Video: Monkeys Meditate for Marshmallows

Posted on October 21, 2011

New Scientist reports that monkeys were trained to put themselves into a Zen-like trance for a marshmallow reward. The goal of the experiment is to learn more about the possible benefits brainwave control may have on mental disorders.

The monkeys were given a marshmallow treat when they were able to turn their brain activity to a specific frequency range, which was measured by an electroencephalogram. The monkeys picked up on the meditation test quickly. Two monkeys achieved the required brain frequency (of 12 to 16 hertz) in two training sessions and the other two monkeys took four training sessions. Take a look:

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