Shifts in brain network topology during Isha Shoonya meditation

Poster Session E - Monday, March 31, 2025, 2:30 – 4:30 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Riku Ihalainen^1,2, Sepideh Hariri^1,2, Kestutis Kveraga^1,2, Balachundhar Subramaniam^1,2; ¹Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, ²Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Shoonya meditation, a practice of conscious non-doing and detachment from internal and external stimuli, has been linked to brain activity shifts, including increased gamma and theta power. We examined neural changes in 30 experienced meditators using resting EEG from a 5-minute eye-closed baseline and ~15 minutes of Shoonya meditation. Data were recorded with a 64-channel BrainProducts system, downsampled to 250 Hz, filtered (0.5–100 Hz), and notch-filtered (55–65 Hz) for line noise. Ten-second epochs underwent artifact rejection, with ICA aiding identification of eye-blink and muscle components. We analyzed the first and last clean 200 seconds of meditation (F20 and L20, respectively) and a 200-second baseline (EC). Power and functional connectivity (dwPLI) were assessed for delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma1, and gamma2 bands. Graph-theoretical metrics were derived from binarized connectivity matrices, thresholded from 90% to 10% connectivity densities. Spectral power analysis showed a small theta power increase during meditation, indicating relaxed, internally focused attention. Alpha power decreased, especially in posterior regions, suggesting reduced cortical inhibition. Gamma-band connectivity (30–100 Hz, particularly high-gamma 65–100 Hz) decreased, implying less integrated sensory and cognitive processing. Simultaneously, global efficiency and participation coefficient in the gamma band increased, indicating more efficient information transmission despite reduced connectivity. Taken together, these results align with awareness detached from sensory and cognitive engagement. These preliminary findings suggest Shoonya meditation reorganizes brain networks to support internal cohesion and reduce external processing. Future research should examine how these shifts relate to reduced external/internal awareness and long-term effects of practice.

Topic Area: OTHER