EEG Characteristics During Mindfulness Meditation Among Buddhist Monks in a Sri Lankan Forest Monastery

This study provides an analysis of EEG patterns during a Vipassana mindfulness meditation session among Buddhist monks who strictly follow the original teachings of Buddhist doctrine.

A continuous EEG recording was obtained from Buddhist monks of the “Meethirigala Nissarana Vanaya” forest monastery in Sri Lanka during a Vipassana meditation session that lasted 40 min. Mean amplitudes obtained from FFT at the beginning, at 5-min intervals, and at the end of meditation session, were analyzed with paired t-test. Parametric t statistics of the EEGLAB FieldTrip tool were used for spectral analysis.

All 18 participants were right-handed males. The mean age was 41.4 years (SD 17.5). A progressive increase in the mean amplitude of the entire brain was noted during mindfulness meditation (p = .005). Theta (p = .013), alpha (p = .017), and gamma (p = .030) were significantly high at the end compared to the beginning of meditation. The increment was observed, as progressive for theta, early and late peaks for alpha and at the end for gamma frequencies. Theta activation and alpha activation were observed at the left occipital region and gamma activation at frontal, central, temporal, and occipital regions of both sides of the brain.

Progressive increment of brainpower was noted during the session of mindfulness meditation. Unique theta, alpha, and gamma activation patterns could be specific for meditative transitions of Vipassana.