Discovering the significance of inter-brain synchronization in social cognition

Abstract

While contemplative practices are often thought of as solitary, in fact many of thepractices done by Tibetan monks are highly social. For example, monastic dyadic andgroup debates form the corner stone of life in a Tibetan monastery. This style ofdebate is associated with a highly stylized and highly active physical form. Ourpreliminary data shows that when we record brain waves (EEG) from two debatingmonks simultaneously with a technique called hyperscanning, then we observe anincrease in the synchronization between the two brains in the 9—14 Hz alpha band.Such inter-brain synchronization has previously been observed in cooperative trustgames, therapeutic interventions and musical improvisation, but a firm theoreticalframework is missing.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Apr 09, 2018
Source ID
FA95501810041

Entities

People

  • Marieke Van Vugt

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • United States Air Force
  • University of Groningen

Tags

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Marine Ecological Systems Migration
  • Neuroscience