Changes in the expression of inflammatory and epigenetic-modulatory genes after an intensive meditation retreat.
María Jesús Álvarez-López, Quinn A Conklin, Marta Cosín-Tomás, Grant S Shields, Brandon G King, Anthony P Zanesco, Perla Kaliman, Clifford D Saron
Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology August 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 62 |
| Population | Experienced meditators attending a month-long Insight meditation retreat and a community control group of experienced practitioners living their everyday lives |
| Intervention | Silent meditation retreat |
| Duration | Month-long retreat, with blood samples collected on day two and again 3 weeks later; control participants assessed across a 3-week interval |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cytokines Epigenetics Gene expression Retreat |
| Key findings | Retreat participants showed downregulation of the TNF pathway compared to controls, indicating meditation retreat participation may influence inflammatory mechanisms. |
Abstract
Meditation retreats are characterized by intensive or concentrated periods of meditation practice, commonly undertaken in a residential setting. Although research indicates that meditation training can positively influence physical and mental health outcomes, the biological consequences of meditation retreat interventions are relatively understudied. In this study, we examined the influence of a month-long, silent meditation retreat on the expression of genes involved in epigenetic modulation and immune processes. We assessed gene expression changes in experienced meditators attending a month-long Insight meditation retreat (n = 28), as compared to a community control group (n = 34) of experienced practitioners living their everyday lives. Blood samples were collected on day two of the retreat (Time 1) and again 3 weeks later (Time 2). Control participants were also assessed across a 3-week interval, during which they maintained their regular daily routines. As compared to controls, retreat participants showed differential changes in the expression of several genes involved in chromatin modulation and inflammation. The most substantive finding was downregulation of the TNF pathway in retreat participants, which was not observed in controls. These findings indicate that meditation retreat participation may influence some of the inflammatory mechanisms involved in the development of chronic diseases, and that this style of psychosocial intervention may have therapeutic potential, particularly in experienced practitioners.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Impact of Heartfulness meditation practice on anxiety, perceived stress, well-being, and telomere length. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Neural and molecular changes during a mind-body reconceptualization, meditation, and open label placebo healing intervention Communications Biology November 6, 2025
- Multidimensional Analysis of Twin Sets During an Intensive Week-Long Meditation Retreat: A Pilot Study. Mindfulness 2025
- Effect of a Web-Based Heartfulness Program on the Mental Well-Being, Biomarkers, and Gene Expression Profile of Health Care Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR bioinformatics and biotechnology December 16, 2024
- Epigenetic, psychological, and EEG changes after a 1-week retreat based on mindfulness and compassion for stress reduction: Study protocol of a cross-over randomized controlled trial medRxiv March 5, 2023
and 7 more in the library
Cites 12
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
- Corrigendum: Methylation of FKBP5 and SLC6A4 in Relation to Treatment Response to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021
- Epigenetics and meditation. Current Opinion in Psychology August 1, 2019
- Residential meditation retreats: their role in contemplative practice and significance for psychological research. Current Opinion in Psychology August 1, 2019
- Mindfulness meditation and gene expression: a hypothesis-generating framework Current Opinion in Psychology July 11, 2019
and 7 more in the library