Is the Cerebral Cortex Extensively in a State of Inhibition during Qigong Meditatioin

Numerous researchers maintain that the cerebral cortex is extensively in an inhibitory state different from sleep during Qigong meditation. However, the authors have found that the visual cortical potentials evoked by flashes during Qigong meditation could be decreased or increased in amplitude according to the Qigong method practised in different individuals, suggesting that the visual cortex may be inhibited or facilitated in the meanwhile. Moreover, in the work we found that the recovery ratios of auditory cortical responses to paired clicks at 1,2, 3 sec separation may be raised during Qigong meditation indicating that there are some facilitative effects on the auditory cortex during Qigong mediation, though the auditory evoked potentials to the first clicks were reduced showing that the inhibitory processes maybe take place at the same time. Thus it is suggested that Qigong meditation may be associated with both inhibitory and facilitative effect on the cerebral cortex. The EEGs of our Qigong practitioners during meditation are characterized as the sleep stage A1, A2 or A3, and even A4 or B1 (loomis et al. 1937, modified by Bente, 1964). It has been demonstrated in animal studies that sleep is not an absolutely inhibitory state and some excitatory processes do occur simultaneously. Therefore, we are uncertain whether the facts we found in our experimental works are paradoxical and specific for Qigong meditation, or merely and ordinary physiological phenomenon occurring in the intermediate stage between waking and sleep though not noticed before. Hence it needs further study to solve this problem.