Inducing a meditative state by artificial perturbations: A mechanistic understanding of brain dynamics underlying meditation.
Network neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.) January 1, 2024 Paulina Clara Dagnino, Javier A Galadí, Estela Càmara et al. 4 citations
Meditation produces distinct whole-brain dynamics compared to rest. Using fMRI data from expert meditators and controls, the authors defined probabilistic metastable substates (PMS) for each condition, capturing different probabilities of dynamic brain patterns. They then fit a whole-brain model to these substates and performed in silico perturbations to simulate transitions between resting-state and meditation. The results show that localized artificial perturbations can induce such transitions, and the sensitivity of different brain areas to perturbation varies. This mechanistic framework clarifies how meditation alters brain dynamics and suggests potential applications for health and therapy.