A neurophenomenological study with a single expert meditator shows that a larger readiness potential (RP) is linked to more frequent self-initiated movements during negative deflections of slow cortical potentials (SCP). These negative deflections occur alongside an inner impulse reported by the meditator, which may lead to a voluntary act. This proof-of-principle demonstrates that combining first-person introspective data with neural signal analysis can advance understanding of the neural basis of voluntary acts, challenging interpretations of the classic Libet experiment.
Self-organized criticality (SOC) is a property of neural systems that may serve as a unifying framework for theories of consciousness. A review of 71 publications from 1998 to 2021 found that annual citations increased steadily; original articles made up 50.7% and reviews or theoretical articles 43.6%. Human data were reported in 16 studies, animal data in 7, and computational models in 12. EEG/MEG studies used diverse analytical tools—detrended fluctuation analysis, pair correlation function, neuronal avalanche parameters, and spectral exponent—to assess criticality. Critical dynamics align with global workspace theory and integrated information theory, but the small number of experimental studies and heterogeneity of methods limit generalizability.