Contrary to long-held beliefs, meditation doesn’t simply quiet the brain, but fundamentally reshapes its activity, according to a modern international study published this week. Researchers found that the practice is characterized by heightened cerebral activity and profound alterations in brain dynamics, challenging the common perception of meditation as a state of mental emptiness.
The study, led by neurophysiologist Annalisa Pascarella of the Italian National Research Council and psychology professor Karim Jerbi at the Université de Montréal, involved twelve monks from the Thai Forest Tradition at the Santacittārāma monastery near Rome. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) – a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting magnetic fields – scientists analyzed the monks’ brain activity as they practiced two classical forms of meditation: Samatha and Vipassana.
Samatha, a technique focused on sustained attention, often utilizing breath awareness, aims to stabilize the mind and achieve a state of calm concentration. Vipassana, conversely, emphasizes equanimous observation of sensations, thoughts, and emotions as they arise, fostering mental clarity and deeper understanding. “With Samatha, you narrow your field of attention, somewhat like narrowing the beam of a flashlight; with Vipassana, on the contrary, you widen the beam,” explained Jerbi. “Both practices actively engage attentional mechanisms. Even as Vipassana is more challenging for beginners, in mindfulness programs the two techniques are often practiced in alternation.”
The research revealed that both meditation techniques increased the complexity of brain signals compared to a resting state, suggesting the brain doesn’t simply calm down during meditation, but enters a dynamic and information-rich state. Researchers also observed widespread reductions in parameters linked to the global organization of neural activity. The study focused on indicators of brain dynamics including neural oscillations, signal complexity, and “criticality” – a concept borrowed from statistical physics describing systems operating efficiently between order and chaos.
“A brain that lacks flexibility adapts poorly, while too much chaos can lead to malfunction, as in epilepsy,” Jerbi stated in a press release. “At the critical point, neural networks are stable enough to transmit information reliably, yet flexible enough to adapt quickly to new situations. This balance optimizes the brain’s processing, learning, and response capacity.”
Analysis of the “criticality deviation coefficient” revealed a distinct difference between Samatha and Vipassana. While both increased brain complexity, they did so through different dynamic configurations, aligning with the subjective experiences of practitioners. Vipassana appeared to bring the brain closer to a balance of stability and flexibility, while Samatha fostered a more stable and focused state. Researchers believe that approaching this critical state enhances the brain’s responsiveness and efficiency, potentially improving task-switching and information storage capabilities.
The findings, published in the journal Neuroscience of Consciousness, build on previous research suggesting meditation’s impact on brain structure and function. The monks involved in the study had amassed an average of over 15,000 hours of meditation practice, representing a significant level of expertise within the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism.
