Meditation and Brain Function

Scientists have known for some time that when people meditate, their brain waves change, differing from those typical of sleep, dreaming or wakefulness. Now, a study has found that long-term practitioners of transcendental meditation have brain waves typical of a meditative state even when they’re not meditating.

The study compared EEGs of the brain wave patterns of 17 people who had been meditating for 24 years with those of people who had meditated for seven years and others who did not meditate at all.

The research suggests that people who meditate regularly are able to permanently change the way their brain functions.