Ramesh Babu M G

Meditation has been associated with alterations in large-scale brain networks involved in attention, awareness, and conscious experience. Most neuroimaging studies have compared meditators with nonmeditators or examined pre- and postmeditation states. However, the dynamic neural transitions occurring before, during, and immediately after Rajyoga meditation remain poorly understood. Rajyoga meditation is a focused-attention spiritual practice that emphasizes awareness of oneself as a soul, sustained attention on a point of light representing the Supreme Soul, and the cultivation of positive thoughts while maintaining visual fixation on the point of light. Characterizing functional connectivity across these successive mental states may provide insight into the neural mechanisms underlying meditation-related states of consciousness. The objective of the study is to investigate dynamic changes in functional brain connectivity across successive conscious states associated with Rajyoga meditation using a repeated-measures functional MRI (fMRI) design. Thirty-five experienced Rajyoga meditators underwent four consecutive resting-state fMRI sessions during a single imaging visit: baseline resting state (eyes closed), premeditation control (eyes open), guided Rajyoga meditation (eyes open), and postmeditation state (eyes open). During the 9-minute meditation session, participants maintained visual fixation on a point of light representing the Supreme Soul (God) while listening to standardized Rajyoga meditation commentary promoting awareness of oneself as a soul and positive contemplative thought. Functional MRI data were preprocessed using the CONN toolbox (v25b), SPM25, and MATLAB R2023a. ROI-to-ROI analyses examined interactions among the Default Mode, Salience, Sensorimotor, and Visual Networks using an initial connection-level threshold of p < 0.05 (uncorrected) followed by network-level false discovery rate (FDR) correction (p < 0.05). Seed-to-Voxel analyses used the precuneus, a principal hub of the Default Mode Network, as the seed region. Group-level repeated-measures analyses included omnibus F tests followed by planned pairwise comparisons. Seed-to-voxel analyses were thresholded at a voxel level of p < 0.001 (uncorrected) with cluster-level FDR correction (p < 0.05). ROI-to-ROI analyses demonstrated significant state-dependent reorganization of large-scale functional brain networks. Compared with the resting baseline, the premeditation control condition predominantly altered interactions involving the visual and sensorimotor networks (network-level FDR-corrected p < 0.001), whereas meditation was associated with significant reorganization of the salience network (network-level FDR-corrected p = 0.023), characterized by altered interactions among the anterior insula, rostral prefrontal cortex, and supramarginal gyrus. Seed-to-Voxel analyses further demonstrated significant modulation of precuneus-centered functional connectivity with temporal-limbic, visual association, and sensorimotor regions (cluster-level FDR-corrected p < 0.05). Collectively, these findings indicate that transitions from spontaneous resting cognition to externally focused attention and subsequently to meditative awareness are accompanied by progressive reorganization of large-scale functional brain networks supporting internally directed awareness, attentional regulation, and sensory integration. Rajyoga meditation is associated with dynamic modulation of functional brain networks across successive conscious states. Network-level reorganization involving the salience network, together with region-specific alterations in precuneus-centered connectivity, suggests coordinated adaptation of neural systems supporting internally directed awareness, sustained attention, and conscious experience. These findings provide neurobiological evidence of state-dependent functional reorganization during Rajyoga meditation and contribute to a better understanding of the neural correlates of contemplative consciousness.

Background

I am working as an Assistant Professor, in the Division of Physiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Manipal, India. I teach general and neurophysiology to undergraduate medical students and guide research scholars. My research primarily focuses on neuroimaging, functional MRI, meditation neuroscience, and primary headache disorders.

Education

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy, and a Master's degree in Medical Physiology. I completed my PhD at MAHE, where I investigated the neural correlates of Rajyoga meditation and migraine using multimodal MRI with an emphasis on functional brain connectivity and changes in conscious states during meditation.

Best Paper Presentation Awards:

Presented a poster titled, "Rajyoga meditation induces gray matter volume changes in regions that process reward and happiness" at the International e-Conference - NeuroEunoia 2020: A Neuroscience Affair, hosted by Gargi College, University of Delhi, held on 16-17 October 2020.

Presented poster titled “Enhanced functional connectivity between prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in meditators” at SYMMEDCON-2017, organized by SRMC, Chennai, on 2-4 Jan 2017.

Poster presentation from the PhD research work, titled “Variations in Default Mode Network of Brain among Rajayoga Meditators, Non-Meditators and Patients with Migraine Disorder– An In-depth Voxel Based Morphometric Analytical Study of sMRI and fMRI” organized by Manipal Research Colloquium, Manipal, on 5th April 2017.

Presentation (Related to MRI study):

Presented MRI studies in Rajyoga Meditators at the 17th National SIR Conference and Meditation Retreat on Integration of Science and Spirituality, The Source of Infinite Possibilities, held at the Spiritual Applications Research Center (SpARC), Gyansarovar, Rajasthan, during 15-19th Sept 2023.

Presented a virtual poster “Alterations in resting-state functional connectivity in central pain processing areas of the brain among Rajyoga meditators, non-meditators and patients with migraine disorder – A cross-sectional study” was held on 11-15th November, 2022 by the SfN (virtual mode), USA.

Presented a virtual poster, “Alteration in grey matter volume of central pain processing areas of the brain among non-meditators, Rajyoga meditators, and patients with migraine disorder - A cross-sectional study” was held on November 12-16, 2021, by SfN (virtual mode), USA.

Presented poster, “Altered functional connectivity between insular cortex and default mode network among migraine patients”, at APPICON 2018 on 30th November 2018, organized by Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal.

Presented poster at “Rajayoga meditation practice alters grey matter volume and functional connectivity in specific brain areas for attention and internalization: An observational study using sMRI and fMRI” at APPICON-2017 organized by, JIPMER, Pondicherry, on 12-14th October 2017.