Theoria
Fifteen Carmelite nuns came from the monastery to the laboratory to enter a fMRI
machine whilst meditating, allowing scientists there to scan their
brains using fMRI while they were in a state known as Unio Mystica (and
also Theoria). The results showed that far-flung parts of the brain were recruited in the sustaining of this mystical union with God.
Non-referential compassion meditation
Electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings of skilled meditators showed a significant rise in gamma wave
activity during meditation, somewhere in the 80 to 120 Hz range. There
was also a rise in the range of 25 to 42 Hz. These meditators had 10 to
40 years of training in compassion meditation training and were engaging
in non-referential compassion meditation during the study. The
experienced meditators also showed increased gamma activity while at
rest and not meditating.
Several controls who hadn't practiced meditation before were compared
to the highly-trained monks and showed significantly less rise in gamma
activity during meditation.
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