What is a Meditation Protocol?
Every meditation protocol in GoDeeper is paired with style of meditation. Many styles have been practiced for thousands of years while others were more recently developed. Each person will be drawn to different meditation styles at different circumstances and desired outcomes.
Behind every protocol is a mathematical algorithm for translating brain wave patterns into meditation depth scores. The oldest and simplest protocol for meditation is to measure the amplitude of alpha waves (8-12 Hz) as a measure of meditation depth. For example, if all four sensors were all receiving 7 microvolts of Alpha waves, we could give that a score of 28. If they were all producing 2 microvolts, we could give that a score of 8 as a shallower meditation.
There have been thousands of experiments looking for the brainwave patterns behind meditation. We have organized and synthesized these results to create 27 protocols for 27 different types of meditation. We have further refined these protocols for four levels of meditation experience. The levels are based on the core task at each stage of practice.
| Level | Task |
| Level 1: Beginner-> Novice | Settling in and Calming Down |
| Level 2: Novice -> Intermediate | Efforting for Focus, Clarity, and Equinimity |
| Level 3: Intermediate-> Advanced | More Ease toward Mastery |
| Level 4 Advanced-> Expert | Non-Dual, Unity, Loss of Self |
How to Choose the Right Protocol for You
There are six modern meditation protocols and 21 tradition-based meditation protocols. The tradition-based meditations have been taught for centuries. We have organized them according to three major lineages – Buddhist, Vajrayana, and Yogic. Every single protocol is based on academic studies of meditators from these traditions. If there isn’t sufficient academic research for a particular level of meditation expertise in a tradition, we gray out that option when choosing experience level.
The modern meditation protocols are based on an amalgam of research studies from several traditions. These protocols are a bit more robust than the traditional based protocols because they draw from more studies.
Start by picking one that you have been trained in or have read about. There is some information provided about what it entails, for example, breathing through your heart, that may be more familiar to you than the name itself. You can also use the GoDeeper app at the same time as other apps such as Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, 10% Happier, etc. which provide recordings of verbally guided meditation instructions for different protocols.