Binaural Beats Meditation EEG versus Non-aided mediation EEG

Question

Can anybody point me to a recent scientific publication(s) that show the changes in a person's EEG using binaural beat meditation is similar to the EEG changes observed using traditional non-aided meditation.

Answer 1

Theta and Alpha are the waves associated with meditation (KaKasamatsu & Hirai, 1966; Khare & Nigam, 2000).

Owen and Atwater found that:

binaural auditory beats in the EEG alpha frequency range may increase alpha EEG production and subjective relaxation

Furthermore On et al (2013) found that binaural beats could increase Theta activity:

Binaural beat is the rhythmic stimulus which is generated to produce the desired audio frequency with the intention to make brainwave to follow that frequency. In the end of our research, the result shows that Theta brainwave increases after listening to binaural beat. Although the Delta brainwave is not really affected in this experiment, there is still an increment of delta brainwave after listening to binaural beat. The result shows that binaural beat affected on delta and theta brainwaves.

I also found one from Lavallee (2011) that found the experienced meditators couldn't be hindered by binaural beats:

Based on the results of this study, novice meditators were not able to maintain certain levels of θ power in the occipital regions when hindering binaural beats were presented, whereas when the facilitative binaural beats were presented, the experienced meditators displayed increased θ power in the left temporal lobe

Suggesting that the effect of binaural beats may not be as strong as long term meditative practise.

Lavallee, C. F., Koren, S. A., & Persinger, M. A. (2011). A quantitative electroencephalographic study of meditation and binaural beat entrainment. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17(4), 351-355.

On, F. R., Jailani, R., Norhazman, H., & Zaini, N. M. (2013, March). Binaural beat effect on brainwaves based on EEG. In Signal Processing and its Applications (CSPA), 2013 IEEE 9th International Colloquium on (pp. 339-343). IEEE.

Kasamatsu, A., & Hirai, T. (1966). An electroencephalographic study on the Zen meditation (Zazen). Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 20(4), 315-336.

Khare, K. C., & Nigam, S. K. (2000). A Study of Electroencephalogram in Mediators. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 44(2), 173-178.

Owens, J. E., & Atwater, F. H. (1995). EEG correleates of an induced altered state of consciousness: mind awake/body asleep. Submitted for publication.