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Physiological Changes in Yoga Meditation
Author(s) -
Elson Barry D.,
Hauri Peter,
Cunis David
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1977.tb01155.x
Subject(s) - meditation , fell , psychology , basal (medicine) , audiology , medicine , theology , philosophy , cartography , insulin , geography
A group of 11 meditators using Ananda Marga Yoga techniques were matched individually with non‐meditating controls. Controls were instructed to remain “wakefully relaxed” for 40 min, while the others meditated for the same amount of time. Six of the 11 controls fell asleep during the 40 min (defined by K‐complexes and spindles in the EEG), while none of the meditators fell asleep. Rather, meditators remained in a relatively stable state of alpha and theta EEG activity. Meditation was also characterized by a marked increase in basal skin resistance and by a decrease in respiratory rate, changes which were not observed in the controls. Some physiological changes observed during meditation continued into the post‐meditation resting periods. These findings suggest that Ananda Marga meditation produces a physiological effect different from that observed in controls who try to relax with their eyes closed.