Enhancing Meditative Development with Transcranial Focused Ultrasound: A Mixed-Methods Phenomenological Study of Neuromodulation in Experienced Meditators During a Ten-Day Retreat

This pilot feasibility study explored whether transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS), by inhibiting the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), could reduce self-referential processing (“stickiness” in internal cognitions) and thereby foster equanimity in experienced meditators during a ten-day silent retreat. Using a mixed-methods approach with 28 experienced meditators, the study combined quantitative data (standardized questionnaires) and qualitative data (daily phenomenological reports). Quantitatively, participants showed significant increases in trait mindfulness, state–trait nondual awareness, and interoceptive body listening. Qualitatively, reports indicated consistent differences between stimulation and non-stimulation days, showing enhanced meditative phenomena (greater equanimity, concentration, sensory clarity), shifts in self-perception, and cathartic emotional release. These findings suggest that tFUS is a promising tool for “scaffolding” meditative capacities and augmenting meditation training.