Impact of Heartfulness Meditation on EEG Alpha Band Power across Different Meditation Experience Levels

This study investigated the influence of heartfulness meditation (HM) on the modulation of brain alpha power in individuals with varying levels of meditation experience. Among the 33 total participants, 12 were long-term meditators (LTMs), 11 were short-term meditators (STMs), and 10 were nonmeditators (control group, CG). Every participant experienced four experimental conditions: baseline, meditation, transmission, and post-resting. Using a 129-channel system, electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were recorded and preprocessed with a strong pipeline comprising bandpass filtering (8–12 Hz), notch filtering at 50 Hz, artifact correction via RANSAC and independent component analysis (ICA), and alpha power estimation via the Welch method. Topographic and region-specific studies revealed notable increase in alpha power in meditators; the LTM group showed the most consistent and broad improvement, especially in frontal, parietal, and temporal areas during transmission and post-meditation phases. Compared with the controls, both the LTM and STM groups presented greater alpha power during meditation and post-meditation states compared to controls; long-term practitioners presented stronger effects. These results imply that continuous HM practice increases alpha band activity linked to relaxation, attentional control, and emotional regulation. These findings support the possible use of heartfulness meditation as a nonpharmacological treatment to enhance cognitive and affective function.