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Sleep during Transcendental Meditation
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|June 1, 1975
Summary
Experienced Transcendental Meditation practitioners often entered physiological sleep during meditation sessions, as evidenced by electroencephalogram and electrooculogram recordings. These findings suggest a potential overlap between deep meditation states and sleep physiology.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
- Consciousness Studies
Background:
- Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a widely practiced meditation technique.
- The physiological correlates of deep meditative states are not fully understood.
- Distinguishing between deep meditation and sleep can be challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological state of experienced practitioners during Transcendental Meditation.
- To determine if participants exhibited signs of sleep during meditation.
Main Methods:
- Recorded electroencephalograms (EEGs) and DC electrooculograms (EOGs) in 8 experienced TM practitioners.
- Blind scoring of physiological recordings to assess meditation and sleep states.
Main Results:
- All but two participants showed unambiguous physiological sleep during significant portions of their meditation periods.
- EEG and EOG data indicated transitions into sleep stages.
Conclusions:
- Physiological sleep can occur during Transcendental Meditation practice.
- The findings challenge the strict dichotomy between meditation and sleep states.
- Further research is needed to explore the implications for consciousness and well-being.