Analysis of the meditation brainwave from consumer EEG device

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive test that measures electrical activity in the brain. The source of EEG activity is the voltage differences within neurons of the brain. Therefore, it is a reflection of the synchronous activity of neurons. EEG activity shows oscillations at a variety of frequencies. This rhythmic activity is divided into bands by frequency and usually associated with different states of brain functioning. EEG is a valuable tool for clinical and research uses in many scientific fields. However, traditional devices are usually cost thousands of dollars and the preparation process is time-consuming. In recent years, newer EEG devices are introduced for consumer use and currently available on the market. The devices use dry electrodes and send signal via wireless, thus easier to use and more comfortable to wear. They are also considerably cheaper, cost around a few hundred dollars. In this paper, we used a consumer EEG device to record the brainwave of Buddhist monks during meditation and other activities. We then analyzed the recordings and demonstrated that an inexpensive device has enough features and can also be used as a tool for research as well. Muse from InteraXon Inc. was chosen as a consumer EEG device for our experiment. The device has a total of seven EEG sensors capable of reading four channels of data with active noise suppression. It also provides additional information, such as eye blink and jaw clench, for further analysis. The preliminary results show that the device can effectively record an EEG signal and could potentially be used as a research tool.