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Protocol 002
Identifying Gradations of The Meditation Experience
With funding from the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, The Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies will be conducting a series of basic research studies aimed at modeling the neurocognitive underpinnings supporting gradations in the meditative experience (i.e. different neural representations for deep vs. shallow periods of meditation). As a first step, we are conducting this pilot study to determine the feasibility of capturing these states as determined by a subject’s self-reported phenomenology.
Posts
Outcomes
2025
Nath, M., Becattini, V., Laukkonen, R. E., Ganesan, S., Hanley, A., Holecek, A., Simonian, N., Schoeller, F., Khalsa, S., Sacchet, M., & Reggente, N. (2025). Heartbeat-Evoked Potentials as a Neural Marker of Meditative Depth. Preprint. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/hpcgd_v1
- Zuniga-Hertz, J. P., Simpson, S., Chitetti, R., Hsu, C. F., Huang, H.-P., Jinich-Diamant, A., Chernov, A. V., Onton, J. A., Cuomo, R., Dispenza, J., Davis, D., Christov-Moore, L., Reggente, N., Gu, W., Kong, M., Bonds, J. A., Maree, J., Simonson, T. S., Ahn, A. C., Poirier, M. A., Moeller-Bertram, T., & Patel, H. H. (2025). Multidimensional analysis of twin sets during an intensive week-long meditation retreat: A pilot study. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02584-x [PDF]
2024
- Reggente, N., Kothe, C., Brandmeyer, T., Hanada, G., Simonian, N., Mullen, S., Mullen, T. (2024) Decoding Depth of Meditation: EEG Insights from Expert Vipassana Practioners. Decoding Depth of Meditation: EEG Insights from Expert Vipassana Practioners.[PDF]
Ganesan, S., Tsuchiyagaito, A., Siegle, G. J., Goldin, P. R., Eyler, L. T., Treves, I., . . . King, A. P. (2024). ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide consortium for neuroscientific investigations of meditation practices. ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide consortium for neuroscientific investigations of meditation practices
2024
- Brandmeyer, T., & Nicco Reggente. (2024). Navigating the “Zen Zeitgeist”: The Potential of Personalized Neurofeedback for Meditation. Navigating the “Zen Zeitgeist”: The Potential of Personalized Neurofeedback for Meditation.
2023
- Reggente, N. (2023). VR for Cognition and Memory. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. VR for Cognition and Memory.[PDF] [Blog Writeup]
2024
- Reggente, N., Brandmeyer, T., Simonian, N., Kothe, C. (2024). Decoding Depth of Meditation: Neurophysiological Insights from Expert Vipassana Practitioners. To be presented at Organization for Human Brain Mapping, South Korea
2024
Ubiquity University. (2024). Humanity Rising Day 936: IACS IV: Qualia Compass & Neuromodulatory Induction of Meditative States [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCKXqA8LsuY
2024
- Nath, M., & Reggente, N. (November 2024). Heartbeat evoked potentials increase with meditative depth: Implications for personalized, multimodal neurofeedback. Real-time Functional Imaging Neurofeedback (rtFIN). Heidelberg, Germany. [Poster]
- Reggente, N., Kothe, C., Nath, M., Brandmeyer, T., Hanada, G., Simonian, N., Mullen, S., Mullen, T. (June 2024). Decoding Depth of Meditation: Neurophysiological Insights from Expert Vipassana Practitioners. Organization for Human Brain Mapping, South Korea. [Poster]
Contributors
Project Contributors
Daisuke Narita
Research Consultant
Valeria Becattini
Research Consultant
Avery Bedows
Research Consultant
Mihir Nath
Research Consultant
A.V. – Amir Vala Tavakoli
Junior Research Scientist
Tracy Brandmeyer, Ph.D.
Research Consultant
Pollyanna Esaghoolian
Research Assistant
Ninette Simonian
Lab Manager; Junior Research Scientist
Geena Wang
Research Assistant
Nicco Reggente, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Caitlin Lynch
Junior Research Scientist