t h e c o mp l ete b o o k o f Y OGIC F L Y ING
Increased Restful Alertness
THROUGH THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE
High EEG Synchrony
Eyes-closed rest
W
Picturing the restfully alert brain
hen the brain is resting yet alert, the electrical activity (EEG) at the cortex will be in the thetaalpha range (7–10 Hz). The above figure illustrates the degree (amplitude) of theta-alpha activity in a subject first while sitting with the eyes closed and then during the Transcendental Meditation technique. We are looking down at the top of the head, the nose at the left. The color scale at the left indicates the range of EEG amplitude in the theta-alpha range. Dark blue indicates very low amplitude, brown very high. n In the eyes-closed rest figure — Notice the brown at
the back, reflecting high amplitude EEG. This indicates that the back of the brain is restfully alert, and occurs in almost all people when they close their eyes. n In the Transcendental Meditation figure — Notice
how the very high EEG amplitude in the back has spread forward. Most strikingly, the amplitude of theta-alpha EEG in the front has increased significantly, from 3.82
54
Transcendental Meditation
(light blue) during eyes closed to 5.42 (yellow and orange) during meditation — almost 42%. Here we see an objective picture of what happens when the mind dives within and settles into the experience of pure consciousness: Restful alertness encompasses the entire brain.6 While the above picture illustrates EEG amplitude, other research finds frontal coherence increasing during Transcendental Meditation practice. Coherence refers to the brain’s level of coordination. The Transcendental Meditation technique brings a dramatic increase in coherence, as we will see in the following pages. The pattern above is one of about half a dozen EEG patterns displayed by people who practice the Transcendental Meditation technique. The pattern itself is not so important. Most important is that with regular practice of the technique, the coherent style of functioning carries over into activity — suggesting that the brain’s total potential is being developed and is increasingly available throughout the day.