Case Study of Ecstatic Meditation: fMRI and EEG Evidence of Self-Stimulating a Reward System

Figure 1

Schematic of the reported experiences in 8 jhanas relative to resting consciousness and access concentration (AC) on 2 dimensions of interest. Joy or happiness is shown on the 𝑥-axis, and vigilance for external stimuli is plotted on the 𝑦-axis. The typical meditation sequence is rest to AC to J1, J2, and J3 (the three jhanas highest in joy or happiness), then to J4–J8, all of which are said to be higher in happiness than rest or AC. Each jhana is reported to be deeper and more remote from external stimuli than the last.