This document discusses the neurophysiological mechanisms that reveal the connection between meditation and creativity. Several studies have found increases in grey matter concentration and cortical thickness in brain regions involved in attention, sensory processing, and introspection in experienced meditators. Brain imaging studies show regular meditators require less brain activation to perform attention-based tasks compared to non-meditators. EEG studies demonstrate meditation shifts brain activity towards an optimal state associated with improved cognitive flexibility, working memory, and executive function. Together, these findings suggest meditation can enhance brain efficiency and structure in ways that may increase creativity.

1. The Connection between Meditation and Creativity: Neurophysiological
Mechanisms
By
Olatundun Makinde
No doubt, there is an increased quest for creativity in the world today. This desire
is achieved and hyped by using pharmacological cognitive enhancers such as:
Methylphenidate, Amphetamines, and Caffeine - each with its own side effect(s) –
or non-pharmacological cognitive enhancers such as: nutrition, sleep, mnemonics,
physical exercise, computer training, brain stimulation and meditation (Dresler 529-
534). There are several types of meditation ranging from mindfulness,
transcendental, mantra, zazen, tantric yoga, ananda marga to Qigong, open
monitoring, kriya yoga and sahaja yoga (Cahn 52-57). However under the purview
of this review, the specific neurophysiological mechanisms that reveal the
connection between meditation and creativity will be discussed.
According to dictionary reference, creativity is defined as the ability to transcend
well known ideas, rules and establishedpatterns leading to the development of new,
meaningful, novel ideas and interpretations that supersede current informational
knowledge in existence (Ding 217). Mindfulness meditation is defined as the
traditional practice of maintaining attention and focus on breath. It is linked with a
“perpetual shift” (Holzel 36) in which the meditators thoughts are acknowledged as
occurrences in a wider horizon of consciousness (36).

2. Neurophysiology is the study of the relationship between behaviour, emotion and
cognition on one side with brain function on the other. A mechanism can be simply
defined as a natural or established process by which something takes place. Hence,
neurophysiological mechanisms includes the various explanations offered to
underscore the interrelationship between meditation and creativity or cognition.
These mechanisms include but are limited to Electroencephalography (EEG), Event
Related Potential (ERP), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Positron
Emission Tomography (PET), Neuroimaging and Voxel-Based Morphometric (VBM)
studies (Cahn 48).
Brain morphometry – measurement of brain structures and changes that occur
during development and learning process (Wikipedia) - has been used to identify
changes in grey matter concentration in specific regions (left hippocampus) of the
brain during a meditation based program. The region of interest includes the
posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), left temporoparietal junction (TP) and two clusters
located in the cerebellum (Holzel 39-40; Kozasa 749). In addition these regions
identified was postulated by Holzel to play a crucial role in triggering cortical arousal,
improved function and responsiveness.
Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) reveals a significant increase in grey matter
concentration of the brain. Pre-meditation neuroimaging data of eighteen
participants and seventeen control subjects shows no difference in grey matter
concentration before meditation. However, post-meditation neuroimaging data

3. shows significant increase in grey matter concentration in the left hippocampus of
the meditation program participants (Holzel 39-40).
Neuroimaging data obtained from fMRI analysis of participants and control subjects
in a SWAT (Scoop Word-Color Task) – a task that involves both attention and
impulse control - reveals greater activation of the right medial gyrus, middle
temporal gyrus and lentiform nucleus in non-meditators than their meditating
counterparts (Kozasa 746-749). According to Kozasa, the neuroimaging data
obtained during the SWAT is associated with strong responses found in the medial
gyrus, more specifically the anterior cingulate and the prefrontal cortex. fMRI data
shows that regular meditators required lesser activations to accomplish the same
performance level in a SWAT attention task. He therefore concluded that meditation
practice can increase brain efficiency in attention and impulse control (746-749).
EEG has been used to study brain morphometry and thus limn the physiological
state of the meditator’s mind and brain functions. Despite the therapeutic potential
of improving cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency, working memory and executive
functions by meditation, the right type of meditation must be administered to ensure
optimal cognitive results (Fingelkurts 2-7). Administering a neurophysiologically
incompatible type of meditation on an individual results in negative side effects such
as panic attacks, anxiety and hyperventilation (2-3).
According to Fingelkurts, an individual’s brain neurophysiology and functioning
dictates the type of its functional state and related psychological reactions. The EEG
procedure is performed using an electrode system placed on the scalp with a

4. conductive gel. The electrodes placed on the scalp detects and quantitatively
measures the voltage fields generated by the millions of neurons in the brain (4).
The EEG parameters generated determines the neuropsychological state of the
individual and thus aids in choosing and practicing the most compatible type of
meditation that will achieve the best cognitive results. EEG screening generates the
qEEG screening profile which represents the psychological state of the meditator’s
brain and mind function (4-6).
These EEG screening profile consists of nine metric measurements each of which is
associated directly or indirectly with cognitive and memory performance. In a study
conducted with ten meditators, it was recorded that the change in the nine EEG
parameters as a function of meditation not only increased brain functions but also
shifts brain activity towards the optimal activity in most of the meditators (6).
However, it is possible to measure brain response to meditative practice. According
to Cahn, this is possible because different conscious “altered sensory, cognitive and
self-referential awareness” (Cahn 50) are accompanied by different
neurophysiological states and besides meditation induces cognitive traits – lasting
changes that occur in the meditatorirrespective of whether or not they are presently
meditating at the time - and awareness.
EEG signals is made up of alpha, beta, gamma, coherence and theta activities each
with a distinct frequency. Cahn experimentally proved that alpha band power
increases over the occipital scalp when meditator’s shut their eyes. He further
explains that research findings have revealed increase in both alpha and theta band

5. power and decreased frequency in alpha band and overall reduction in coherence
and gamma activities during meditation. (Cahn 64).
Regular insight meditation has been implicated as a cause of increase in cortical
thickness. Cortical thickness in the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula have
been reported by Kozasa to increase in cortical thickness upon meditation. In
addition, these areas are associated with “attention, introspection and sensory
processing” (Kozasa 745).
Furthermore, the association between alpha changes and cortical activation has
been investigated using combined EEG and fMRI-PET studies (Cahn 51). According
to Cahn, there was an increased alpha power related to decreased blood flow in the
inferior frontal, cingulate, superior temporal and occipital cortices. His study reveals
that there is activation of sensory systems caused by decreased alpha power from
those areas which correlates with the research finding of Holzel and Kozasa. Recall
that both authors support the fact that there is activation of the Cingulate cortex of
regular meditators but they required less activation in this region to achieve the
same cognitive task compared to their non-meditating counterparts.
ERP has also been used to describe the connection between meditation and
creativity in terms of the states and the long term neuroelectric profile. ERP signals
are elicited with creative task processing (Cahn 65). EEG-ERP studies made by the
Cahn reveals that meditator’s often showed altered amplitudes and smallerpotential
latencies in ERP signals measured. The author therefore suggests that there is an
increase in attentional control and CNS quiescence. This interpretation matches with

6. prior results of other researchers which stipulated that selective attention and
creative processing were shown by different ERP components (69). The author
therefore concluded that CNS –Central Nervous System- function is affected by
meditation (83).
In conclusion, this research essay explains the underlying principles that links
meditation and cognition. Creativity is needed in virtually all fields of study and is
the driving force of technological advancements. Hence, knowledge of the positive
relationship between meditation and cognition will spur students and a larger
percentage of the human population to meditate in order to be more creative.

7. WORKS CITED
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