Effect of Buddhist meditation on serum cortisol and total protein levels, blood pressure, pulse rate, lung volume and reaction time.
R Sudsuang, V Chentanez, K Veluvan
Physiology & Behavior September 1, 1991 DOI: 10.1016/0031-9384(91)90543-w (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 82 |
| Population | Males aged 20-25 years, 52 practicing Dhammakaya Buddhist meditation and 30 not practicing meditation |
| Intervention | Dhammakaya Buddhist meditation |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Hydrocortisone Blood proteins Pulse Lung volume measurements Reaction time Blood pressure Adult Male Relaxation therapy |
| Key findings | After Dhammakaya Buddhist meditation, serum cortisol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate were significantly reduced, while serum total protein significantly increased; vital capacity, tidal volume, and maximal voluntary ventilation were significantly lower. Reaction time decreased 22% during meditation versus 7% in untrained subjects, which the authors say indicates meditation produces biochemical and physiological changes and reduces reaction time. |
Abstract
Serum cortisol and total protein levels, blood pressure, heart rate, lung volume, and reaction time were studied in 52 males 20-25 years of age practicing Dhammakaya Buddhist meditation, and in 30 males of the same age group not practicing meditation. It was found that after meditation, serum cortisol levels were significantly reduced, serum total protein level significantly increased, and systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and pulse rate significantly reduced. Vital capacity, tidal volume and maximal voluntary ventilation were significantly lower after meditation than before. There were also significant decreases in reaction time after mediation practice. The percentage decrease in reaction time during meditation was 22%, while in subjects untrained in meditation, the percentage decrease was only 7%. Results from these studies indicate that practising Dhammakaya Buddhist meditation produces biochemical and physiological changes and reduces the reaction time.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Zen priests and disciples of Zen sects of Buddhism | 1966 | Observational study | n = 48 |
| “Thinking about Not-Thinking”: Neural Correlates of Conceptual Processing during Zen Meditation Regular Zen practitioners and matched control subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation Healthy adults who had not previously practiced any form of meditation | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion 20 Zen meditation experts and 20 healthy matched non-meditators | 2016 | Observational cohort | n = 40 |
| EEG dynamics of experienced Zen meditation practitioners probed by complexity index and spectral measure Experienced Zen meditation practitioners and matched controls | 2009 | Observational cohort | n = 46 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 48
- A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial: The Effect of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Program on Mood and Symptoms of Stress in Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine September 1, 2000
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Zen Meditation for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Psychological Distress Journal of Psychiatric Practice July 1, 2012
- Plasticity changes in the brain in hypnosis and meditation Contemporary Hypnosis October 30, 2009
- Mindfulness training alters emotional memory recall compared to active controls: support for an emotional information processing model of mindfulness. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
and 43 more in the library
Cites 6
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- Breath Suspension During the Transcendental Meditation Technique Psychosomatic Medicine May 1, 1982
- Three case reports of the metabolic and electroencephalographic changes during advanced Buddhist meditation techniques. Behavioral Medicine 1990
- Long-term endocrinologic changes in subjects practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program. Psychosomatic Medicine 1986
- Effect of transcendental meditation on breathing and respiratory control Journal of Applied Physiology March 1, 1984
and 1 more in the library