Brain, Meditation and Higher States of · PDF fileDirector, Brain, Consciousness and Cognition...
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2/11/2015 1 Professor Frederick Travis Director, Brain, Consciousness and Cognition Center Maharishi University of Management Fairfield, Iowa, USA 52557 Brain, Meditation and Higher States of Consciousness What is the role of the brain in conscious experience?
Transcript of Brain, Meditation and Higher States of · PDF fileDirector, Brain, Consciousness and Cognition...
2/11/2015
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Professor Frederick TravisDirector, Brain, Consciousness
and Cognition CenterMaharishi University of Management
Fairfield, Iowa, USA 52557
Brain, Meditation and Higher States of Consciousness
What is the role of the brain in conscious experience?
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Gamma (20-50 Hz)
Focused Attention
Theta2 (6-8 Hz)
Open Monitoring
Alpha1 (8-10 Hz)
Automatic Self-Transcending
Travis and Shear, 2010, Consciousness and Cognition , 19:1110-1119.
Pure Consciousness is a Fourth State of Consciousness.
Criteria for a higher state consciousness:(1) Subjectively distinct from waking,
sleeping and dreaming;(2) Involve greater breadth of sense-of-
self; and (3) Be physiologically distinct.
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SleepingSleeping
States of ConsciousnessStates of Consciousness
DreamingDreaming WakingWaking
Self - AwarenessSelf - AwarenessNo Yes
No
Yes
SleepingSleeping
States of ConsciousnessStates of Consciousness
DreamingDreaming WakingWaking
Self - AwarenessSelf - Awareness
Pure Consciousness
No Yes
No
Yes
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Pure Consciousness
Cosmic Consciousness
What is the role of the brain in conscious experience?
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Highest
Lowest
Effo
rt U
sed
Gamma (20-50 Hz)
Focused Attention
Theta2 (6-8 Hz)
Open Monitoring
Alpha1 (8-10 Hz)
Automatic Self-Transcending
• Zen• Compassion Meditation•Qigong •Diamond Way Buddhism• Vipassana
• Zazen• Mindfulness•Saharaj•Qigong (meditation)•Kriya Yoga•Yoga Nidra
•Transcendental Meditation• Two Case studies: Expert Qigong and Mindfulness
Travis and Shear, 2010, Consciousness and Cognition , 19:1110-1119.
The Mind has a Vertical Structure
Distinct thoughts
Intuition
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TM is a Process of Transcending
TM is a Process of Transcending
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TM is a Process of Transcending
TM is a Process of Transcending
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Pure Consciousness Pure Consciousness
TM is a Process of Transcending
Content Analysis
• Absence of time, absence of space and absence of body sense.
Travis and Pearson (2000) International Journal of Neuroscience. 100: 77-89 .
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fMRI (Blood Flow) during TM
Red = Higher Blood Flow
Blue= Lower Blood Flow
Ludwig, 2011, Dissertation, Alliant University, Cal ifornia
Parallel Thalamocortical Circuits
• Core cells:Specific sensory input to Layer IV
• Matrix cellsDiffuse arousal to Layer I
ContentWakefulness
Travis, Neuroquantology, 201 2
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Travis et al, 2009
Front
Center
Back
Challenging Computer Task: 5 sec – 0 secChallenging Computer Task: 5 sec – 0 sec
Alpha Beta Gamma
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TM practice: 30 sec – 35 secTM practice: 30 sec – 35 sec
Alpha Beta Gamma
Let’s See EEG Patterns during TM in Real Time…
• Notice how quickly brain patterns change during TM practice.
• Notice how the coherence is uniformly higher during TM practice.
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Four Months TM Practice
Eyes OpenTMTravis, 1991
Front
Center
Back
Eight Years TM Practice
Eyes OpenTMTravis, 1991
Front
Center
Back
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Inner Awareness during Sleep…there ’s a continuum there. It's not like I go away and come back. It's a subtle thing. It's not like I'm awake waiting for the body to wake-up or whatever …… It's me there. I don't feel like I'm lost in the experience. That's what I mean by a continuum … you know its like the fizzing on top of a soda when you've poured it. It's there and becomes active so there's something to identify with. When I'm sleeping, it's like the fizzing goes down.
Inner Self-Awareness during Sleep: Higher alpha1 activity with delta
Mason, et al, (1997) Sleep, 20:102-110
Typical sleep with no self-awareness
Sleep with self-awareness
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Alpha1 power during Stg 3 and 4 in the first three sleep cycles
Mason et al, (1997) Sleep, 20:102-110
Alpha AmplitudeAlpha Amplitude
Travis et al (2002) Biological Psychology, 6: 293-319.
Brain Preparatory Response
Non-TM
Short Term TM
Higher States
Simple Choice
Broad Band CoherenceBroad Band Coherence
“Brain Integration” during Tasks
17: Non TM17: TM but no Higher States17: TM and Higher States
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-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Non-TM Short-term TM Higher StatesSum
me
d Z
-sco
res o
f E
EG
P
ara
me
ters
Brain Integration ScaleFrontal Coherence, Alpha Relative Power, and Brain
Preparatory Response
Travis et al (2002) Biological Psychology, 6: 293-319.
Correlation of the Brain Integration Report Card with:
* p < .05, ** p < .01 Mean Std R (28)Moral Reasoning 3.46 0.41 0.66**
Emotional Stability 3.86 0.85 0.52**
Openness to exp 4.42 0.47 0.46*
State Anxiety 27.75 11.92 -0.46*
Trait Anxiety 31.29 12.23 -0.47*
Travis et al (2004) Consciousness and Cognition, 13/2, 401-
420.
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Travis et al, International Journal of Neuroscience , 2009
Brain Integration Scale (3 months TM)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Pretest Post Test
Bra
in In
tegr
atio
n
TM Delayed Start
p < .001
American University College Students (random assignment to groups)American University College Students (random assignment to groups)
Brain Integration during tasks (3-mon TM)
(Nidich et al, in press, American Journal of Hypert ension )
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4.4
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Control Athletes
World Class Athletes
Control Managers
Top-Level Managers
Long-term TM
Sum
med
Z-s
core
s of
EE
G
Par
amet
ers
Brain Integration ScaleFrontal Coherence, Alpha Relative
Power, and Brain Preparatory Response
Harung et al, (2011) Scandanavian Journal of Sport and Science, 1, 32-41.Harung and Travis, (2012) Cognitive Processing, 13 : 171-181
Conclusion
• Frontal executive circuits seem key for the experience of higher states.
• Higher states appear to be the natural extension of development that has been going on since birth.
