Time-to-onset and temporal dynamics of EEG during breath-watching meditation

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Abstract
Introduction: Mind-body practices, such as meditation, enhance mental well-being. Research studies consistently demonstrate improved brain function and psychological well-being in meditation practitioners. A substantial body of neuroscientific evidence highlights changes in alpha and theta frequency bands during meditation among practitioners. Neurophysiological effects of meditation are reported as average power changes from resting to meditative states. However, there is a notable gap in research concerning the time-to-onset and temporal dynamics of these changes during meditation. Method: Our study addresses this gap by recording high-density 128-channel EEG data during breath- watching meditation in three groups: meditation-naïve controls (n = 28), novice meditators (n = 33), and advanced meditators (n = 42). Meditators were trained in the Isha Yoga tradition. Real-time changes in brain power across different frequency bands were analyzed by segmenting the EEG data into 1-minute intervals. Using the first 30 seconds of breath- watching as the baseline, we calculated within-group power differences between this baseline and successive 1-minute segments (non-overlapping, non-sliding windows). For between- group comparisons, we assessed power differences among the three groups at 0.5, 3, 6, and 9 minutes. Results: Our results indicate that time-to-onset of statistically significant increases in alpha, theta, and beta1 power, as well as decreases in delta and gamma1 power, occur around the 2-3 minute mark, with effects starting to peak between 7- and 10-minutes duration across all three groups. Statistically significant differences were observed between groups in the magnitude of these changes: advanced practitioners exhibited higher theta and theta-alpha power at all time points compared to the other groups. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that neurophysiological changes begin around 2-3 minutes after starting meditation and peak around 7-10 minutes across all three groups. However, the magnitude of these effects is greater in the advanced meditator group. As long as meditation retreats are not possible for many individuals, brief meditation practices of 7 minutes or more, delivered through digital platforms, could offer accessible, effective, and scalable solutions to improve mental well-being. This suggests a broader application of meditation practices in daily life, encouraging even those with tight schedules to incorporate such beneficial practices.

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