Neuromodulation and meditation: A review and synthesis toward promoting well-being and understanding consciousness and brain.
AI Summary
This review study examines how non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) can be combined with meditation practices to enhance their benefits for well-being. The researchers suggest that NIBS, which uses techniques to stimulate brain activity, may help boost the behavioral and neural effects typically achieved through meditation alone. The study indicates that previous research has primarily focused on stimulating frontal and parietal brain regions during meditation. While the findings show promise for enhancing meditation-based interventions in both healthy individuals and clinical populations, the researchers acknowledge significant methodological variations across studies that make definitive conclusions challenging. The review emphasizes the potential for this combined approach to support well-being and resilience, though it calls for more rigorous future research to better understand the specific brain networks and mechanisms involved in advanced meditation states.
Key Findings
- Non-invasive brain stimulation may boost the behavioral and neural effects of meditation when combined with practice
- Previous research has predominantly targeted frontal and parietal brain cortices during meditation
- NIBS has revealed distinct neural signatures in long-term meditators
- Methodological variations in existing studies contribute to challenges in definitively interpreting results
Abstract
The neuroscience of meditation is providing insight into meditation's beneficial effects on well-being and informing understanding of consciousness. However, further research is needed to explicate mechanisms linking brain activity and meditation. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) presents a promising approach for causally investigating neural mechanisms of meditation. Prior NIBS-meditation research has predominantly targeted frontal and parietal cortices suggesting that it might be possible to boost the behavioral and neural effects of meditation with NIBS. Moreover, NIBS has revealed distinct neural signatures in long-term meditators. Nonetheless, methodological variations in NIBS-meditation research contributes to challenges for definitive interpretation of previous results. Future NIBS studies should further investigate core substrates of meditation, including specific brain networks and oscillations, and causal neural mechanisms of advanced meditation. Overall, NIBS-meditation research holds promise for enhancing meditation-based interventions in support of well-being and resilience in both non-clinical and clinical populations, and for uncovering the brain-mind mechanisms of meditation and consciousness.
Authors
Kilian Abellaneda-Pérez, Ruby M Potash, Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Matthew D Sacchet