Ketosis with enhanced GABAergic tone promotes physiological changes in transcendental meditation.
A N Elias, S Guich, A F Wilson
Medical Hypotheses April 2000 DOI: 10.1054/mehy.1999.0921 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Transcendental meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Proposes that transcendental meditation produces changes in pituitary hormone secretion by enhancing hypothalamic GABAergic tone, possibly as a result of TM-associated ketosis. The author suggests that ketosis increases glutamate entry into synaptosomes, providing more substrate for conversion to GABA through the glutamate decarboxylase pathway. |
Abstract
Transcendental meditation (TM) is a stylized form of physical and mental relaxation which is associated with changes in the secretion and release of several pituitary hormones. The hormonal changes induced by TM mimic the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). It is hypothesized that TM produces changes in pituitary hormone secretion by enhancing hypothalamic GABAergic tone as a result of TM associated ketosis. Ketosis enhances the entry of glutamate, the amino acid substrate of GABA into synaptosomes, making more glutamate available for conversion to GABA through the glutamate decarboxylase pathway.
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
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- The emerging role of meditation in addressing psychiatric illness, with a focus on substance use disorders. Harvard Review of Psychiatry 2009
- Mindfulness-based intervention for benzodiazepine deprescription in hemodialysis patients with anxiety and depressive symptoms Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience May 12, 2023
- Punjab breathes better: yoga’s role in mental health revolutions International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences February 20, 2026
- Neuroplastic Effects of Meditation-Based Neurofeedback on the Pathological Brain 2023 11th International Conference on Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction Workshops and Demos September 10, 2023
and 6 more in the library
Cites 4
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- Beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity in subjects practicing transcendental meditation. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 1990
- Hormonal control in a state of decreased activation: potentiation of arginine vasopressin secretion. Physiology & Behavior October 1, 1985
- Metabolic control in a state of decreased activation: modulation of red cell metabolism. American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content November 1983