Recent findings published in Scientific Reports highlight how an eight-week Taoist meditation course can alter brain function and autonomic nervous system activity. The study revealed that this specific type of meditation training altered brain activity and sympathetic responses during rest but did not produce the same effects during the meditation itself.
The primary motivation behind this study stemmed from the widely acknowledged benefits of meditation, such as enhanced attention, improved emotional stability, and positive effects on physical health. Previous research has shown that experienced meditators exhibit unique patterns of brain activity, indicating reduced activity in regions associated with discursive thoughts and increased activity in areas linked to response inhibition and attention. Additionally, meditation has been shown to improve cardiovascular function and modulate gene expression related to inflammation and aging.
However, despite these benefits, there are challenges in defining clear success criteria for meditation training and understanding the trajectory of changes in brain and autonomic nervous system activity during meditation. Most studies focus on average measures of brain and autonomic nervous system activity, leaving a gap in knowledge regarding the specific changes that occur during meditation and how these changes might differ among individuals, especially novices. This study aimed to address these gaps by examining the effects of Taoist meditation training on both brain activity and autonomic responses in beginners.
“My interest in meditation research stems from personal experiences with meditation and observations of friends and acquaintances. Within my social circle, I’ve encountered a lot of individuals engaged in various mental practices,” said study author Maria Volodina of HSE University.
“Traditional meditation teachings often incorporate mental imagery, such as envisioning glowing balls in the joints or imagining suspension by a silver thread from the crown of the head, to facilitate entry into a desired meditative state. It stands to reason that if these mental images aid different individuals in achieving a specific state, then evoking corresponding images in one’s mind and body should result in measurable physiological changes, such as alterations in brain activity, heart rate, and breathing.”
“If this holds true, the use of biofeedback devices tracking these changes could expedite the process of achieving the desired meditative state, either in conjunction with or instead of mental imagery. This concept underpins the widespread use of biofeedback devices in meditation today,” Volodina explained.
The study involved 25 participants who were divided into two groups: a meditation group and a control group. The meditation group underwent a 16-session Taoist meditation training over eight weeks, while the control group attended sessions where they listened to audiobooks. None of the participants had prior experience with meditation, ensuring that any observed effects could be attributed to the training itself.
During the training, the meditation group practiced an audio-guided Taoist meditation, which includes stages of relaxation, body scan, stopping internal dialogue, visualization, and instructed breathing. The sessions were designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to meditation, under the guidance of an experienced instructor to ensure proper technique and reduce the risk of adverse effects.
To assess the effects of the training, the researchers measured various physiological and brain activity indicators before and after the intervention. These included electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor brain activity, as well as photoplethysmography (PPG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and respirometry to evaluate autonomic nervous system activity. During these testing sessions, the researchers recorded data during a resting state (both eyes-open and eyes-closed) and during a meditation practice guided by the audio instruction.
Interestingly, the researchers did not find significant changes in brain activity or autonomic responses during the actual meditation sessions. Although there were observable profiles of EEG power changes during meditation, these did not differ significantly between the pre- and post-intervention measurements.
“In this study, a group of participants undergoing meditation training were instructed by the same instructor. We aimed to observe how the dynamics of their physiological indicators would change as they immersed themselves in meditation after completing the course,” Volodina told PsyPost.
“If the hypothesis regarding the existence of an innate tendency towards a specific strategy were confirmed, we would have expected to see a division among the participants in the experimental group, similar to what we observed in a previous study among experienced meditators. Unfortunately, the duration of the experiment proved insufficient to notice statistically significant changes during the meditation immersion process.”
However, the researchers found significant changes in brain activity during the resting state in the meditation group. Specifically, there was an increase in theta and alpha power in various brain regions. Theta power increased in the occipito-parietal area during the eyes-open condition and in the frontal, right parietal, and occipital areas during the eyes-closed condition. Alpha power also increased in the frontal and fronto-central areas during both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions.
These increases in theta and alpha power are associated with states of relaxed alertness and internal attention, suggesting that the meditation training helped participants achieve a calmer, more focused state during rest.
In terms of autonomic nervous system activity, the meditation group showed significant changes in the autonomic balance index, stress index, and vegetative rhythm indicator during the eyes-open resting state. These changes indicate increased sympathetic activity, which is associated with heightened alertness and stress response.
“We did not anticipate that just 16 hours of classes spread over 8 weeks (we specifically asked participants not to practice at home) could alter the baseline levels of physiological indicators,” Volodina said. “Additionally, somewhat unexpectedly, we noted an increase in sympathetic activity at rest among the participants. Sympathetic nervous system activity is typically considered a marker of stress.”
“In reality, it does not always represent ‘bad stress’; rather, it reflects the level of arousal. Therefore, such changes may indicate that learning meditation in the early stages could be quite stressful, similar to learning any other new skill, or that participants become more ‘alive’ and alert.”
While the study provides valuable insights into the effects of Taoist meditation training, there are several limitations to consider. Firstly, the sample size was relatively small, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results and explore the potential variability in responses among different individuals.
Additionally, the study only investigated the effects of one type of meditation. Future research should examine whether similar changes occur with other meditation practices and how different types of meditation might influence brain and autonomic nervous system activity.
“Our data does not conclusively indicate whether using devices for meditation based on biofeedback can be beneficial in the early stages of meditation and whether the state people enter using such devices corresponds to traditional meditation,” Volodina said. “At present, we have decided to approach the same question from a slightly different angle and are studying the effects of body awareness training using biofeedback systems.”
“During this training, participants are asked to focus on sensations in their hands and their own pulse. We are examining how such interoceptive training affects the participants’ psycho-emotional state, as well as their level of empathy and response to emotionally charged stimuli.”
The study, “Short-term meditation training alters brain activity and sympathetic responses at rest, but not during meditation,” was authored by Anna Rusinova, Maria Volodina, and Alexei Ossadtchi.