Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation.
Bassam Abomoelak, Ray Prather, Samani U Pragya, Samani C Pragya, Neelam D Mehta, Parvin Uddin, Pushya Veeramachaneni, Naina Mehta, Amanda Young, Saumya Kapoor, Devendra Mehta
Brain Sciences August 17, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081214 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 34 |
| Population | Healthy and novice college student practitioners of Preksha Dhyāna meditation |
| Intervention | Preksha Dhyāna meditation |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Dna methylation Preksha meditation Cellular pathways Cognitive skills Correlation |
| Key findings | Six of nine cognitive assessments improved significantly after 8 weeks of Preksha Dhyāna, predominantly in memory and affect. The authors report 470 differentially methylated sites and significant correlations between cognitive changes and methylation at several sites, proposing some sites as potential biomarkers of meditation-related improvements. |
Abstract
The impact of different meditation protocols on human health is explored at the cognitive and cellular levels. Preksha Dhyana meditation has been observed to seemingly affect the cognitive performance, transcriptome, and methylome of healthy and novice participant practitioners. In this study, we performed correlation analyses to investigate the presence of any relationships in the changes in cognitive performance and DNA methylation in a group of college students practicing Preksha Dhyāna (N = 34). Nine factors of cognitive performance were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks postintervention timepoints in the participants. Statistically significant improvements were observed in six of the nine assessments, which were predominantly relating to memory and affect. Using Illumina 850 K microarray technology, 470 differentially methylated sites (DMS) were identified between the two timepoints (baseline and 8 weeks), using a threshold of p-value < 0.05 and methylation levels beyond -3% to 3% at every site. Correlation analysis between the changes in performance on each of the nine assessments and every DMS unveiled statistically significant positive and negative relationships at several of these sites. The identified DMS were in proximity of essential genes involved in signaling and other important metabolic processes. Interestingly, we identified a set of sites that can be considered as biomarkers for Preksha meditation improvements at the genome level.
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 3
- Epigenetic Echoes: Bridging Nature, Nurture, and Healing Across Generations. International Journal of Molecular Sciences March 27, 2025
- Mapping the scientific landscape of preksha dhyana: a bibliometric analysis Advances in Traditional Medicine March 18, 2026
- Preksha Dhyana meditation modulates the serum metabolome in healthy and meditation-naïve participants. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 2026
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- Preksha Dhyāna meditation induces alterations at the transcriptome level in novice and healthy college students Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences December 3, 2021
- Preksha Dhyāna Meditation Effect on the DNA Methylation Signature in College Students. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine April 2023
and 4 more in the library