Superhumans: The remarkable brain waves of high-level meditators | Daniel Goleman | Big Think

TL;DR

Olympic level meditators exhibit unique brain wave patterns, including a constant presence of gamma waves and a significant increase in gamma waves during compassionate meditation.

Transcript

My co-author of the book Altered Traits is a neuroscientist, Richard Davidson. He has a lab at the University of Wisconsin. It’s a very large lab, he has dedicated scanners, he has about 100 people working there, and he was able to do some remarkable research where he flew Olympic level meditators—who live in Nepal or India typically, some in Franc... Read More

Key Insights

• 👋 Olympic level meditators exhibit a sustained presence of gamma waves, unlike the short bursts experienced by ordinary individuals.
• 👋 The constant presence of strong gamma waves suggests a unique state of consciousness beyond our current understanding.
• 🥺 Compassionate meditation leads to a significant increase in gamma wave activity in Olympic level meditators, which has never been observed before.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Richard Davidson's research on Olympic level meditators contribute to our understanding of brain waves?

Through his research, Davidson discovered that Olympic level meditators exhibit a constant presence of gamma waves, unlike the short bursts experienced by ordinary individuals. This suggests a completely different and sustained state of consciousness.

Q: What is the significance of the strong gamma wave activity in Olympic level meditators?

The constant presence of strong gamma waves in these meditators indicates a lasting trait rather than a temporary state effect, even when they are not actively meditating. This unprecedented finding suggests a unique state of consciousness beyond our ordinary understanding.

Q: How does compassionate meditation affect the gamma wave activity in Olympic level meditators?

When Olympic level meditators engage in compassionate meditation, their gamma wave activity increases by 700-800% within seconds. This dramatic surge in gamma waves during compassionate meditation has never been observed in scientific studies before.

Q: What do Olympic level meditators describe their state of consciousness as during their practice?

According to interviews with Olympic level meditators, their state of consciousness during meditation is described as "very spacious" and "wide open." However, there is still much unknown about this unique state, and it surpasses the limitations of language and vocabulary.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Neuroscientist Richard Davidson conducted groundbreaking research on Olympic level meditators and their brain wave patterns, using dedicated scanners and state-of-the-art tests.

• These meditators showed consistently strong gamma waves, the most powerful wave in the EEG spectrum, unlike the short bursts experienced by ordinary individuals.

• When Olympic level meditators practiced compassionate meditation, their gamma wave activity increased by 700-800%, a phenomenon never before observed in scientific studies.