Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Neuroscientist Richard Davidson began his groundbreaking research with Tibetan monks in the early 2000s following a direct challenge from the Dalai Lama in the 1990s to apply scientific tools to study positive emotions. He is still actively conducting these studies today. The following notes are from his research detailed in the book, ALTERED TRAITS:
There are five main types of brainwaves that register on EEG (Electroencephalogram): Delta that occur during deep sleep; Theta during drowsiness; Alpha when we relax or are awake with eyes closed; Beta when we are alert, actively thinking or concentrating. Finally, Gamma, which are fastest brain waves that fire in harmony during moments of insight. To get some sense of how gamma rays feel, imagine biting into a ripe juicy sweet peach. Suddenly your senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and sound mesh into a single delectable experience. That’s because gamma waves have lit up in harmony in our brain.
However, our gamma waves are not as strong as the twenty-two Tibetan yogis (monks) who were tested at Richard Davidson’s Lab at the University of Wisconsin. The amplitude of their gamma rays was twenty-five times greater than the controlled group. The monks described the experience of gamma rays as feelings of spaciousness and vastness and connection with everyone and everything. Such collective mental gymnastics had never been seen by scientists before. For them this was unprecedented; a wow!
Relative to the yogis we are mere beginners. When we sit to meditate, it takes us a while to settle our minds, let go of distracting thoughts, and get some momentum in our meditation. Yet from time to time we may have a “good” meditative experience which is always good for our mental health.
Dr. Davidson’s pioneering work has fundamentally shifted how the scientific community views neuroplasticity, proving that long-term meditation can cause enduring changes in brain function, particularly in areas related to compassion, attention, and emotional regulation. This is great news for all of us who are regularly practicing meditation and journaling.