EEG-based intrinsic neural timescales (INT). Subjects perform breath-watching meditation (internal attention) and a cognitive task (external attention), allowing us to operationalize non-duality as reduced internal-external distinction. Key findings include: (a) advanced meditators report stronger non-dual experiences during breath-watching than novices and controls; (b) across participants, INTs are longer during internal than external attention; (c) advanced meditators show similar INT durations between internal and external attention; and (d) this reduced INT difference correlates with stronger reported non-dual experiences. These results suggest that similar duration of intrinsic neural timescales during internal and external attention may serve as a neural signature of non-duality.