Just seven days of intensive meditation can cause biological changes that go far beyond physical relaxation, including the formation of new connections in the brain.
Scientists have conducted the first comprehensive study into the biological effects of a short but intensive program of mind and body practices, the British newspaper The Independent reported.
While various cultures around the world have practiced meditation for thousands of years to improve health and well-being, the exact impact on the brain has not been fully understood, the article noted.
The small study, published in the Nature Portfolio scientific journal Communications Biology, involved 20 healthy adults who completed a seven-day residential retreat.
The program included daily lectures, other related practices, and about 33 hours of meditation led by instructors.
Brain and blood measurements
Hemal Patel, the study's author, said scientists had known for many years that practices like meditation could affect health. However, he said it was striking that combining several mind and body practices in a single retreat caused changes across so many biological systems that could be directly measured in the blood and brain.
Patel said the results were not limited to relaxation or reduced stress levels. He noted that the findings pointed to a fundamental shift in how the brain interacts with reality, alongside the ability to measure those changes biologically.
Researchers used MRI scans to examine the participants' brains before and after the retreat. The scans allowed them to detect changes in blood flow linked to brain activity, identifying which networks and areas had become more or less active.
They also collected blood samples to assess changes in molecular signaling, immune system activity, metabolism and other biological processes.
Neural connections
During meditation, researchers found that brain activity became less pronounced in regions associated with internal mental noise, such as the constant flow of internal conversations and thoughts. Scientists believe this could indicate that the brain is working more efficiently.
When neurons grown in a laboratory were exposed to blood plasma collected from participants after the retreat, they began to form a greater number of connections and longer projections. This indicates that meditation could potentially enhance the brain's capacity to reorganize and adapt.
Cells that came into contact with the post-retreat plasma also demonstrated an elevated level of metabolism.
In the blood samples taken after the program, scientists discovered an increase in both anti-inflammatory and inflammatory signals. This could point to a complex, adaptive response by the immune system to the intensive practice.
Psychedelic similarities
The brain scans also demonstrated that meditation is capable of causing certain changes that are similar to those observed during a psychedelic experience.
Dr Patel said the researchers observed the same characteristic patterns of neural connections and mystical experiences that typically require psilocybin, but which had now been achieved exclusively through meditation practice.
Psilocybin is a psychoactive compound found in what are known as magic mushrooms.
The researchers emphasized that the findings do not mean psychedelic drugs and meditation have identical effects. They do, however, suggest that the two distinct types of experience might activate some shared processes within the brain.
Scientists hope that larger, controlled clinical trials will be carried out in the future to show whether the recorded biological changes can translate into meaningful and real therapeutic benefits for humans.
Circulation warnings
In other health news, specialists have outlined symptoms that point to problems with blood circulation.
These include a feeling of heaviness in the legs after a working day and ankle swelling by the evening. The discomfort can worsen after prolonged sitting or standing, which is also a characteristic sign of varicose veins.
