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

Psychometric data were collected both before and after the focus and motivation sessions, comparing average pre-survey scores with average post-survey scores for all psychometrics across live participants. The first column displays focus meditation, the second column presents motivation sessions, and the last column illustrates the difference between post-survey and pre-survey scores (post-survey minus pre-survey score) for focus and motivation sessions. (A) The post score for SUDS was significantly lower than the pre score during Focus meditation. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test showed significance in survey type (W = −192, ****p < 0.0001). (B) SUDS post-score was significantly lower than the pre-score during Motivation meditation. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test showed significance in survey type (W = −91, ***p = 0.0002). (C) SUDS PrePost Difference Scores between Focus and Motivation. The Mann–Whitney unpaired rank test did not show significance for session type (U = 171.5, p = 0.4524). (D) The PSS post score was not significantly lower than the pre score during Focus meditation. The paired t-test did not show significance in survey type (t = 0.5384, p = 0.5963). (E) The PSS post score was significantly lower than the pre score during Motivation meditation. The paired t-test showed significance in survey type (t = 2.874, **p value = 0.0097). (F) The PrePost difference scores for focus and motivation meditation were not significant. The unpaired t-test did not indicate significance for session type (t = 1.261, p = 0.2149). (G) The SMS post score was significantly higher than the pre score during Focus meditation. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs sign rank test showed significance in survey type (W = 167, ***p value = 0.0009). (H) The SMS post score was significantly higher than the pre score during the Motivation Meditation. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test showed significance in survey type (W = 158, **p value = 0.0019). (I) The SMS PrePost Difference Scores between Focus and Motivation Meditation did not show significance. The Mann–Whitney unpaired rank test also did not show significance in session type (U = 210.5, p = 0.8078). (J) The ASC post-score was significantly higher than the pre-score during Focus meditation. The paired t-test showed significance in survey type (t = 3.888, **p value = 0.0037). (K) The ASC post-score was significantly higher than the pre-score during Motivation meditation. A paired t-test showed significance in survey type (t = 3.811, **p value = 0.0088). (L) ASC PrePost difference scores between focus and motivation meditation showed no significance. An unpaired t-test indicated no significance for session type (t = 0.4412, p = 0.6654). (M) The SCS post-score was significantly higher than the pre-score during Focus meditation. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs sign rank test showed significance in survey type (W = 104, ***p value = 0.0048). (N) The SCS post-score was significantly higher than the pre-score during Motivation meditation. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs sign rank test showed significance in survey type (W = 84, **p value = 0.0037). (O) The SCS PrePost difference scores between focus and motivation meditation showed no significance. The Mann–Whitney unpaired test also did not reveal significance in session type (U = 147, p = 0.6590).

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.