Meditation induces genetic changes? Could this be believable?
Previous studies have indicated toward that possibility and a recent study published in the journal of Brain, Behavior and Immunity adds to that knowledge base further. In a comparison study between trained meditators who were exposed to a daylong intense meditation practice and controls who were exposed to a day of leisure activities, it was found that meditators exhibited changes on 61 sites on genetic material. No significant changes were found in the controls.
There were no significant baseline differences between the groups also. It appears that those affected 61 sites are related to cell function, inflammation and immune response, which means that one day of intense meditation could have positive impact on the way immune system deals with the threats to the body. Previous studies have suggested that meditation is good at reducing inflammation.
Other studies have indicated the same: meditation induces genetic and epigenetic changes.
