An observation on flash evoked cortical potentials and Qigong meditation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional state of the cerebral cortex during Qigong meditation with flash visual evoked potentials (F-VEPs) recorded from the occipital scalp in four groups of adults. The first group included 14 subjects who had exercised in Neiyang Gong for 0.5-5.5 years. The second group was composed of 12 subjects who had practiced Neiyang Gong for only 0.5-3 months. Eleven subjects who had never practiced Qigong before made up the third group and served as control. Eleven Qigong practitioners constituted the fourth group. It was found that F-VEP amplitudes were increased in the first group and decreased in the fourth group with the exception of one subject during Qigong meditation. No significant changes were found in the second group and controls. The results were discussed and it is shown that Qigong mediation may have either facilitative or inhibitory effects on the visual cortex depending on the Qigong methods practiced by different individuals.