Multidimensional Analysis of Twin Sets During an Intensive Week-Long Meditation Retreat: A Pilot Study.
Juan P Zuniga-Hertz, Sierra Simpson, Ramamurthy Chitetti, Chang Francis Hsu, Han-Ping Huang, Alex Jinich-Diamant, Andrei V. Chernov, Julie A Onton, Raphael Cuomo, Joe Dispenza, Dylan Davis, Leonardo Christov-Moore, Nicco Reggente, Wanjun Gu, Mitchell Kong, Jacqueline A. Bonds, Jacqueline Maree, Tatum S Simonson, Andrew C Ahn, Michelle A. Poirier, Tobias Moeller-Bertram, Hemal H Patel
Mindfulness 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-025-02584-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Pilot study Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Twins |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Duration | Week-long meditation retreat |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Gene expression Metabolomics Mind–body practices Quantitative electroencephalography qeeg Meditation research: meditation Synchronized brain activity Profound benefits Metabolites Positive shifts Twin studies: twins Twin pairs Remarkable alignment |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Twin pairs showed significant spectral power correlations in separate rooms and when only one twin meditated, and heart rate dynamics aligned among twin pairs but not unmatched pairs. |
Abstract
Meditation has long been known to promote health. We utilized a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the impact of mind-body interventions on the body in a twin cohort during a week-long meditation retreat. This study was designed to address individual changes controlling for intersubject trait variation and explore the role of genetic background on multi-omic factors during meditation. Transcriptomic analysis was carried out from whole blood samples, while metabolomic and biochemical studies were carried out in blood plasma. Quantitative electroencephalography studies, coupled with biometric analysis and molecular studies at multiple time points, were carried out in twins meditating together and in twins separated and simultaneously either meditating or listening to a documentary. Changes in gene expression, metabolites, and cytokines in blood plasma associated with specific meditative states showed patterns of change relative to the time point being assessed. Twin sets were similar in multiple domains before the start of the retreat, showed considerable divergence at the mid-point, and looked more similar by the end of the retreat. Twin pairs showed significant spectral power correlations in separate rooms and when only one twin meditated. These similarities were not observed in mismatched twin pairs. Heart rate dynamics assessments showed alignment among twin pairs, absent between unmatched pairs. To our knowledge, this pilot study is novel within the twin research paradigm and is a first step toward exploring the effects of meditation in twins. This study was not preregistered and was carried out under IRB protocol MED02#20211477. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-025-02584-x.
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 2
- Neural and molecular changes during a mind-body reconceptualization, meditation, and open label placebo healing intervention Communications Biology November 6, 2025
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Physiological Markers of Stress in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Synthesis Mindfulness December 2, 2025
Cites 13
- Contemplation: Its Cultivation and Culmination Through the Buddhist Glasses. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- Mindfulness meditation improves metabolic profiles in healthy and depressive participants CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics February 5, 2018
- Meditation-induced bloodborne factors as an adjuvant treatment to COVID-19 disease. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health October 2023
- Serum melatonin and serotonin levels in long-term skilled meditators. Explore 2023
- Changes in the expression of inflammatory and epigenetic-modulatory genes after an intensive meditation retreat. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology August 1, 2022
and 8 more in the library