CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF EFFECTS OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PRACTICE ON INTERHEMISPHERIC FRONTAL ASYMMETRY AND FRONTAL COHERENCE
International Journal of Neuroscience January 1, 2006 Frederick Travis, Alarik Arenander 111 citations
Frontal brain coherence, but not lateral asymmetry, increases with long-term Transcendental Meditation practice. In two studies, frontal coherence was higher in 13 TM practitioners than in 12 controls, and in a one-year longitudinal study of 14 participants, coherence increased linearly during computer tasks and eyes-closed rest, and rose to a high level after 2 months of TM practice. Lateral asymmetry did not change in any condition. Coherence was more sensitive than lateral asymmetry to the effects of TM practice on brain functioning.