Machine Learning-Based Classification of Jhana Advanced Concentrative Absorption Meditation (ACAM-J) using 7T fMRI

Researchers have trained machine learning models to classify an advanced, profound state of meditation called Jhana using 7T fMRI brain scans. The system analyzes regional brain activity patterns to distinguish this deep meditative state from normal consciousness. An ensemble model achieved 66.82% accuracy, with the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex being the most important predictive brain regions. This demonstrates AI's potential to objectively identify and study altered states of consciousness.