Meditation Can Reshape Your Brain Activity, Study Reveals

07 Feb. 2026, By I. Farkas
https://www.sciencealert.com/meditation-can-reshape-your-brain-activity-study-reveals

(Naeblys/Getty Images)

Meditation may calm the mind, but a recent study suggests it can also reshape brain activity by profoundly altering brain dynamics and increasing neural connections – somewhat similar to psychedelic substances.

As a result, meditation may help practitioners achieve a hypothesized state known as "brain criticality", in which neural connections are neither too weak nor too strong, but at an optimal level for mental agility and function.

In the study, led by neurophysiologist Annalisa Pascarella of the Italian National Research Council, researchers used high-resolution brain scans and machine learning to examine how meditation can alter brain activity to achieve an equilibrium between neural chaos and order.

First, the researchers used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure brain activity associated with two types of meditation and non-meditative rest in a group of 12 monks. MEG measures the magnetic fields produced by electrical signals in the brain.

The monks were professional meditators, averaging more than 15,000 hours of meditation each, from the Santacittarama monastery near Rome. All male and aged 25-58 years, the monks belong to the Thai Forest tradition, a branch of Theravada Buddhism known as the Way of the Elders because it's grounded in the oldest Buddhist scriptures.

The study looked at two meditation techniques: Samatha, which centers the attention on a specific object, like mindful breathing, to achieve equanimity of mind, and Vipassana, which focuses the mind on the present moment so that sensations, emotions, and thoughts can flow freely without selective judgment.

"With Samatha, you narrow your field of attention, somewhat like narrowing the beam of a flashlight; with Vipassana, on the contrary, you widen the beam," explains University of Montreal neuroscientist Karim Jerbi, senior author of the study.

These two practices actively engage attentional mechanisms, Jerbi adds, and meditation practitioners often alternate between the two.

Brain activity comparisons across different meditative methods and during rest, showing the spectral power (red to yellow) of different frequency bands, and features associated with neural complexity and criticality (in blue, violet, green). 

(Pascarella et al., Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2025)

Analyzing the monks' brain signals, the team found that while Samatha produced a more focused, stable brain state conducive to deep concentration, Vipassana got the monks closer to achieving brain criticality – a term borrowed from statistical physics and used over the past two decades to describe an optimal balance between chaos and order in neural functioning.

In this 'sweet spot' of efficiency, the brain becomes ideally attentive and flexible to effectively store and process information and swiftly adapt to changing tasks.

"At the critical point, neural networks are stable enough to transmit information reliably, yet flexible enough to adjust quickly to new situations," says Jerbi.

"This balance optimizes the brain's processing, learning and response capabilities."

Other differences also manifested. For example, Samatha may be more effective at activating sensory networks, enabling practitioners to better focus on a particular sensation, such as their breathing.

Oddly enough, researchers noted a decrease in a type of brain activity called gamma oscillations, suggesting that meditation may reduce the processing of external stimuli and increase inward focus. In contrast, previous studies reported an increase in this type of brain activity, but this study used advanced signal processing tools to zero in on the desired brain signals.

The new findings suggest meditation may promote a shift away from engagement toward awareness. Among the 12 monks, more experienced meditators displayed a smaller difference between meditative and rest modes, suggesting their meditative brain states have become similar to their resting brain dynamics.

However, other research involving regular meditators reveals that the practice can have a dark side. Some meditators report experiencing anxiety, depression, or even delusions and a general sense of fear. These possible detriments are underreported and may be more common than previously thought.

While the new study used techniques that might offer more precise insights into how meditation influences the brain, those changes are still poorly understood, and meditation, it seems, is not a straightforward path toward enlightenment.

Future studies may provide more clarity, much as the stately lotus blooms from muddy waters.

 

 

 

 

The birth of modern Man 

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/