F. Travis, Autonomic and EEG patterns distinguish transcending from other experiencesduring Transcendental Meditation practice, INT J PSYCP, 42(1), 2001, pp. 1-9
This study compared EEG and autonomic patterns during transcending to 'othe
r' experiences during Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice. To correlate
specific meditation experiences with physiological measures, the experimen
ter rang a bell three times during the TM session. Subjects categorized the
ir experiences around each bell ring. Transcending, in comparison to 'other
' experiences during TM practice, was marked by: (1) significantly lower br
eath rates; (2) higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia amplitudes; (3) higher
EEG alpha amplitude; and (4) higher alpha coherence. In addition, skin cond
uctance responses to the experimenter-initiated bell rings were larger duri
ng transcending. These findings suggest that monitoring patterns of physiol
ogical variables may index dynamically changing inner experiences during me
ditation practice. This could allow a more precise investigation into the n
ature of meditation experiences and a more accurate comparison of meditatio
n states with other eyes-closed conditions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.
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