Table 1.
Functional changes in meditators.
| Paper | N | Contrast | Experience | Meditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen et al., 2012 [37] | 61 | AFT, task > passive view | 6 weeks | MT |
| Allen et al., 2012 [37] | 61 | AFT, negative > neutral | 6 weeks | MT |
| Allen et al., 2012 [37] | 61 | AFT, task by emotion | 6 weeks | MT |
| Brefczynski-Lewis et al., 2007 [44] | 41 | EM > NM during meditation | — | Buddhist practitioners |
| Brefczynski-Lewis et al., 2007 [44] | 41 | EM > INM during meditation | — | Buddhist practitioners |
| Brefczynski-Lewis et al., 2007 [44] | 41 | EM > INM meditation > rest, group by task | — | Buddhist practitioners |
| Creswell et al., 2007 [86] | 27 | Neural areas associated with MAAS | — | — |
| Davanger et al., 2010 [34] | 4 | ACEM meditation > control task | 23 years | ACEM |
| Ding et al., 2014 [87] | 32 | IBMT > RT | 10 days | IBMT |
| Engström et al., 2010 [36] | 8 | Meditate | 14 months | ACEM and Kundalini |
| Engström et al., 2010 [36] | 8 | Word | 14 months | ACEM and Kundalini |
| Engström et al., 2010 [36] | 8 | Silent mantra | 14 months | ACEM and Kundalini |
| Farb et al., 2007 [42] | 27 | Experiential focus, MT > controls | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Farb et al., 2010 [88] | 36 | Sadness provocation, MT > controls | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Farb et al., 2013 [89] | 36 | Interoception > exteroception, MT > controls | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Grant et al., 2011 [38] | 22 | Pain, EM > controls | — | Zen |
| Grant et al., 2011 [38] | 22 | Hot > warm, EM | — | Zen |
| Grant et al., 2011 [38] | 22 | Pain, EM > controls | — | Zen |
| Guleria et al., 2013 [47] | 14 | Meditation > control | 5.8 ± 0.9 years | SOHAM |
| Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [43] | 14 | AWARE-MW | >1 year | FAM |
| Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [43] | 14 | SHIFT > MW | >1 year | FAM |
| Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [43] | 14 | FOCUS > MW | >1 year | FAM |
| Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [43] | 14 | MW > SHIFT | >1 year | FAM |
| Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [43] | 14 | Correlations with practice time, AWARE | >1 year | FAM |
| Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [43] | 14 | Correlations with practice time, SHIFT | >1 year | FAM |
| Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [43] | 14 | Correlations with practice time, FOCUS | >1 year | FAM |
| Hölzel et al., 2007 [12] | 30 | Mindfulness > arithmetic, EM | >2 years | Vipassana |
| Hölzel et al., 2007 [12] | 30 | EM > controls | >2 years | Vipassana |
| Ives-Deliperi et al., 2011 [90] |
10 | Mindfulness > control in EM | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Jang et al., 2011 [91] | 68 | EM > controls | 39.88 ± 25.58 months | BWVM |
| Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [92] | 32 | Auditory/salience | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [92] | 32 | Medial visual | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [92] | 32 | Lateral visual | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [92] | 32 | Sensorimotor | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [92] | 32 | Executive control | 8 weeks | MBSR |
| Lee et al., 2012 [93] | 44 | CPT in FAM | >5 years | FAM/LKM |
| Lee et al., 2012 [93] | 44 | EPT-happy in FAM | >5 years | FAM/LKM |
| Lee et al., 2012 [93] | 44 | EPT-happy in LKM | >5 years | FAM/LKM |
| Lee et al., 2012 [93] | 44 | EPT-sad in FAM | >5 years | FAM/LKM |
| Lee et al., 2012 [93] | 44 | EPT-sad in LKM | >5 years | FAM/LKM |
| Lutz et al., 2008 [14] | 28 | Meditation > resting states, EM > controls | 10000 to 50000 hours | Buddhist practitioners |
| Lutz et al., 2009 [94] | 22 | Meditation > resting states, EM > controls | 10000 to 50000 hours | Buddhist practitioners |
| Lutz et al., 2013 [39] | 28 | Hot > warm, EM > controls | >10000 hours | Buddhist practitioners |
| Lutz et al., 2013 [39] | 28 | EM > controls | >10000 hours | Buddhist practitioners |
| Manna et al., 2010 [56] | 8 | FAM > rest, in EM | Mean 15750 hours | Buddhist monks |
| Manna et al., 2010 [56] | 8 | OM > FAM, in EM | Mean 15750 hours | Buddhist monks |
| Manna et al., 2010 [56] | 8 | OM > rest, in EM | Mean 15750 hours | Buddhist monks |
| Mascaro et al., 2013a [40] | 29 | Self pain task, pain > no pain | 8 weeks | CBCT |
| Mascaro et al., 2013a [40] | 29 | Other pain tasks, pain > no pain | 8 weeks | CBCT |
| Mascaro et al., 2013b [41] | 29 | RME, emotion > gender | 8 weeks | CBCT |
| Monti et al., 2012 [95] | 8 | Post- > pretreatment | 8 weeks | MBAT |
| Monti et al., 2012 [95] | 8 | Post- > pretreatment, MBAT > controls | 8 weeks | MBAT |
| Orme-Johnson et al., 2006 [96] | 24 | Post- > pretreatment | 31.3 ± 2.3 years | TMT |
| Taylor et al., 2011 [45] | 22 | Positive > neutral pictures | 1000 hours | Zen |
| Tang et al., 2013 [46] | 60 | IBMT > RT | 10 sessions | IBMT |
| Tang et al., 2013 [46] | 60 | IBMT, post > pre | 10 sessions | IBMT |
| Wang et al., 2011 [97] | 10 | Meditation 1 > control | 30 years | Kundalini |
| Wang et al., 2011 [97] | 10 | Meditation 2 > control | 30 years | Kundalini |
| Wang et al., 2011 [97] | 10 | Meditation 2 > Meditation 1 | 30 years | Kundalini |
| Wang et al., 2011 [97] | 10 | Baseline 2 > Baseline 1 | 30 years | Kundalini |
| Xu et al., 2014 [33] | 14 | NDM > rest | 27 ± 9 years | ACEM |
| Xu et al., 2014 [33] | 14 | Concentrative practicing > rest | 27 ± 9 years | ACEM |
| Xu et al., 2014 [33] | 14 | NDM > concentrative practicing > rest | 27 ± 9 years | ACEM |
Notes. AST: affective Stroop task; MT: mindfulness training; EM: expert meditators; NM: novice meditators; INM: incentive novice meditators; MAAS: Mindful Attention Awareness Scale; IBMT: integrative body-mind training; RT: relaxation training; MBSR: mindfulness-based stress reduction; BWVM: brain-wave vibration meditation; FAM: focused attention meditation; LKM: loving-kindness meditation; CPT: continuous performance test; EPT: emotion-processing task; OM: open monitoring meditation; CBCT: cognitively based compassion training; RME: reading the mind eyes test; MBAT: mindfulness-based art therapy; TMT: transcendental meditation technique; NDM: nondirective meditation; MW: mind wondering.