[Buddha-l] buddhism and brain studies

[J. Kingston Cowart]

---------------------------------

At 06:00 PM 11/5/2008, Gary Gach wrote:

>anyone remember the experiment (mid1970s?) (ekg?):
>
>Hindu (TM) and Zen practitioners went into a meditative state, then were
>surprised by the sound of a bell.  The Hindu meditators' brain waves
>remained constant (Alpha? )))).  The brain-wave chart for
>the Zen meditators, showed their Alpha suddenly going into beta (?),
>registering the fact of the bell, and then dipping right back down into
>alpha.
>
>
>or was it that they kept ringing the bell and the TM'ers eventually became
>used to it while the zennies heard it as fresh each time ??

I concur with Katherine Masis that you are probably thinking of the 
Palo Alto Neuropsychiatric Institute study which is said to have 
reported that Zennists never habituated to an auditory stimulus and 
Yogic meditators' responses were extinguished in a very short time 
(Kasamatsu & Hirai, 1966).

Perhaps this 2006 article from researchers at UCSD, the Scripps 
Research Institute, and the University of Zurich may be of some use:

http://p300.scripps.edu/papers/58.pdf

The abstract reads:

Neuroelectric and imaging studies of meditation are reviewed. 
Electroencephalographic measures indicate
an overall slowing subsequent to meditation, with theta and alpha 
activation related to proficiency
of practice. Sensory evoked potential assessment of concentrative 
meditation yields amplitude and
latency changes for some components and practices. Cognitive 
event-related potential evaluation of
meditation implies that practice changes attentional allocation. 
Neuroimaging studies indicate increased
regional cerebral blood flow measures during meditation. Taken 
together, meditation appears to reflect
changes in anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal 
areas. Neurophysiological meditative
state and trait effects are variable but are beginning to demonstrate 
consistent outcomes for research and
clinical applications. Psychological and clinical effects of 
meditation are summarized, integrated, and
discussed with respect to neuroimaging data.

Yours truly,

John


J. Kingston Cowart, M.S.
San Diego, California
<jkcowart at self-change.com>
www.self-change.com