EEG Power and Coherence Analysis of an Expert Meditator in the Eight Jhanas,

We report the first EEG recordings of an expert in the 8 advanced meditations called jhanas, and propose 5 hypotheses on how the jhanas differ in EEG power from the eyes-closed resting state at 7 different brain regions. We hypothesize simple changes in the brain regions responsible for each of the 5 principal experiential features of jhana states. These features are: (1) internal verbalizations fade, (2) external awareness dims, (3) the sense of personal boundaries is altered, (4) the experience of evaluations, goals, and “shoulds” diminishes, and (5) attention is highly focused on the object of meditation. The results strongly confirm reduced activity in the brain regions related to the first 3 hypotheses, with all 16 of the planned comparisons significant and in the predicted direction. With respect to Hypothesis 4, results are mixed, with all 4 predictions significantly confirmed in the alpha1 band, but all 4 disconfirmed in the theta band. Lastly, Hypothesis 5 was mostly confirmed, with 5 of the 6 planned comparisons in the predicted direction. The EEG spectra show strong, significant, and consistent differences in specific brain regions when the meditator is in a jhana state compared to normal resting consciousness. Brain studies of expert meditators while in “peak states” have become increasingly sophisticated and better controlled. Lutz et al. (2004) reported highamplitude gamma synchrony that was only present for 8 expert Tibetan Buddhists during compassion meditation and that was not exhibited by novice meditators. BrefczynskiLewis et al. (2007) used fMRI to show that expert meditators activated a network of brain regions typically involved in sustained attention during concentrative meditation in a way that differed from novices. A SPECT study by Newberg et al. (2001) showed a unique decline in activity in the orientation center (posterior superior parietal lobule, or PSPL), for Tibetan Buddhist monks and Franciscan nuns, during mystical feelings of union with the universe. All of the published studies of meditation limit themselves to one type of meditation (e.g., only metta or only Transcendental MeditationTM). In contrast, some experts in Theravadan Buddhist tradition practice a set of 8 “jhana” meditations, each 1 This research is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Douglas Finlayson of Seattle, WA, who initiated this study. 2 Presented at the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute, June 6-12, 2008, in Garrison, NY. Correspondence may be addressed to [email protected]. 3 Professor Emeritus, University of California, Davis and Wellspring Institute 4 Wellspring Institute 5 University of Washington, Seattle, WA 6 Professor, Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA