Concentration and Mindfulness Meditations: Unique Forms of Consciousness?
Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
Short Title:
Concentration and Mindfulness Meditations
Format:
Journal Article
Publication Year:
n.d.
Pages:
147-165
Sources ID:
21538
Visibility:
Private
Zotero Collections:
Variations in Practice Detail, Contemplation by Applied Subject, Cognition and Contemplation, Psychology and Contemplation, Science and Contemplation
Abstract:
(Show)
Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings from 19 scalp recording sites were used to differentiate among two posited unique forms of mediation, concentration and mindfulness, and a normal relaxation control condition. Analyzes of all traditional frequency bandwidth data (i.e., delta 1–3 Hz; theta, 4–7 Hz; alpha, 8–12 Hz; beta 1, 13–25 Hz; beta 2, 26–32 Hz) showed strong mean amplitude frequency differences between the two meditation conditions and relaxation over numerous cortical sites. Furthermore, significant differences were obtained between concentration and mindfulness states at all bandwidths. Taken together, our results suggest that concentration and mindfulness “meditations” may be unique forms of consciousness and are not merely degrees of a state of relaxation.