A Systematic Review of EEG Studies on the Neural Effects of Quran Listening
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Abstract
Objective: This systematic review aims to explore the effects of listening to the Quran on the electrophysiological aspects of the human brain, particularly focusing on how this auditory experience influences cognitive function, emotional well-being, and mental health.
Method: We conducted a comprehensive search across multiple databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, using keywords such as "Quran" and "EEG." Studies included in this review were observational or clinical trials that investigated the effects of Quran listening on brain activity using EEG. Eligibility criteria were assessed according to predefined standards, with a focus on studies published in English. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was employed to evaluate the quality of the selected articles, and data extraction followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
Results: A total of 236 studies were evaluated, leading to the inclusion of 22 eligible studies in this review. Findings indicate that listening to Quranic verses is associated with increased alpha and theta power, which correlates with relaxation and improved emotional states in participants, including non-Muslims. The review identified significant variations in study designs, methodologies, and quality, with many studies displaying a high risk of bias.
Conclusion: Listening to Quranic verses demonstrates potential therapeutic effects by activating brain regions associated with relaxation and emotional regulation. Despite promising findings, the current body of research is limited, particularly regarding nonlinear EEG dynamics and comprehensive study designs. Further neuroimaging and clinical investigations are warranted to validate these results and explore the therapeutic applications of Quranic listening in diverse contexts, such as pain management, psychological health, and rehabilitation.
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2. Khaleghi A, Zarafshan H, Mohammadi MR. Visual and auditory steady-state responses in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2019;269(6):645-55.
3. Xiao W, Manyi G, Khaleghi A. Deficits in auditory and visual steady-state responses in adolescents with bipolar disorder. J Psychiatr Res. 2022;151:368-76.
4. Moulaei K, Haghdoost AA, Bahaadinbeigy K, Dinari F. The effect of the holy Quran recitation and listening on anxiety, stress, and depression: A scoping review on outcomes. Health Sci Rep. 2023;6(12):e1751.
5. Zarafshan H, Khaleghi A, Mohammadi MR, Moeini M, Malmir N. Electroencephalogram complexity analysis in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder during a visual cognitive task. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2016;38(3):361-9.
6. Kobayashi K, Shiba Y, Honda S, Nakajima S, Fujii S, Mimura M, et al. Short-Term Effect of Auditory Stimulation on Neural Activities: A Scoping Review of Longitudinal Electroencephalography and Magnetoencephalography Studies. Brain Sci. 2024;14(2).
7. Reybrouck M, Vuust P, Brattico E. Neural Correlates of Music Listening: Does the Music Matter? Brain Sci. 2021;11(12).
8. Kannan MA, Ab Aziz NA, Ab Rani NS, Abdullah MW, Mohd Rashid MH, Shab MS, et al. A review of the holy Quran listening and its neural correlation for its potential as a psycho-spiritual therapy. Heliyon. 2022;8(12):e12308.
9. Mohammadi MR, Ahmadi N, Khaleghi A, Mostafavi SA, Kamali K, Rahgozar M, et al. Prevalence and Correlates of Psychiatric Disorders in a National Survey of Iranian Children and Adolescents. Iran J Psychiatry. 2019;14(1):1-15.
10. Pirzad Jahromi G, Gharaati Sotoudeh H, Mostafaie R, Khaleghi A. Auditory Steady-State Evoked Potentials in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Introduction of a Potential Biomarker. Iran J Psychiatry. 2024;19(2):238-46.
11. Khaleghi A, Mohammadi MR, Shahi K, Motie Nasrabadi A. A neuronal population model based on cellular automata to simulate the electrical waves of the brain. Waves in random and complex media. 2024;34(3):1445-64.
12. Khaleghi A, Mohammadi MR, Shahi K, Motie Nasrabadi A. Possible Neuropathological Mechanisms Underlying the Increased Complexity of Brain Electrical Activity in Schizophrenia: A Computational Study. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(2):127-33.
13. Ekhlasi A, Motie Nasrabadi A, Mohammadi MR. Analysis of Effective Connectivity Strength in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Using Phase Transfer Entropy. Iran J Psychiatry. 2021;16(4):374-82.
14. Balani SO, Al-Hussainy AF, Shalal AAA-H, Ubaid M, Aluquaily Z, Alamoori J, et al. Exploring Brain Activity in Different Mental Cognitive Workloads. Iran J Psychiatry. 2024.
15. Hernández RM, Ponce-Meza JC, Saavedra-López M, Campos Ugaz WA, Chanduvi RM, Monteza WC. Brain Complexity and Psychiatric Disorders. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(4):493-502.
16. Kora P, Meenakshi K, Swaraja K, Rajani A, Raju MS. EEG based interpretation of human brain activity during yoga and meditation using hmachine learning: A systematic review. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;43:101329. Kora P, Meenakshi K, Swaraja K, Rajani A, Raju MS. EEG based interpretation of human brain activity during yoga and meditation using machine learning: A systematic review. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;43:101329.
17. Che Wan Mohd Rozali WNA, Ishak I, Mat Ludin AF, Ibrahim FW, Abd Warif NM, Che Roos NA. The Impact of Listening to, Reciting, or Memorizing the Quran on Physical and Mental Health of Muslims: Evidence From Systematic Review. Int J Public Health. 2022;67:1604998.
18. Zarea Gavgani V, Ghojazadeh M, Sadeghi-Ghyassi F, Khodapanah T. Effects of listening to Quran recitation on anxiety reduction in elective surgeries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Psychol Relig.2022;44(2):111-26.
19. Newberg AB. Neurotheology: Practical Applications with Regard to Integrative Psychiatry. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2025;27(2):105-11.
20. Klemm W. Expanding the vision of neurotheology: Make neuroscience religion’s ally. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health. 2022;24(3):235-50.
21. Saleem S, Saleem T. Efficacy of music and quranic verses in reducing cortisol level: A stress biomarker in medical undergraduates. Current Psychology. 2023:1-6.
22. Hamzah NAA, Ali NH, Noor EEM, Aziz AA, Rahman NZA. A review on impact on human emotion while listening and reciting Quran. International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion. 2023;14(1):89-100.
23. Ismail S, Sharifudin MA, Jusoh MH, Abdul Wahab MN, Reza MF. Preliminary Insight on Neural Correlates of Quranic Impacts on Cognition: A Review. Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences. 2023;19.
24. Khaleghi A, Birgani PM, Fooladi MF, Mohammadi MR. Applicable features of electroencephalogram for ADHD diagnosis. Research on Biomedical Engineering. 2020;36:1-11.
25. Kargarnovin S, Hernandez C, Farahani FV, Karwowski W. Evidence of Chaos in Electroencephalogram Signatures of Human Performance: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci. 2023;13(5).
26. O'Dea RE, Lagisz M, Jennions MD, Koricheva J, Noble DWA, Parker TH, et al. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses in ecology and evolutionary biology: a PRISMA extension. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2021;96(5):1695-722.
27. Zhang Y, Huang L, Wang D, Ren P, Hong Q, Kang D. The ROBINS-I and the NOS had similar reliability but differed in applicability: A random sampling observational studies of systematic reviews/meta-analysis. J Evid Based Med. 2021;14(2):112-22.
28. Abdullah AA, Omar Z. The effect of temporal EEG signals while listening to Quran recitation. International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information Technology. 2011;1(4):372-5.
29. Zulkurnaini NA, Kadir RSSA, Murat ZH, Isa RM, editors. The comparison between listening to Al-Quran and listening to classical music on the brainwave signal for the alpha band. 2012 Third International Conference on Intelligent Systems Modelling and Simulation; 2012: IEEE.
30. Kamal NF, Mahmood NH, Zakaria NA. Modeling brain activities during reading working memory task: Comparison between reciting Quran and reading book. Procedia Soc Behav Sci. 2013;97:83-9.
31. Shekha MS, Hassan AO, Othman SA. Effects of Quran listening and music on electroencephalogram brain waves. Egypt J Exp Biol. 2013;9(1):1-7.
32. Alshaikhli IFT, Yahya SA, Pammusu I, Alarabi KF, editors. A study on the effects of EEG and ECG signals while listening to Qur'an recitation. The 5th International Conference on Information and Communication Technology for The Muslim World (ICT4M); 2014: IEEE.
33. Vaghefi M, Nasrabadi AM, Golpayegani SM, Mohammadi MR, Gharibzadeh S. Spirituality and brain waves. J Med Eng Technol. 2015;39(2):153-8.
34. Nasir SAM, Mahmud WMHW. Brain signal analysis using different types of music. International Journal of Integrated Engineering. 2015;7(3).
35. Ab Rani NS, Mustapha M, Reza F, Ab MA. Brainwave theta signal responses during receptive auditory quranic and non-quranic stimulation: a pilot study. Proceedings of Universiti Sains Malaysia. 2015:262.
36. Fauzan N, Shahidan SN. Al-Quran Untuk Terapi Minda dan Penyembuhan: Kajian menggunakan Quantitative Electroencephalograph (qEEG): Quran for Mind Therapy and Healing: A Research Using Quantitative Electroencephalograph qEEG. Global Journal Al-Thaqafah. 2015;5(2):99-109.
37. Al-Galal SA, Alshaikhli IFT. Analyzing brainwaves while listening to quranic recitation compared with listening to music based on EEG signals. International Journal on Perceptive and Cognitive Computing. 2017;3(1).
38. Puri N, editor Neural representations of theta rhythm in passive listening of melodic, rhythmic recitations of quranic Ayatul Kursi verse. INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION AND THOUGHTS; 2017.
39. Samhani I, Rohayah H, Tahamina B, Hafizan J, Zamzuri I, Jafri M, et al. Attentional process during listening to quantitative quranic verses (Fatihah Chapter) associated with memory, speech and emotion. Asian Journal of Medicine and Biomedicine. 2018;2(1):36-43.
40. Atique H, Taufiq A, Irfan A. Differences in brain waves and blood pressure by listening to Quran-e-Kareem and music. Journal of Islamabad Medical & Dental College. 2019;8(1):40-4.
41. Jalaudin N, Amin MKM. Electroencephalography (EEG) analysis on human reflection towards relaxation of mind. Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences. 2019;15(2):185-9.
42. Vaghefi M, Nasrabadi AM, Hashemi Golpayegani SMR, Mohammadi MR, Gharibzadeh S. Nonlinear Analysis of Electroencephalogram Signals while Listening to the Holy Quran. J Med Signals Sens. 2019;9(2):100-10.
43. Purnomo H, Setiawan D, editors. Effect of listening to Quran recitation on workload and driving performance: A car simulator study. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering; 2020: IOP Publishing.
44. Fauzan N, Nazaruddin M, Hutasuhut I, Shminan A, Aren M, Sabri S, editors. QEEG Study on Reading Quranic Verse 36 ‘Yasin’and Malay Language. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Quran and Hadith Studies Information Technology and Media in Conjunction with the 1st International Conference on Islam, Science and Technology, ICONQUHAS & ICONIST, Bandung, October 2-4, 2018, Indonesia; 2020. https://eudl.eu/doi/10.4108/eai.2-10-2018.2295545
45. Halim SA, Awang S, Mohamaddan S, editors. An investigation of brain signal characteristics between hafiz/hafizah subjects and non-hafiz/hafizah subjects. Journal of Physics: Conference Series; 2021: IOP Publishing.
46. Silabdi H, Hassan R, Mahri N, Nor NBM. Brain behavior analysis of mental stress before and after listening to Quranic recitation based on EEG signals. International Journal on Perceptive and Cognitive Computing. 2021;7(1):59-65.
47. Samhani I, Reza MF, Jusoh MH, Juahir H. Rhythms synchronization effects on cognition during listening to Quranic recitation. Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences. 2022;18(5):603-17.
48. Hosseini SB, Yaghoubi M, Dehghani R. Evaluating the Effect of Binaural Beats of the Sound of the Verses of the Holy Quran on the Changes of Delta and Theta Brain Waves Based on the Findings Obtained From the Electroencephalographs. Quran and Medicine. 2021;6(4):80-6.
49. Syaifulloh MK, Hanafi M, Ardyanto TD, Wiyono N, Budianto P, Jumiatmoko J. Electroencephalography (EEG) Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Index as an Indicator of Children's Emotions in the Three Quran Learning Methods: Visual, Auditory, and Memory. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(1):93-6.
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| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 20 No 2 (2025) | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Brainwaves Cognition EEG Neuroscience Psychoacoustics Spirituality | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Majidi H, Rajabi-Tavakkol A. A Systematic Review of EEG Studies on the Neural Effects of Quran Listening. Iran J Psychiatry. 2025;20(2):253-264.
