BrainAGE and regional volumetric analysis of a Buddhist monk: a longitudinal MRI case study.
Nagesh Adluru, Cole Korponay, Derek L Norton, Robin I. Goldman, Richard J. Davidson
Neurocase April 2020 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2020.1731553 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Longitudinal Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist monk and expert meditator, compared with a control population |
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Keywords | Buddhist monk MRI Case Study Long-term meditator Machine learning |
| Key findings | The brain-aging rate of expert meditator Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche appeared slower than that of controls, suggesting early maturation and delayed aging; at 41 years his brain resembled that of a 33-year-old. No specific regional changes differentiated him from controls, suggesting the differences may arise from coordinated changes spread throughout the gray matter. |
Abstract
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche (YMR) is a Tibetan Buddhist monk, and renowned meditation practitioner and teacher who has spent an extraordinary number of hours of his life meditating. The brain-aging profile of this expert meditator in comparison to a control population was examined using a machine learning framework, which estimates "brain-age" from brain imaging. YMR's brain-aging rate appeared slower than that of controls suggesting early maturation and delayed aging. At 41 years, his brain resembled that of a 33-year-old. Specific regional changes did not differentiate YMR from controls, suggesting that the brain-aging differences may arise from coordinated changes spread throughout the gray matter.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrating Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy and a Buddhism-Inspired Aversion/Attachment Model of Client Suffering: The Cases of "Beth" and "Amy" Two psychotherapy clients, "Beth" and "Amy" | 2016 | Case study | n = 2 |
| The DSC Triangle Model of Buddhist Palliative Care: Doctrine, Spiritual Pillar, and Community at Wat Kham Pramong Five care-team informants and five terminal cancer patients at Wat Kham Pramong, Sakon... | 2026 | Qualitative case study | n = 10 |
| Model Implementasi Spiritual Mindfulness untuk Penguatan Mental Health Remaja di Sekolah Islam Adolescents in two Islamic high schools in Gresik, Indonesia | 2026 | Qualitative multiple case study | |
| “Science” in Huayan Buddhism: The Apologetic Discourse of Zhong Maosen (b. 1973) | 2026 | Case study | |
| IMPACTS OF MINDFULNESS ON CONCENTRATION: A SELF-REPORT OF A 20-DAY PRACTICE OF MEDITATIVE WALKING A single practitioner | 2025 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- No Detectable Electroencephalographic Activity After Clinical Declaration of Death Among Tibetan Buddhist Meditators in Apparent Tukdam, a Putative Postmortem Meditation State Frontiers in Psychology January 28, 2021
- Investigating change in the ability to decentre and depressive symptomatology over the course of a six-month mindfulness-based intervention in patients with persistent depression. Psychiatry Research November 1, 2024
- Impact of meditation on brain age derived from multimodal neuroimaging in experts and older adults from a randomized trial Scientific Reports October 28, 2025
- Meditation Linked to Enhanced MRI Signal Intensity in the Pineal Gland and Reduced Predicted Brain Age. Journal of pineal research March 1, 2025
- Meditation Experience is Associated with Increased Structural Integrity of the Pineal Gland and greater total Grey Matter maintenance. medRxiv March 5, 2024
and 4 more in the library
Cites 8
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Can Meditation Slow Rate of Cellular Aging? Cognitive Stress, Mindfulness, and Telomeres Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2009
- Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion Mindfulness February 22, 2016
- Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology October 1, 2019
- Epigenetic clock analysis in long-term meditators. Psychoneuroendocrinology November 2017
and 3 more in the library