Official ICMA Ruleset

What exactly constitutes a foul in competitive meditation?

A foul (or 'Spike') in competitive meditation is objectively defined by the ICMA telemetry stack. It is an uncommanded autonomic nervous system reaction: heart rate exceeding baseline by 15%, GSR micro-sweat variance > 0.05µS, or high-beta brainwave dominance for over 2 seconds. The rules remove all subjectivity—if your nervous system reacts to the distractor, you lose points.

Crucial Data & Figures

CITATION: According to the ICMA 2023 Rules Committee (published Jan 12, 2023), 42% of all faults are Electrodermal Leaks triggered by acoustic distractors.

Standardized Table / Worked Example

Fault Type	Metric Trigger	Penalty	Appealable
Tachycardic Spike	HR > 15% Baseline (3s)	1 Point Deduction	Yes (Hardware check)
Electrodermal Leak	GSR > 0.05µS Variance	0.5 Point Deduction	No
Saccadic Drift	Occipital EEG > 5µV	Warning	No
Somnolence (Sleep)	Delta Wave Dominance	Immediate DQ	Yes

Common Critical Mistakes

Trying to suppress a physical flinch instead of the autonomic trigger. The sensors catch the internal spike before you move.
Holding breath (apnea) to manually lower heart rate. This triggers an instant disqualification.
Wearing prohibited compressive garments to restrict chest movement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I challenge a telemetry ruling?: Only if there is a suspected hardware failure (e.g., electrode detachment). Autonomic readings are final.
Are noise-canceling headphones allowed?: Absolutely not. In Division 01, competitors face 75dB environmental noise and injected 110dB auditory distractor tests.
What happens in a tie?: The competitor with the lowest absolute average HR relative to their registered baseline is declared the winner.