Acute fall and long-term rise in oxygen saturation in response to meditation.
Nicolò F. Bernardi, Marco Bordino, Lucio Bianchi, Luciano Bernardi
Psychophysiology December 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12972 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Adults with and without prior meditation experience |
| Interventions | mantra meditation body scan meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Breathing Heart rate variability Oxygen saturation Oxygenation Respiration |
| Key findings | Meditation acutely decreases arterial and cerebral oxygen saturation independently of respiration, while long-term practitioners show higher baseline oxygenation and lower blood pressure. |
Abstract
The effects of meditation on arterial and tissue oxygenation are unknown and difficult to assess because respiration is often altered, directly or indirectly, during meditation practice. Thus, changes in respiration may affect cardiovascular responses independently from meditation. In this study, we aim to isolate the specific effect of meditation on arterial and tissue oxygenation and other cardiorespiratory indexes while systematically controlling for the role of respiration. Furthermore, we aim to clarify to what extent prior expertise in meditation practice is needed to observe reliable changes. Eighty participants, half with and half without prior meditation experience, were tested while pacing breathing at predetermined rates, in the presence or absence of mantra meditation instructions, and in a body scan meditation that did not involve controlled breathing. Continuous recordings were acquired for arterial and brain oxygenation, respiratory excursion, electrocardiogram, skin vasomotion, and blood pressure. In both groups, meditation acutely decreased arterial and cerebral oxygen saturation, reduced chemoreflex sensitivity, and prolonged the RR interval, independently of respiration. Conversely, slow breathing improved heart rate variability, independently of concurrent meditation. In addition to the immediate effects of meditation, the individuals with long-term practice of meditation had overall higher arterial and cerebral oxygen saturation, overall lower blood pressure, and slower baseline respiration. Meditation acutely lowers arterial and tissue oxygenation. A repeated exposure to this condition may lead to long-term adaptation and, through increased ventilatory efficiency and improved gas exchanges, to an increase in baseline oxygenation. Meditation induces favorable changes in cardiovascular and respiratory end points of clinical interest.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Effect of Brief Mindfulness Meditation Interventions on Heart Rate Variability in Adults: A Systematic Review. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback July 26, 2025
- Exploring EEG biomarkers in meditation, yoga, and mantra practices: a review of neural correlates and methodologies Neural Computing and Applications March 5, 2026
Cites 8
- Meditation Experience Predicts Introspective Accuracy PLoS One September 25, 2012
- Fifteen minutes of chair-based yoga postures or guided meditation performed in the office can elicit a relaxation response. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine January 16, 2012
- BOLD signal in insula is differentially related to cardiac function during compassion meditation in experts vs. novices. Neuroimage September 1, 2009
- Central and autonomic nervous system interaction is altered by short-term meditation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 2, 2009
- Meditation states and traits: EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging studies. Psychological Bulletin March 2006
and 3 more in the library