Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task
Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience April 22, 2015 Kathleen A. Garrison, Thomas A. Zeffiro, Dustin Scheinost et al. 309 citations
Meditation is linked to reduced activity in the default mode network, a brain system tied to self-focused thought and mind wandering, even when compared to an active cognitive task rather than just rest. In a larger group than prior studies, meditators showed less default mode network activation during meditation than non-meditators performing a control task. Key regions involved were the posterior cingulate/precuneus and anterior cingulate cortex. These findings suggest that suppression of default mode processing is a central neural process in long-term meditation, extending beyond what is seen during other effortful tasks.