Inducing a meditative state by artificial perturbations: A causal mechanistic understanding of brain dynamics underlying meditation
bioRxiv Preprint Server July 27, 2023 Paulina Clara Dagnino, Javier A. Galadí, Estela Càmara et al. 1 citation preprint
Meditation produces distinct whole-brain dynamics compared to rest, particularly in the triple-network model (executive control, salience, and default-mode networks). Using a causal mechanistic framework, researchers defined probabilistic metastable substates from dynamic brain patterns and adjusted a whole-brain model of the resting state to simulate transitions to meditation. They successfully induced the meditative state through localized artificial perturbations, primarily shifting areas in the somatomotor and dorsal attention networks. The work suggests meditation can be studied as a practice for health and as a potential therapy for brain disorders.