Probing the flexible internal state transition and low-dimensional manifold dynamics of human brain with acupuncture

•Internal state and low-dimensional dynamics of human brain with acupuncture stimulation was investigated with EEG.•Flexible transition of internal states in the whole brain under acupuncture was inferred with Gaussian Hidden Markov Model.•Latent factors of EEG signals were estimated with learning methods and periodic manifolds were observed in state space.•Different acupuncture manipulations induce brain state transition in independent pathways with distinct attractor dynamics.