Neural correlates of pure presence
Melanie Boly, Richard Smith, Giulietta Vigueras Borrego, Joan Paul Pozuelos, Tariq Alauddin, Peter Malinowski, Giulio Tononi
bioRxiv Preprint Server April 18, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.18.590081 via bioRxiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA state called pure presence, reported in meditative traditions as a vivid experience without thoughts, perceptions, or self, was examined in twenty-two long-term meditators using high-density EEG. During pure presence, brain activity showed widespread reductions in gamma and delta power compared to mind-wandering, watching a movie, active thinking, and dreamless sleep. The strongest gamma decreases occurred in the posteromedial cortex. These findings align with integrated information theory's prediction that vivid consciousness can arise when the brain's cortical substrate is largely quiet yet highly awake.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Long-term Vajrayana and Zen meditators |
| Duration | Week-long retreat |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key finding | Pure presence is associated with widespread reductions in gamma and delta power, consistent with integrated information theory's predictions. |
Abstract
Pure presence (PP) is described in several meditative traditions as an experience of a vast, vivid space devoid of perceptual objects, thoughts, and self. Integrated information theory (IIT) predicts that such vivid experiences may occur when the cortical substrate of consciousness is virtually silent. To test this, we analyzed high-quality 256-electrode high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) from twenty-two long-term Vajrayana and Zen meditators who reported reaching PP during a week-long retreat. Because neural activity typically increases gamma power, we predicted PP would show widespread gamma reductions. Across both traditions, PP was associated with broadband power decrease compared to within-meditation mind-wandering, most consistent in the gamma range (30– 45 Hz). Source reconstruction revealed widespread gamma decreases, strongest in posteromedial cortex. PP gamma power was lower than in all other control states, including watching or imagining a movie, active thinking, and open-monitoring. PP delta power (1–4Hz) was also markedly reduced compared to dreamless sleep. Meditative states resembling PP—with minimal perceptual contents or accompanied by bliss— showed similar signatures. Overall, PP appears to be a state of vivid consciousness during which the cortex is highly awake (low delta) yet widely quiescent (low gamma), in line with IIT’s predictions.