Saampras Ganesan

Haha yes it looks like a mammoth undertaking! But I am sure it will work well at the end. 😁

Wow congratulations Jess! :D

Thanks so much Jess! :)

6) Huge thanks to my supervisors, collaborators and others that helped throughout! ~
@andrewzalesky.bsky.social
@brad moffat
@vale-addiction.bsky.social
@ntvandam.bsky.social
@sunjeevkamboj.bsky.social
@matthewsacchet.bsky.social
@Aki_Tsuchiyagaito
@masaya_misaki
@Rebecca_Glarin

5) Importantly, this study led to the establishment of the first 7T fMRI neurofeedback facility in Australia.

4) These findings highlight the potential of advanced neurotechnology as a tool to enhance meditation training and outcomes, while being able to objectively track progress.

A brain mirror for learning to meditate - like a mirror for learning to dance!

3) After the training, this group was also more aware of their thought processes when they meditated at home on their own for a week.

They also experienced lower emotional distress during this 1-week period, which was directly related to the change in their brain connection.

2) The group of beginners that received the real neurofeedback training showed strengthening of a brain connection (PCC-DLPFC anticorrelation) - which is involved in disengaging from self-related thought processes during meditation.

1) Beginners received live high-resolution feedback of their own brain activity (real neurofeedback), or someone else's brain activity (sham neurofeedback) during meditation training. Feedback was from a region (PCC) related to self-related thought, after short meditation periods

Neurofeedback Training Facilitates Awareness and Enhances Emotional Well-being Associated with Real-World Meditation Practice: A 7-T MRI Study - Mindfulness Objectives Novice meditators often struggle to recognise and intentionally disengage from self-referential thought during meditation. We investigated whether personalised high-precision neurofeedback (NF) training improves volitional disengagement from self-referential thought during meditation and enhances meditation’s outcomes. Method In a single-blind, controlled study, novices received 2 days of veridical (n = 20) or sham (n = 20) 7-T fMRI NF targeting posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) deactivation during meditation. After NF training, at-home meditation practice was monitored for 1 week, followed by an in-lab behavioural assessment. Results Both groups reported similar perceptions of NF contingency, performance, and expectancy (p > 0.05), suggesting effective participant blinding. PCC deactivation during NF-guided meditation was comparable across groups (p > 0.05). Veridical NF group showed significantly stronger negative functional coupling (d = 0.59) between PCC and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), significantly greater mindful awareness (d = 0.41) and emotional well-being (d = 0.40) associated with 1-week practice, and significant correlation (r = 0.71, p < 0.01) between emotional well-being and PCC-DLPFC negative coupling. Conclusions These findings suggest that high-precision NF can improve novices’ ability to volitionally disengage from self-referential thought during meditation, thereby fostering greater mindful awareness in real-world practice and promoting emotional well-being. Preregistration This exploratory study was not preregistered.

Glad to share that my PhD's final paper is finally out in
@SpringerNature
Mindfulness.

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

7 Tesla fMRI neurofeedback training enhances meditation training and real-world practice for beginners.

Summary (6 points) below~