Journal of cognitive neuroscience
November 1, 2024
Isaac N Treves, Kannammai Pichappan, Jude Hammoud et al.
35 citations
Greater trait mindfulness, measured by self-report scales, is consistently linked with reduced amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli, increased cortical thickness in frontal and insular regions, and decreased connectivity within the default-mode network, converging with findings from intervention studies and mindfulness experts. However, associations with EEG metrics and between-network resting-state fMRI remain inconclusive. The authors recommend larger samples, multivariate approaches, and careful reliability testing, urging a move away from simplistic explanations of mindfulness and brain function.
Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
January 1, 2025
Sebastian Ehmann, Idil Sezer, Isaac N Treves et al.
9 citations
Long-term meditators show a distinct pattern of cognitive and neural changes from prolonged mindfulness practice, including enhanced sensory integration, reduced negative emotional responses to pain, more rational decision-making, and altered self-awareness. Neuroimaging reveals increased activation in brain networks linked to interoception and pain (salience network), reduced connectivity between executive and salience networks, diminished fear and amygdala activation, and altered default-mode network activity associated with emotional neutrality and non-ordinary states of consciousness. Methodological limitations prevent firm conclusions about lasting trait effects, and a unified neurophenomenological framework is needed to systematically study advanced meditation's states and stages.
NeuroImage
November 19, 2025
Sebastian Ehmann, Idil Sezer, Arielle S Keller et al.
2 citations
Attention regulation is a core mechanism of mindfulness meditation. Long-term meditation enhances trait-level improvements in executive attention, sustained attention, orienting, and reduces the attentional blink. Preliminary evidence also shows improvements in response inhibition, alertness, and less mind-wandering. Alertness benefits most from long-term and intensive practice. Attention-based techniques outperform non-attention-based ones, while observe-and-release techniques aid orienting and detection of closely spaced stimuli. These findings suggest that meditation enhances attention according to training specificity, but meditative development is non-linear and multidimensional, requiring balanced cultivation of multiple faculties. Methodological limitations, such as heterogeneous designs and insufficient state-trait differentiation, complicate interpretations.
Mindfulness
November 19, 2025
Sebastian Ehmann, Ryan T. Pohlig, Alejandro Chaoul et al.
1 citation
A 9-month online program teaching traditional Tibetan Mind-Body meditation practices based on Bon Dzogchen philosophy led to gradual improvements in compassion for self and others, mindfulness, flourishing, and non-dual awareness among 30 predominantly experienced meditators. Improvements were independent of how often participants meditated, suggesting the program's structure itself drove benefits. The findings provide preliminary evidence that such practices may foster advanced meditative states tied to self-transcendence. Limitations include the small, self-selected sample, lack of a control group, and reliance on quantitative measures, which may miss the richness of advanced meditative experiences.
Addictive behaviors
June 1, 2026
Sebastian Ehmann, Nathan M Hager, Paul S Regier et al.
Using data from the 2023 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, lifetime use of mescaline or peyote was associated with lower opioid use disorder severity, while lifetime use of LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, or DMT was associated with higher severity. The link between mescaline/peyote use and lower severity appeared only among adults with high mental health impairment. The findings suggest that different types of psychedelic use have divergent relationships with opioid use disorder severity, and that mental health status may influence these associations.
October 8, 2025
Sebastian Ehmann, Brian Lord, Erica Cook et al.
preprint
Inhibiting the posterior cingulate cortex with transcranial focused ultrasound during a ten-day silent retreat enhanced meditative qualities such as equanimity, concentration, and sensory clarity. Twenty-eight meditators received two stimulation sessions and reported significant increases in trait mindfulness, nondual awareness, and interoceptive body listening. Qualitative reports showed consistent differences between stimulation and non-stimulation days, including shifts in self-perception and cathartic emotional release. The effects often interacted with participants' ongoing psychological challenges, suggesting tFUS may increase baseline equanimity and support meditative development. Implementation was feasible but required logistical planning; limitations include the quasi-experimental design and reliance on self-reports.