EEG brain reconfiguration during meditation-induced extended cessation of consciousness: A dense-sampling multi-participant microstate study

Extended cessation (EC) is a rare meditative state in which conscious experience temporarily stops, followed by heightened perception and emotional balance. In five highly trained meditators, electroencephalographic microstate analysis revealed that EC altered brain activity patterns linked to self-referential processing. Specifically, microstate B occurred less often and for shorter durations, while microstate C occurred more often and for longer durations. Transition probabilities also shifted, with more transitions from A and B to C and fewer from A to B. These changes appeared across delta, theta, and beta frequency bands, with additional band-specific effects for microstates A and D. The findings suggest EC involves a reweighting of self-referential and sensory processes.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Extended cessation (EC) is a rare, non-ordinary meditative endpoint characterized by a temporary absence of reportable phenomenal experience, followed by an extraordinary perceptual vividness, openness, equanimity and affective balance. EC thus offers a unique, non-pharmacological window into the brain dynamics underlying suspension of conscious experience and the subsequent psychological transformations. The present study investigated whole-brain electrophysiological changes induced by EC using a dense-sampling electroencephalographic microstate analysis, in five highly trained meditators. Temporal parameters and transition probabilities of canonical microstates during EC were compared with two control conditions (counting and memory tasks) across six frequency bands (broadband, delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma). EC was characterized by alterations in global explained variance and coverage of microstates B and C, both associated with self-referential processing. Specifically, EC involved less frequent and shorter occurrences of microstate B, and more frequent and longer occurrences of microstate C. Transition probabilities also reconfigured: transitions from A and B to C increased, whereas transitions from A to B decreased. These broadband effects were distributed across delta, theta, and beta frequency sub-bands. Additional band-specific changes emerged for microstate A and D. Delta band showed longer microstate A and increased B-to-A transitions during EC, while beta band showed less frequent and shorter D and decreased bidirectional B-to-D transitions. These scalp-level findings support a precision re-weighting account of EC, reflecting self-referential reconfigurations with enhanced sensory-anchored inflow. This study provides initial evidence for the neurophysiological correlates of EC, with potential implications for human wellbeing.