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BIAL Foundation
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File349 - Consciousness beyond thought: Neural correlates of thoughtless awareness in long term meditators2017-05

Reference code: PT/FB
Entity holding: BIAL Foundation
Location: S. Mamede do Coronado
Title:
BIAL Foundation Archive
Start date: 1994
History:
The BIAL Foundation was created in 1994 by Laboratórios BIAL in conjunction with the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities. BIAL’s Foundation mission is to foster the scientific study of Man from both the physical and spiritual perspectives.
Along the years the BIAL Foundation has developed an important relationship with the scientific community, first in Portugal and after worldwide. Today it is an institution of reference which aims to stimulate new researches that may help people, promote more health and contribute to new milestones to gain access to knowledge.
Among its activities the BIAL Foundation manages the BIAL Award, created in 1984, one of the most important awards in the Health field in Europe. The BIAL Award rewards both the basic and the clinical research distinguishing works of major impact in medical research.
The BIAL Foundation also assigns Scientific Research Scholarships for the study of neurophysiological and mental health in people, arousing the interest of researchers in the areas of Psychophysiology and Parapsychology.
To date the BIAL Foundation has supported 461 projects, more than 1000 researchers, with research groups in twenty-seven countries, resulting, until April 2013, in about 600 full papers, out of which 172 published in indexed international journals with an average impact factor of 3.6 and a substantial number of citations (1665).
Since 1996 the BIAL Foundation organizes the Symposia entitled "Behind and Beyond the Brain", a Forum that gathers well renowned neurosciences speakers and the BIAL Foundation Fellows which are spread around the world.
Classified as an institution of public utility, the BIAL Foundation includes among its patrons the Portuguese President, the Portuguese Universities Rectors' Council and the Portuguese Medical Association.
URL: http://www.bial.com/pt/
Accessibility: By permission

Reference code: PT/FB/BL
Entity holding: BIAL Foundation
Title: BIAL Grants
Start date: 1994
History:
In 1994 the BIAL Foundation launched a programme of science research grants with the aim of encouraging the research into Man’s physical and mental processes, namely in fields still largely unexplored but which warrant further scientific analysis, as Psychophysiology and Parapsychology.
Since its launch, applications to the BIAL grants have been increasing. Up to now 461 projects have been supported, involving more than 1000 researchers from 27 countries.
The approved applications have benefited from grants in amounts comprised between €5,000 and €50, 000. The amount to be granted is fixed by the Scientific board according to the needs of each project.
The supported projects have originated, until April 2013, in about 600 full papers, 172 out of which were published in indexed international journals with an average impact factor of 3.6 and a substantial number of citations (1665).
Among the BIAL Foundation fellows is worth highlighting the presence of scientists from prestigious universities from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, and many others.
The BIAL grants are promoted biannually.

Reference code: PT/FB/BL-2016
Location: BF-GMS
Title:
2016 Grants
Start date: 2017-01

Reference code: PT/FB/BL-2016-349
Location: BF-GMS
Title:
349 - Consciousness beyond thought: Neural correlates of thoughtless awareness in long term meditators
Duration: 2017-05
Researcher(s):
Baruch Cahn, Jonas Kaplan
Institution(s): Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA)
Contents: Contents:
Application form
Correspondence
Research Funding Agreement
Progress report
Final report
Language: eng
Author:
Cahn, B. R.
Secondary author(s):
Kaplan, J.
Number of reproductions:
3
Keywords:
Meditation / Neurophenomenology / Thoughtless awareness / Consciousness / Psychophysiology and Parapsychology
DocumentFinal report - Consciousness beyond thought: Neural correlates of thoughtless awareness in long term meditators2023

Reference code: PT/FB
Entity holding: BIAL Foundation
Location: S. Mamede do Coronado
Title:
BIAL Foundation Archive
Start date: 1994
History:
The BIAL Foundation was created in 1994 by Laboratórios BIAL in conjunction with the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities. BIAL’s Foundation mission is to foster the scientific study of Man from both the physical and spiritual perspectives.
Along the years the BIAL Foundation has developed an important relationship with the scientific community, first in Portugal and after worldwide. Today it is an institution of reference which aims to stimulate new researches that may help people, promote more health and contribute to new milestones to gain access to knowledge.
Among its activities the BIAL Foundation manages the BIAL Award, created in 1984, one of the most important awards in the Health field in Europe. The BIAL Award rewards both the basic and the clinical research distinguishing works of major impact in medical research.
The BIAL Foundation also assigns Scientific Research Scholarships for the study of neurophysiological and mental health in people, arousing the interest of researchers in the areas of Psychophysiology and Parapsychology.
To date the BIAL Foundation has supported 461 projects, more than 1000 researchers, with research groups in twenty-seven countries, resulting, until April 2013, in about 600 full papers, out of which 172 published in indexed international journals with an average impact factor of 3.6 and a substantial number of citations (1665).
Since 1996 the BIAL Foundation organizes the Symposia entitled "Behind and Beyond the Brain", a Forum that gathers well renowned neurosciences speakers and the BIAL Foundation Fellows which are spread around the world.
Classified as an institution of public utility, the BIAL Foundation includes among its patrons the Portuguese President, the Portuguese Universities Rectors' Council and the Portuguese Medical Association.
URL: http://www.bial.com/pt/
Accessibility: By permission

Reference code: PT/FB/BL
Entity holding: BIAL Foundation
Title: BIAL Grants
Start date: 1994
History:
In 1994 the BIAL Foundation launched a programme of science research grants with the aim of encouraging the research into Man’s physical and mental processes, namely in fields still largely unexplored but which warrant further scientific analysis, as Psychophysiology and Parapsychology.
Since its launch, applications to the BIAL grants have been increasing. Up to now 461 projects have been supported, involving more than 1000 researchers from 27 countries.
The approved applications have benefited from grants in amounts comprised between €5,000 and €50, 000. The amount to be granted is fixed by the Scientific board according to the needs of each project.
The supported projects have originated, until April 2013, in about 600 full papers, 172 out of which were published in indexed international journals with an average impact factor of 3.6 and a substantial number of citations (1665).
Among the BIAL Foundation fellows is worth highlighting the presence of scientists from prestigious universities from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, and many others.
The BIAL grants are promoted biannually.

Reference code: PT/FB/BL-2016
Location: BF-GMS
Title:
2016 Grants
Start date: 2017-01

Reference code: PT/FB/BL-2016-349
Location: BF-GMS
Title:
349 - Consciousness beyond thought: Neural correlates of thoughtless awareness in long term meditators
Duration: 2017-05
Researcher(s):
Baruch Cahn, Jonas Kaplan
Institution(s): Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA)
Contents: Contents:
Application form
Correspondence
Research Funding Agreement
Progress report
Final report
Language: eng
Author:
Cahn, B. R.
Secondary author(s):
Kaplan, J.
Number of reproductions:
3
Keywords:
Meditation / Neurophenomenology / Thoughtless awareness / Consciousness / Psychophysiology and Parapsychology

Reference code: PT/FB/BL-2016-349.01
Location: BF-GMS
Title:
Final report - Consciousness beyond thought: Neural correlates of thoughtless awareness in long term meditators
Publication year: 2023
Abstract/Results:
ABSTRACT:
Background
We assessed the neurocognitive mechanisms by which meditation practice affects subjective awareness of the thinking process, aiming to map the specific brain activation pattern subserving the experience of “not thinking” long reported in relation to meditative practices. We recruited long term meditation practitioners and matched controls and assessed brain activation associated with spontaneous thinking vs. meditation. Previous research had suggested that decreased DMN activation may underly “not thinking” states of meditation, and possibly increased theta and alpha power in the EEG.
Aims
1. To characterize the difference between meditation experts and controls in neural network activation patterns in thinking vs. meditation states
2. To characterize the neural network activation patterns specifically associated with the experience of thoughtless awareness in meditation experts.
Method
We recruited N=45 subjects for EEG and fMRI recordings, including 23 experienced meditators and 22 controls for whom we had high quality fMRI data. Each participant came to the lab on two separate days, one for EEG recordings during a series of tasks including psychometric measures and the following states of cognitive engagement: “rest,” thinking about difficult experiences, thinking about experience for which you feel gratitude, mindful attention to the breath, and open-awareness meditation. A second protocol involved participants engaging in thinking about everyday activities vs. engaging in open-awareness meditation while hearing occasional sets of meditation bells separated by 35sec. On the MRI day, participants engaged in a somewhat shortened protocol while having their fMRI signals recorded. The 3 initial states recorded were: “rest,” thinking about difficult experiences, and open-awareness meditation.
Results
Long term meditators reported greater capacity to experience narrative free awareness as well as increased mindfulness on psychometric assessment. EEG assessment of meditation in long term meditators indicates a decrease in alpha power is associated with the experience of narrative free awareness, indicating that the traditional findings of increased alpha frequency power in association with meditation may be related to aspects of relaxation but that the neurophenomenological differences related to thought-free states of consciousness may instead relate to decreases in the power of the alpha frequency band. Comparison between the groups on fMRI connectivity measures revealed that during open meditation, expert meditators showed significantly lower connectivity than controls between parietal default mode network (DMN) nodes and the dorsal anterior cingulate as well as generally increased intranetwork connectivity of the DMN and decreased intranetwork connectivity of the salience network (SN).
Conclusions
The capacity to experience narrative free awareness is enhanced by engaging in meditation. Our preliminary evidence suggests that decreases in alpha power may relate to this experience as well as, unexpectedly, increased within-network default mode network connectivity strength. Further exploration of the psychological benefits and potential harms to developing the skill of engaging in narrative-free awareness is warranted and likely to yield greater insights into brain-mind effects of meditation.
Accessibility: Document exists in file
Language:
eng
Author:
Cahn, B. R.
Secondary author(s):
Kaplan, J.
Document type:
Final report
Number of reproductions:
3
Reference:
Cahn, B. R., & Kaplan, J. (2023). Final report - Consciousness beyond thought: Neural correlates of thoughtless awareness in long term meditators.
Indexed document: No
Keywords: Meditation / Consciousness / Narrative free awareness / Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) / Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Final report - Consciousness beyond thought: Neural correlates of thoughtless awareness in long term meditators

Final report - Consciousness beyond thought: Neural correlates of thoughtless awareness in long term meditators