What happens in the brain during Acem Meditation? Explore research showing how relaxed attention influences brain networks, spontaneous thought, emotional processing, and patterns of brain-wave activity.
1. Prefrontal Brain Activation During Acem Meditation
The role of the prefrontal cortex
The prefrontal cortex is involved in attention, cognitive control and the regulation of thoughts and behavior. Understanding how different forms of meditation engage prefrontal brain regions may therefore help researchers identify the neural processes involved when attention is relaxed rather than deliberately controlled.
What did the researchers find?
Using fMRI, researchers found that repetition of a meditation sound with a relaxed focus of attention produced greater activation in specific areas of the prefrontal cortex than concentrative meditation-like tasks. In particular, bilateral areas of the inferior frontal gyrus were more active. The activation also increased during continuous meditation rather than diminishing over time.
Scientific reference
Published in Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2010.
View original research at SAGE Journals →
Davanger S, Ellingsen Ø, Holen A, Hugdahl K. Meditation-specific prefrontal cortical activation during Acem meditation: an fMRI study. Percept Mot Skills. 2010;111(1):291–306. DOI: 10.2466/02.04.22.PMS.111.4.291-306.
2. Nondirective Meditation Activates the Default Mode Network
What is the default mode network?
The default mode network (DMN) is a network of interconnected brain regions that is particularly active when attention is not focused on an external task. It is associated with spontaneous thought and mind wandering, as well as processes involving memories, self-related thought and emotional experiences. Studying the DMN can therefore provide insight into what happens in the brain when thoughts are allowed to arise and pass freely.
What did the researchers find?
Using fMRI, researchers found that nondirective meditation increased activity throughout the default mode network compared with ordinary rest. Brain areas associated with attention, mind wandering, retrieval of episodic memories and emotional processing showed increased activity. Nondirective meditation also produced more extensive activation than a concentrative version of the same meditation practice, in which participants tried to reduce mind wandering.
Scientific reference
Published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2014.
View original research at Frontiers →
Xu J, Vik A, Groote IR, Lagopoulos J, Holen A, Ellingsen Ø, Håberg AK, Davanger S. Nondirective meditation activates default mode network and areas associated with memory retrieval and emotional processing. Front Hum Neurosci. 2014;8:86. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00086.
3. Increased Theta and Alpha Brain Activity During Nondirective Meditation
What are theta and alpha brain waves?
Theta and alpha are patterns of electrical brain activity that can be measured using EEG. Alpha activity is commonly associated with relaxed wakefulness, while theta activity occurs in several states involving internal attention and mental processing. Examining these brain rhythms can help researchers distinguish the neural activity occurring during meditation from that occurring during ordinary rest.
What did the researchers find?
EEG measurements showed significantly increased theta activity during Acem Meditation compared with quiet rest. Theta activity was particularly pronounced in frontal and temporal-central brain regions. Alpha activity was also significantly higher during meditation than during rest, with the strongest alpha activity in posterior regions. The researchers concluded that nondirective meditation alters theta and alpha EEG patterns significantly more than ordinary relaxation.
Scientific reference
Published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2009.
View original research at SAGE Journals →
Lagopoulos J, Xu J, Rasmussen I, Vik A, Malhi GS, Eliassen CF, et al. Increased theta and alpha EEG activity during nondirective meditation. J Altern Complement Med. 2009;15(11):1187–1192. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2009.0113.