NeuroMeditation
NeuroMeditation is a meditation technique refined in the United States beginning in 2014 by Dr. Jeff Tarrant of the NeuroMeditation Institute with many practitioners worldwide.
NeuroMeditation refers to the application of brain-based principles to meditative practices, with the core principle being that the way the brain responds to specific forms of meditation provides insight into how these practices may be best used to balance the brain and improve well-being. NeuroMeditation has been used to match specific meditation styles as treatment for many mental health concerns.
Meditation practices are divided into four categories (Focus, Mindfulness, Open Heart, and Quiet Mind) based on the effects each style has on the brain. Students of NeuroMeditation learn the science behind meditation as well as strategies and techniques to facilitate these specific states of consciousness.
NeuroMeditation emphasizes individual differences, recognizing that not everyone will respond to the same approach. Individuals can learn NeuroMeditation by working one-on-one with a NeuroMeditation Instructor or by joining a group class, typically taught over the course of six weeks.
NeuroMeditation can be combined with neurofeedback and biofeedback technologies as well as virtual reality and augmented reality to enhance an individual’s ability to quickly find a desired meditative state and to stay in that state for longer periods of time.
Effects on Brain and Mental Health Benefits
Focus NeuroMeditation
Focus meditation involves a voluntary and sustained attention on a chosen object. Examples include concentration practices that require the practitioner to maintain attention on a single object, such as the breath, a part of the body, a strong visual image, or a word or phrase. Often, this form of meditation is referred to as focused attention (FA) in research literature.
Studies examining brainwave patterns during Focus forms of meditation have found increased communication between the front and back of the brain in the gamma frequency as well as increases in gamma and beta2 (20-30 hz) activity.[1]
Some of the benefits of Focus meditation include the following:[2]
- Reduction in distractibility and mind wandering[3]
- Improved concentration and focus[4][5][6]
- Increased self-monitoring[7][8]
- Improved cognitive self-awareness[9]
- Increased mental stability[10]
- Improved working memory[11]
As such, Focus meditations are a good match for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dementia, mild traumatic brain injury, and memory problems.
Mindfulness NeuroMeditation
Mindfulness meditation involves an open presence and non-judgmental awareness of sensory, cognitive, and affective experiences as they arise in the present moment. Mindfulness meditation practices require that attention is shifted to an observer role, simply noticing what is happening without attachment. Often, this form of meditation is referred to as effortless awareness or open monitoring in the research literature. Mindfulness meditation is a quieting meditative practice.
Studies examining brainwave patterns during Mindfulness forms of meditation have found increased activation in the salience network[12][13][14] and deactivation of the default mode network[15].
Mindfulness meditation may be particularly beneficial in the treatment of chronic stress and anxiety, as it shifts attention away from the future or past and minimizes the tendency to ruminate or brood.
Practitioners of Mindfulness meditation report the following effects:[16][17]
- Increased ability to let go
- Creation of distance from thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- Reduction in judgement
- Increased awareness of bodily sensations and states
- Increased regulation of emotion
- Calm awareness of present moment
As such, Mindfulness meditations are most appropriate for those with anxiety or chronic stress.
Open Heart NeuroMeditation
Open Heart meditation involves activating positive feeling states, such as caring, love, generosity, gratitude, and compassion. Typically, once the feeling is activated, it is combined with an intention to send those feelings and well wishes to others or to oneself. Often, this form of meditation is referred to as lovingkindness-compassion (LK-C) in the research literature.
Studies examining brainwave patterns during Open Heart forms of meditation have found significant increases in gamma wave synchronization in the frontal lobes as well as increased gamma power.[18]
Practitioners of Open Heart meditation report the following effects:[19][20][21][22]
- Improved mood
- Increased empathy, gratitude, and appreciation
- Increased ability to acknowledge new perspective
- Increased generosity
As such, Open Heart meditations are most appropriate for those managing depression, grief, resentment, or relationship concerns.
Quiet Mind NeuroMeditation
Quiet Mind meditation involves moving beyond the procedures of meditative practice toward a quiet state of restful awareness. These practices represent meditation styles that involve inhibiting or minimizing internal thoughts or images. As such, this state tends to be characterized by a feeling of emptiness and quietude. Transcendental meditation is a type of Quiet Mind meditation.
Studies examining brainwave patterns during Quiet Mind forms of meditation have found increased alpha1 (8-10 hz) power and communication, which is associated with reduced external attention, vigilance, and expectancy.[23][24][25]
Practitioners of Quiet Mind meditation report the following effects:[26]
- Increased non-attachment and non-striving
- Reduction in self-talk
- Increased distance from the ego-mind
- Increased restful alertness
- Improved physical health (respiration, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk)
As such, Quiet Mind meditations are most appropriate for those managing psychological disorders involving disruptions in a sense of self, such as personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Quiet Mind meditations are also appropriate for those addressing symptoms of chronic pain.
NeuroMeditation with EEG
As early as the 1960’s, pioneers in the field of neurofeedback began combining neurofeedback with meditation in an attempt to replicate commonly reported effects (Crane, 2007). As the fields of neurofeedback and neuroscience have grown, more sophisticated approaches have emerged that take individual variables into account, such as the type of meditation practice and the intended outcomes of specific practices.
NeuroMeditation can involve using brainwave biofeedback via Electroencephalography (EEG) devices to monitor an individual's brain activity and to use that information to gently guide the individual into specific meditative states.
Tracking brainwave activity allows a meditation facilitator to determine whether the individual meditating is relaxed or focused or engaged in body-based emotions or mind wandering. Brainwaves can also ascertain whether the individual has entered a space of internal quiet.
By monitoring the brainwave activity and connecting the information provided directly to the intent of the meditation, meditators can learn how to more quickly enter a desired state of consciousness and to maintain that state for increasing periods of time.
EEG NeuroMeditation is often conducted in the office of a professional trained in neurofeedback, which ensures that sensors are placed correctly and that the equipment used is providing accurate measurements. NeuroMeditation Instructors also have specific training to guide individuals through a meditation practice and to interpret the EEG results in a meaningful way.
With advances in technology, consumer-grade EEG equipment is available to the general public. These devices have increased accessibility to NeuroMeditation and have also increased general awareness about internal states. Although they do track brainwave changes over time, these devices have limited signal quality and sensor placement, which can inhibit the quality of information individuals receive.
Manufacturers are beginning to address these limitations, with new companies such as Neuphony and Neurosity bringing clinical-grade hardware products to market and others such as Divergent Technologies offering software solutions to accompany these devices.
History
Dr. Jeff Tarrant, current CEO and founder of the NeuroMeditation Institute, was professionally trained as a counseling psychologist and neurofeedback clinician. In addition, he received training in a variety of spiritual and meditative practices including Zen, Vipassana, Qigong, Taoism, Arhatic Yoga, and Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
He studied the written works of Anna Wise, attended a NeuroMeditation workshop taught by Dr. Richard Soutar, and continued to experiment with technology-assisted approaches to meditation for nearly 20 years before writing a book chapter that outlined the basic approach to EEG NeuroMeditation.
In 2015, Tarrant began teaching workshops without the use of neurofeedback. This material became the basis of the book Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain, published in 2017.
Dr. Tarrant founded the NeuroMeditation Institute (NMI) in 2016 to teach individuals NeuroMeditation and to train mental health professionals how to use NeuroMeditation with their clients. Originally located in Corvallis, Oregon, USA, NMI moved to Eugene, Oregon, USA in 2018. Since that time, NMI has continued to expand, offering a variety of certification programs for professionals and classes to teach individuals meditation for mental health.
References
- ↑ Travis, F.; Sheer, J. (2010). "Focused attention, open monitoring, and automatic self-transcending: Categories to organize meditations from Vedic, Buddhist, and Chinese traditions". Consciousness and Cognition. 19 (4): 1110–1118. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2010.01.007. PMID 20167507. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Tarrant, J. (2017). Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain: Integrating Neuroscience Strategies for ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD. Eau Claire, WI: PESI Publishing & Media. pp. 21–52. ISBN 9781683730729. Search this book on
- ↑ Jha, A.; Krompinger, J.; Baime, M. (2007). "Mindfulness training modifies subsystems of attention". Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience. 7 (2): 109–119. doi:10.3758/cabn.7.2.109. PMID 17672382. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Valk, S.; Bernhardt, B.; Trautwein, F.; Bockler, A.; Kanske, P.; Guizard, N.; Collins, D.; Singer, T. (2017). "Structural plasticity of the social brain: differential change after socio-affective and cognitive mental training". Science Advances. 3 (10): e1700489. Bibcode:2017SciA....3E0489V. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1700489. PMC 5627980. PMID 28983507.
- ↑ Carter, O.; Presti, D.; Callistemon, C.; Ungerer, Y.; Liu, G.; Pettigrew, J. (2005). "Meditation alters perceptual rivalry in Tibetan Buddhist monks" (PDF). Current Biology. 15 (11): R412–R413. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.05.043. PMID 15936259. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Brefczynski-Lewis, J.; Lutz, A.; Schaefer, H.; Levinson, D.; Davidson, R. (2007). "Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104 (27): 11483–11488. Bibcode:2007PNAS..10411483B. doi:10.1073/pnas.0606552104. PMC 1903340. PMID 17596341.
- ↑ Lutz, A.; Dunne, J.; Davidson, R. (2006). "Meditation and the neuroscience of consciousness: An introduction". Cambridge handbook of consciousness. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 499–551. Search this book on
- ↑ Slagter, H.; Davidson, R.; Lutz, A. (2011). "Mental training as a tool in the neuroscientific study of brain and cognitive plasticity". Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 5 (17): 17. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2011.00017. PMC 3039118. PMID 21347275.
- ↑ Lenhart, L.; Steiger, R.; Waibel, M.; Mangesius, S.; Grams, A.; Singewald, N.; Gizewski, E. (2020). "Cortical reorganization processes in meditation naïve participants induced by 7 weeks focused attention meditation training". Behavioral Brain Research. 395: 395. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112828. PMID 32745662 Check
|pmid=value (help). Unknown parameter|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Lutz, A.; Slagter, H.; Rawlings, N.; Francis, A.; Greischar, L.; Davidson, R. (2009). "Mental training enhances attentional stability: neural and behavioral evidence". Journal of Neuroscience. 29 (42): 13418–13427. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1614-09.2009. PMC 2789281. PMID 19846729.
- ↑ Brandmeyer, T.; Delore, A. (2020). "Closed-loop frontal midline neurofeedback: A novel approach for training focused-attention meditation". Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 14. doi:10.3389/fnhumn.2020.00246 (inactive 31 October 2021).
- ↑ Lazar, S.; Kerr, C.; Wasserman, R.; Gray, J.; Greve, D.; Treadway, M.; M.; B.; J.; Benson, H.; Rauch, S.; Moore, C.; Fischl, B. (2005). "Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness". NeuroReport. 16 (17): 1893–1897. doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19. PMC 1361002. PMID 16272874.
- ↑ Kang, D.; H.; Jung, W.; Kim, S.; Jung, Y.; Choi, C.; Lee, U.; S.; Jang, J.; Kwon, J. (2013). "The effect of meditation on brain structure: cortical thickness mapping and diffusion tensor imaging". Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 8 (1): 27–33. doi:10.1093/scan/nss056. PMC 3541490. PMID 22569185.
- ↑ Hölzel, B.; Ott, U.; Gard, T.; Hempel, H.; Weygandt, M.; Morgen, K.; Vaitl, D. (2008). "Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry". Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 3 (1): 55–61. doi:10.1093/scan/nsm038. PMC 2569815. PMID 19015095.
- ↑ Garrison, K.; Santoyo, J.; Davis, J.; Thornhill, T.; Kerr, C.; Brewer, J. (2013). "Effortless Awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report". Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 7: 440. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00440. PMC 3734786. PMID 23964222. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Vøllestad, J.; Nielsen, M.; Nielsen, G. (2012). "Mindfulness‐ and acceptance‐based interventions for anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta‐analysis". British Journal of Clinical Psychology. 51 (3): 239–260. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8260.2011.02024.x. PMID 22803933.
- ↑ Hofmann, S.; Sawyer, A.; Witt, A.; Oh, D. (2010). "The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review". Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 78 (2): 169–183. doi:10.1037/a0018555. PMC 2848393. PMID 20350028.
- ↑ Lutz, A.; Dunne, J.; Davidson, R. (2006). "Meditation and the neuroscience of consciousness". Cambridge handbook of consciousness. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 499–554. Search this book on
- ↑ Hofmann, S.; Petrocchi, N.; Steinberg, J.; Lin, M.; Arimitsu, K.; Kind, S.; Mendes, A.; Stangier, U. (2015). "Loving-Kindness Meditation to Target Affect in Mood Disorders: A Proof-of-Concept Study". Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015: 269126. doi:10.1155/2015/269126. PMC 4468348. PMID 26136807.
- ↑ Kearney, D.; Malte, C.; C.; Felleman; Simpson (2013). "Loving‐Kindness Meditation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study". Journal of Traumatic Stress. 26 (4): 426–434. doi:10.1002/jts.21832. hdl:2027.42/142915. PMID 23893519.
- ↑ Carson, J.; F.; Lynch, T.; Carson, K.; Goli, V.; Fras, A.; Thorp, S. (2005). "Loving-Kindness Meditation for Chronic Low Back Pain: Results From a Pilot Trial". Journal of Holistic Nursing. 23 (3): 287–304. doi:10.1177/0898010105277651. PMID 16049118. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Fredrickson, B.; Cohn, M.; K.; Pek, J.; Finkel, S. (2008). "Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 95 (5): 1045–1062. doi:10.1037/a0013262. PMC 3156028. PMID 18954193.
- ↑ Klimesch, W. (1999). "EEG alpha and theta oscillations reflect cognitive and memory performance: A review and analysis". Brain Research Reviews. 29 (2–3): 169–195. doi:10.1016/S0165-0173(98)00056-3. PMID 10209231. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Klimesch, W.; M.; H.; T.; J. (1998). "Induced alpha band power changes in the human EEG and attention". Neuroscience Letters. 224 (2): 3–76. doi:10.1016/S0304-3940(98)00122-0. PMID 9572588. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Travis, F.; Sheer, J. (2010). "Focused attention, open monitoring, and automatic self-transcending: Categories to organize meditations from Vedic, Buddhist, and Chinese traditions". Consciousness and Cognition. 19 (4): 1110–1118. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2010.01.007. PMID 20167507. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Tarrant, J. (2017). Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain: Integrating Neuroscience Strategies for ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD. Eau Claire, WI: PESI Publishing & Media. pp. 87–112. ISBN 9781683730729. Search this book on
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