Investigating the impact of mindful breathing meditation on brain waves: a study on young adults

Abstract

Extensive evidence affirms meditation’s impact on both physical and mental well-being, consistently highlighting increased alpha power during meditation. This study investigates how mindful breathing meditation affects brain waves in young adults, using EEG data from 15 participants. Focusing on boosting alpha wave power, the study shows a significant postmeditation increase. Data was processed with Finite Impulse Filters, Independent Component Analysis, Short-term Fourier analysis, and power spectral density analysis. The results highlight substantial alpha wave changes pre- and post-meditation. Additionally, data was preprocessed for machine learning-based classifiers (Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, Decision Forest, and Naïve Bayes) to categorize brain waves into Delta, Theta, Low Alpha, High Alpha, Low Beta, and High Beta. Comparative analysis reveals the strong impact of mindful breathing meditation and binaural beats on brain wave patterns. This research enhances our understanding of meditation’s physiological effects on brain function, emphasizing its potential for improving mental well-being.