Difference in EEG between mediation and Chinese qigong

In China, there have been reports that EEG alpha waves during qigong become slower and that theta waves are increased, as in various kinds of mediation. However, our results show that the theta waves appeared only during a short period (shorter than one second) in 13 cases out of 47 (27.6%) during qigong and 8 out of 38 cases (21.0%) in the resting state before qigong. While practicing static qigong, the peak frequency of alpha waves changed from 9.8±0.90 to 10.0±0.90 Hz (±SE) on average, in 17 cases, of which 7 cases, however, became slower. This was also observed during Buddhistic mediation one experiment (from 10.6 to 9.2 Hz). Furthermore, during dynamic qigong the peak-frequency of alpha waves changed from 9.33±0.61 to 9.74±—0.93 in 26 cases; increased in 19 cases (from 9.2±0.54 to 0.93±0.97 H) and decreased in 7 cases (from 9.66±0.71 to 9.22±0.65 Hz). With qigong training, the alpha waves did not always become slower.

The fractal dimensions of the EEG as a non-linear dynamic system was calculated. The graph dimension of the occipital alpha wave was approximatedly 1.5 in the resting state of the qigongist. Durng static qigong it tended to decrease, and to increase during dynamic qigong.