Meditation-type specific reduction in infra-slow activity of electroencephalogram.
Biomedical engineering letters July 1, 2024 Duho Sihn, Junsuk Kim, Sung-Phil Kim 3 citations
Experienced meditators from Vipassana, Himalayan Yoga, and Isha Shoonya traditions show reduced amplitude of infra-slow EEG activity (ISA, <0.1 Hz) compared to novices, especially in the 0.03-0.08 Hz band. For Vipassana meditators, this decrease was most pronounced in the left-frontal region and was accompanied by reduced phase-amplitude coupling between ISA phase and alpha band (8-12 Hz) amplitude, indicating decreased fluctuations in neural excitability. The findings suggest that meditation reduces ISA amplitude and its influence on neural excitability, potentially linking to stress reduction.