During Zen meditation, people who have never meditated before show distinct brain and body changes depending on their baseline anxiety level. In 22 healthy adults, meditation increased slow alpha brain-wave coherence between the frontal lobes (linked to focused internal attention) and shifted autonomic activity toward relaxation (higher parasympathetic and lower sympathetic heart-rate-variability measures). However, individuals with lower trait anxiety experienced a stronger increase in frontal brain coherence, indicating deeper internalized attention, while those with higher trait anxiety showed a stronger shift toward relaxation. The findings suggest that a person's typical anxiety level shapes which aspect of meditation—focused attention or relaxation—predominates.
Rat liver microsomes metabolize LSD into several products. Two previously reported metabolites, lysergic acid ethylamide and nor-LSD, were found alongside two newly identified ones: lysergic acid ethylvinylamide, formed by dehydrogenation of the side chain, and 13-hydroxy-LSD, a phenol. Pretreatment of rats with phenobarbitone sodium induced formation of lysergic acid ethylamide, lysergic acid ethylvinylamide, and nor-LSD, while 3-methylcholanthrene induced lysergic acid ethylamide, lysergic acid ethylvinylamide, and 13-hydroxy-LSD. Nor-LSD formation was induced only by phenobarbitone, and 13-hydroxy-LSD only by methylcholanthrene.