Effects of Muslims praying (Salat) on EEG gamma activity

•This study investigates the effect of performing Islamic prayers (Salat), on the electroencephalogram (EEG).•Salat can be identified as a focused attention (FA) meditation.•This study shows that the gamma EEG power increased during actual Salat as compared to mimic Salat in each posture.

This study investigates the difference of mean gamma EEG power between actual and mimic Salat practices in twenty healthy Muslim subjects. In the actual Salat practice, the participants were asked to recite and performing the physical steps in all four stages of Salat; whereas in the mimic Salat practice, they were instructed to perform only the physical steps without recitation. The gamma power during actual Salat was statistically higher than during mimic Salat in the frontal and parietal regions in all stages. In the actual Salat practice, the left hemisphere exhibited significantly higher mean gamma power in all cerebral regions and all stages, except the central-parietal region in the sitting position, and the frontal area in the bowing position. Increased gamma power during Salat, possibly related to an increase in cognitive and attentional processing, supports the concept of Salat as a focus attention meditation.