Meditation Reshapes Brain Dynamics Toward Criticality

Researchers led by Annalisa Pascarella (Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2025) used MEG and machine learning to study 12 long-term monks between 25–58 years old, finding that two meditation styles differentially alter neural dynamics. Samatha produced focused stability while Vipassana moved networks closer to a hypothesized criticality, with decreased gamma oscillations and increased neural connectivity. Results suggest meditation can modulate information processing and brain network balance.