Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
Volume 42, Issue 1, Pages 1-9Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/S0167-8760(01)00143-X
Keywords
Transcendental Meditation; alpha power; coherence; respiratory sinus arrhythmia; breath rate; consciousness
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This study compared EEG and autonomic patterns during transcending to 'other' experiences during Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice. To correlate specific meditation experiences with physiological measures, the experimenter rang a bell three times during the TM session. Subjects categorized their experiences around each bell ring. Transcending, in comparison to 'other' experiences during TM practice, was marked by: (1) significantly lower breath rates; (2) higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia amplitudes; (3) higher EEG alpha amplitude; and (4) higher alpha coherence. In addition, skin conductance responses to the experimenter-initiated bell rings were larger during transcending. These findings suggest that monitoring patterns of physiological variables may index dynamically changing inner experiences during meditation practice. This could allow a more precise investigation into the nature of meditation experiences and a more accurate comparison of meditation states with other eyes-closed conditions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
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