Psychoneuroimmunology of Meditation.
Dipti Magan, Raj Kumar Yadav
Annals of Neurosciences April 2022 DOI: 10.1177/09727531221109117 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Diseases Evidence-based research Health Psychoneuroimmunology Stress |
| Key points | Argues that meditation modulates psychoneuroimmunological effects of stress and proposes that the prefrontal cortex functions as a 'Functional Connectome' integrating psychological, neurological, and immune aspects of meditation to regulate cognitive and emotional behavior. Contends that meditation is a scientific tool against neuropsychiatric illnesses and that lifestyle modification fosters brain plasticity. |
Abstract
Meditation is a conscious mental discipline, that has been implicated in the relaxation response. The mechanism behind such a relaxing effect is psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), based on the interaction between mind, physical health, and self-healing; that conceptualizes that stress and an individual's emotional state led to predisposition to diseases. Research to date suggests that meditation may play an active role in remodeling the imbalance between mind and body by modulating the psychoneuroimmunological effects of stress. However, to date, the multi-dimensional psychoneuroimmune aspects of meditation together have not been completely explicated. An evidence-based mechanism has been framed for the first time in India to explain the psychoneuroimmunology of regular and long-term meditation practice. Present evidence-based mechanism confirms prefrontal cortex (PFC) acts as a 'Functional Connectome' where psycho-neuro-immune aspects of meditation function simultaneously to exert positive benefits in the regulation of cognitive and emotional behavior. Also, this mechanism will help us to understand how human augmentation with lifestyle modification fosters brain plasticity to overcome various neuropsychiatric illnesses. Meditation is a scientific tool against neuro-psychiatric illnesses.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Traditional Islamic spiritual meditative practices: powerful psychotherapies for mental wellbeing. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an online mindful walking intervention among COVID-19 long haulers: A mixed methods study including daily diary surveys. PLOS digital health April 1, 2025
- Mapping the scientific landscape of preksha dhyana: a bibliometric analysis Advances in Traditional Medicine March 18, 2026
Cites 27
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation Neuroreport May 1, 2000
- Effects of Meditation Experience on Functional Connectivity of Distributed Brain Networks Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- The Neural Correlates of Consciousness and Attention: Two Sister Processes of the Brain Frontiers in Neuroscience October 31, 2019
- State Effects of Two Forms of Meditation on Prefrontal EEG Asymmetry in Previously Depressed Individuals Mindfulness March 1, 2010
and 22 more in the library