PMC

Power in delta band (1–4 Hz) of individuals' Vertical Eye Movement Independent Component during the two tasks (FAM = Focused Attention Meditation on the breath; IMW = Instructed Mind-Wandering) as a function of individuals’ meditation expertise. Expertise in meditation Index was calculated for each subject as the product between amount of weekly meditation practice (in minutes) and time spent since attendance of the Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation course (in years).

(a) Scan of relaxed state. (b) Scan of visual meditation state. (c) Scan of auditory meditation state. (d) Scan of average activity during the visual and auditory meditation states. (e) Scan of activity during the auditory meditation state which is not present during the visual meditation state. (f) Scan of activity during visual mediation state which is not present during the auditory meditation state

Barriers to meditation reduced pre- to post-course in students who were not already practicing meditation. In students who stated that they had a current meditation practice prior to the course (light gray bars), barriers to meditation did not change (n = 5, p = .36). In students who were not currently practicing meditation at the beginning of the course (dark gray bars), barriers to meditation were reduced (n = 10, p = 0.016). *statistically significant compared to pre-course time point.

Gamma oscillations during each stage of meditation in four sessions. (A) Occipital (O2, Oz, and O1) gamma power (30–80 Hz) during stages 1, 2, and 3 of meditation in the two main sessions (days 1 and 2) and the corresponding meditation sessions (A and B as first and second meditation round). The topography of gamma power in relation to baseline for each session is presented above each error bar. The topographical maps highlighted with a thick gray line correspond to stage 3 of meditation. (B) Frontal (AF4, AFz, and AF3) gamma power (30–80 Hz) during stages 1, 2, and 3 of meditation in the two main sessions (days 1 and 2) and the corresponding meditation sessions (A and B as first and second meditation round). The error bars represent +/–1 S.E.M. The asterisks represent the pairwise comparisons (Bonferroni Corrected) between the conditions: ^∗p < 0.05, ^∗∗p < 0.01, ^∗∗∗p < 0.001.