Scientific Research on Meditation

The past decade has seen a rapidly expanding body of research on various meditation methods. Below are some initial scientific findings.*

[Note: We provided a single, compelling study for each listed benefit.]

Physiological Benefits

• Supports immune function

• Improves insulin sensitivity and heart rate variability

• Diminishes inflammation

• Lengthens telomeres**

• Lowers blood pressure

• May slow cellular aging

Cognitive Benefits

• Reduces stress

• Eases anxiety

• Improves working memory and mood

• Decreases depression

• Boosts creativity

• Enables sustained attention

• Reduces feelings of loneliness

• Aids in quality sleep

• Increases pain tolerance

• Slows age-related cognitive decline

• Potential to treat clinical disorders

Changes in the Brain

Although meditation produces immediate altered mental states, it can also lead to longer-lasting altered traits over time. The brain rewires itself according to the principles of neuroplasticity. Below is some preliminary research done on experienced meditators.

• Enlarged prefrontal cortex — responsible for rational decision-making.

• Smaller amygdala — emotional/fear center of the brain.

• Thicker hippocampus — key for learning and memory.

• Overall increased grey matter — brain cell bodies important for processing power and likely intelligence.

• Increased high-amplitude gamma brainwave activity — linked to heightened awareness and feelings of bliss.

• Decreased default mode network activity — connected brain regions associated with mind-wandering.

Common Psychological Mechanisms

Why does meditation have such a wide variety of benefits? While there are hundreds of meditation types, nearly all leverage these five areas of the mind-body system.

• Train conscious command of attention

• Calm the nervous system, putting you in a relaxed state

• Diminish self-referential thought (the narrating mind)

• Improve metacognition, giving you more self-awareness

• Recondition habitual patterns of thought and behavior

* Meditation is an umbrella term, like exercise, and the studies may focus on one or several techniques. Also, there is significant variability in the amount of practice, time period measured, and control activity used in the studies. We tried to find the best studies possible, but each has its flaws and requires further evidence.

** Telomeres are the caps on the end of chromosomes that normally shorten with age.