title: EEG manifestations of nondual experiences in meditators.
abstract: The holistic experiential benefits of meditation among a widely ranging population have been well established within the empirical literature. What remain less clear are the underlying mechanisms of the meditative process. A large impediment to this clarity is attributable to the lack of a unified and comprehensive taxonomy, as well as to the absence of clear differentiation within the literature between method of practice and resulting state. The present study discusses and then attempts to identify within our sample a theoretically universal culminating meditative state known as Nondual Awareness, which is differentiated from the method or practice state. Participants completed an in-lab meditation, during which neurological patterns were analyzed using electroencephalography (EEG). Analyses indicated significantly higher EEG power among slower wave frequencies (delta, theta, alpha) during the reported nondual events. These events appear neurologically distinct from meditation sessions as a whole, which interestingly demonstrated significant elevation within the gamma range.
authors.affiliation: Northern Arizona University, Department of Psychology, NAU Box 15106, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA. Electronic address: amandaeberman@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amanda E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.affiliation: Northern Arizona University, Department of Psychology, NAU Box 15106, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA. Electronic address: Larry.Stevens@nau.edu.
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001130:Arizona; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003243:Consciousness; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Contemplative Neuroscience; EEG; Meditation; Nondual Awareness; Nonduality