During a week-long meditation retreat, twins showed changes in gene expression, metabolites, and cytokines in blood plasma that varied with the timing of assessment. Twin pairs began the retreat with similar molecular and brain-activity profiles, diverged at the midpoint, and converged again by the end. Even when in separate rooms, twin pairs exhibited significant correlations in brain-wave (spectral power) patterns, and heart rate dynamics aligned more closely in twin pairs than in unmatched pairs. These findings suggest that meditation may influence biological markers and that genetic background contributes to these responses.
A 14-year-old boy reports seeing transparent colored light fields around human and animal bodies: blue on the left side and red on the right, extending 0.5–2 cm beyond the skin. In 127 out of 130 randomized blind trials, the blue field was attracted to a bar magnet's north pole and repelled from the south pole; the red field showed opposite results in pilot tests. An outer rainbow field extending 20–50 cm responded similarly in 50 out of 50 trials. The boy also describes cognitive-dependent spirals and "thought-forms" extending from the fields. In one instance, a right-leg amputee secretly visualized a healthy leg, and the boy reported seeing a red light projection of a healthy limb.