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Your Brain On Meditation [infographic]

in Neato, Science, YD News

Now, we take pride for being total yogadorks here, and sometimes we even find ourselves sitting in a proper geek meditation to clear the cache. But, while many of us are familiar with the effect meditation has on our mood, temper and attitude from our own experience with the practice, do you know what actually happens in the waves of your noggin?

Thanks to the creatively geeky minds at MAKE this infographic provides a look inside the undulations of brain waves as we meditate. May the theta and delta forces be with you!

Illustration by Timmy Kucynda.

Want extra credit? Head over to MAKE to create your very own Brain Machine! The device will perform what Sound and Light Machines do using varying levels of light and binaural beats. It works like this:

The brain produces varying proportions of brain wave types, depending on its current levels of relaxation, focus, and other mental states. Each type of wave has its own characteristic frequency range, which can be read by electroencephalography. Many people’s brain waves will synchronize to lights and sounds pulsing at brain wave frequencies, and this makes the brain change its state — a process called “entrainment.” By playing sequences of pulses into your eyes and ears, you can program your brain to follow any brain wave experience you like.

Let us know if you’re crafty enough to try it! Or, you know, just do it the old fashioned way and SIT. No tools required.

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21 comments… add one
  • Wow – this is super geeky and I love it! Here’s wishing you get to the Delta state each time you sit in meditation.

  • Jodi

    Very geek cool!

  • Thanks for sharing! I learned this info a long time ago, but I still the greek letters mixed up, as in “is it delta that’s deeper, or theta?” This’ll help! I love infographics. And will be nice to use it with meditation students too.

  • This is SO GREAT! Thanks so much for posting–what a great bit of info to explain the science behind why we meditate!!

  • Tim

    This is a neat graphic. However, for the record, the neurodymanics of meditation are nowhere near as simple as the chart makes it out to be.

  • This is great but there is still a great mystery involved

  • The graphic is awsome! thanks for the scientific explanation of whats happening into the brain
    while it is going through the different waves spectrum.
    I would love to play more with sounds and lights to educate the brain to the path of relaxation.
    If you have any more infos on studies on sound and lights and their effect on the brain , would be very interested !

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