Back to overview
Meditation Effects on Psi
Meditation experience correlates with higher psi scores in Ganzfeld and RNG studies. Radin's double-slit experiment with meditators showed consciousness affecting quantum measurements.
Key Statistic
Meditation experience correlates with higher psi scores in Ganzfeld and RNG studies
Could the ancient practice of quieting the mind actually open channels of perception that science is only beginning to investigate?
Honesty Dashboard
The instrument, not the argument
✔Strongest Evidence
Meta-analyses by Dean Radin show consistent small but statistically significant effects across multiple studies comparing meditators to non-meditators on psi tasks
EEG studies reveal that successful psi performance correlates with specific brainwave patterns (alpha and theta) commonly seen in meditative states
Experienced Tibetan monks and long-term mindfulness practitioners consistently outperform control groups in remote viewing and precognition experiments
Studies show a dose-response relationship: deeper meditative states and longer meditation experience correlate with stronger psi performance
Research by Marilyn Schlitz found that meditation training can improve psi scores in previously non-psychic individuals
5 points
⚠Strongest Criticism
Effect sizes are typically very small and may result from subtle experimental flaws or statistical artifacts rather than genuine psi phenomena
Many studies lack proper randomization and blinding, potentially allowing unconscious cueing between experimenters and subjects
Publication bias may inflate apparent effects, as negative results are less likely to be published in parapsychology journals
The 'file drawer problem' suggests many unsuccessful replication attempts remain unpublished, skewing the apparent success rate
Alternative explanations like enhanced pattern recognition or subtle sensory cues during meditation haven't been adequately ruled out
5 points
?Open Questions
What specific neural mechanisms during meditation might facilitate anomalous information processing, if any?
Can meditation-enhanced psi abilities be reliably trained and measured using standardized protocols?
How do different meditation traditions and techniques compare in their apparent effects on psi performance?
3 points
Scientific Consensus
Supportive70.3%
Mixed / Inconclusive29.7%
Related Studies (10)
Use of a Torsion Pendulum to Study Aspects of Psychokinesis, Inertia, and Momentum(2025)
Tier 4 — PreliminaryA Forced-choice Precognition Experiment with Selected Cohorts(2025)
Tier 3 — BronzeFieldREG Measurements in Egypt: Resonant Consciousness at Sacred Sites(2024)
Tier 4 — PreliminaryComing to Terms With the Psi-Trickster(2024)
Tier 4 — PreliminaryAssessing 36 Years of the Forced Choice Design in Extra Sensory Perception Research: A Meta-Analysis, 1987 to 2022(2023)
Tier 2 — SilverThe Effects of Meditation and Visualization on the Direct Mental Influence of Random Event Generators(2021)
Tier 4 — PreliminaryAttainment of parapsychological abilities through activation of brow chakra: An exploratory study(2013)
Tier 4 — PreliminaryPsychophysical interactions with a double-slit interference pattern(2013)
Tier 4 — PreliminaryExtrasensory Perception As a Natural, But Not Supernatural Phenomenon(2011)
Tier 4 — PreliminaryParapsychology, anomaly, and altered states of consciousness(1998)
Tier 4 — Preliminary