Electroencephalogram recordings in Jhana states: An open dataset

Authors

Fabus, M. S., Zerfas, S., Gruver, A., Fini, M., Gadaev, T., Devaney, K. J.

Abstract

The use of meditation as a tool to improve human wellbeing is receiving considerable scientific interest. However, most existing research has focused on concentration-based practices. One powerful alternative is jhana meditation, which leads to states characterised by self-reinforcing bliss, potentially useful for a variety of clinical and scientific domains. However, our understanding of these states is limited by small amounts of data and poor access to experts. To enable new insights, here we release the largest to date and first open-access dataset of electroencephalographic and physiological recordings in expert Jhana meditators. This includes 100+ hours of data in N=26 subjects across three retreats, alongside a detailed description and example code illustrating analysis of the data. This open dataset release can enable wider collaboration and has the potential to move us closer to an understanding of endogenously generated altered states of consciousness.

Preprint server: bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 03 Jul 2026.

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