Effectiveness of mantra meditation as a neurophysiological phenomenon for stress management in undergraduate medical students
National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology April 2, 2026 Reshu Gupta, Rohan Arora, Raman Grover
A 3-week meditation program improved heart rate variability, galvanic skin resistance, and perceived stress scores in medical students with moderate baseline stress, shifting autonomic balance toward parasympathetic dominance. Among 30 undergraduates (mean age 21), those with moderate stress showed significant decreases in heart rate and stress scores and increases in high-frequency heart rate variability and skin resistance within 3 weeks, with no further changes at 6 weeks. Students with low stress showed similar but non-significant trends. The findings suggest meditation benefits individuals with moderate or high stress within 3 weeks, supporting its inclusion in medical curricula.