All articles tagged with #meditation
A TODAY Expert Tip with Dr. Natalie Azar explains that while high cortisol is uncommon, managing stress is beneficial. She outlines four evidence-informed approaches to keep cortisol in check: mindfulness or meditation, breathing/relaxation techniques, regular moderate aerobic activity, and HIIT together with resistance or endurance training. Adopting these can support better sleep, blood pressure, and mood.
A seven-day residential silent retreat sharply reduced connectivity in the brain's default mode network—the self-talk hub—and boosted mystical experiences to levels usually associated with psilocybin, all without any drugs. The finding comes from an observational study and cannot prove causation or medical treatment claims, but suggests that simply removing external inputs and extending quiet can rewire self-talk networks.
A small, observational study of 20 adults at a seven-day meditation retreat found brain and blood changes: fMRI showed reduced activity in the default mode and salience networks and greater whole-brain integration; post-retreat plasma caused neurons in a dish to grow longer neurites; blood tests indicated metabolic, immune, and endogenous-opioid shifts; MEQ-30 scores rose, suggesting heightened mystical experiences akin to psychedelic effects, though causality can't be established due to lack of a control group; one co-author is the retreat's CEO, and researchers call for more rigorous, controlled studies to confirm these results.
A seven-day meditation retreat in healthy adults produced broad brain, metabolic, immune, and pain-regulation changes, with brain activity showing reduced internal mental chatter, evidence of increased neuroplasticity, altered metabolism, higher endogenous opioid levels, and shifts in immune signaling; brain connectivity patterns resembled those seen with psychedelic states, though the study cannot separate which components caused the effects and further trials are needed to assess durability and clinical relevance.
The Washington Post Wellbeing piece outlines six expert-backed strategies to boost patience: practice deep breathing, zoom out to see the bigger picture, cultivate gratitude, minimize distractions, use humor, and lean on social interactions to stay present and calm in everyday frustrations.
The vagus nerve is a vast brain–body network that helps regulate heart rate, breathing, digestion and inflammation; higher vagal tone is linked to better well-being, while low tone is associated with chronic stress and disease. Implanted or noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation can help certain conditions, but at‑home devices and hype lack robust proof. Realistic ways to improve vagal tone include regular exercise, slow nasal diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness meditation, and, to a lesser extent, cold exposure—though none replace medical care or a healthy lifestyle.
British actress Hannah Murray (Gilly) says she spent years in a wellness cult after embracing meditation, suffered a psychotic break and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, leading to hospitalization. Now out of acting and the wellness scene, she warns about the seductive lure of quick-fix wellness and its pervasiveness in society.
A new study suggests that just two to three minutes of meditation can trigger a relaxation response and positively affect brain function across experience levels, implying that even short daily practice may yield brain benefits sooner than previously thought.
Jemima Kelly visits the Harmonic Egg, a pricey energy-therapy chamber that uses sound, light and vibration for a claimed physical, mental and emotional detox. After a 40-minute London session guided by guardian Bea Badinska, she emerges relaxed but unconvinced of any measurable “energetic shift,” while noting the procedure rests on testimonials rather than medical evidence. The device, about £120 per session (with bundles), has roughly 250 units worldwide; skeptics like David Grimes warn against treating it as medical treatment. It’s a pricey, curiosity-driven wellness experiment for those nearby, not a guaranteed cure.
A magnetoencephalography study of twelve highly trained Buddhist monks comparing Samatha (focused attention) and Vipassana (open monitoring) shows meditation reshapes brain dynamics beyond simple gamma increases: after removing non-rhythmic background noise, rhythmic gamma activity declines during both styles and brain signals become more complex and less tied to recent activity. Vipassana nudges the brain toward a critical state and flexible awareness, while Samatha remains more ordered. Hours of practice may align meditative states with resting patterns; a machine-learning classifier could distinguish meditating from resting states. Limitations include small sample size and no control group.
A 2022 US study found that more than 10% of regular meditators report significant adverse effects—such as anxiety, depersonalization, or psychosis—that can disrupt daily functioning for a month or more. The findings echo long-standing warnings in Buddhist texts and contrast with the mindfulness industry’s promotion of benefits, as some research shows no mental-health gains or even harm for vulnerable groups.
New research shows mindfulness and meditation can trigger adverse effects such as anxiety, depression, psychotic symptoms, and dissociation, even in people without prior mental-health issues, with a major UK study finding no mental-wellbeing benefit for at‑risk youths. The piece calls for ethical warnings, safer practice guidelines, and greater awareness of potential harm in the mindfulness industry.
A small MEG study of 12 Theravada monk meditators finds two meditation methods shape brain activity differently: Samatha yields a stable, focused state, while Vipassana nudges the brain toward 'criticality'—an optimal balance between chaos and order that may enhance information processing and learning. Experienced meditators show brain activity closer to resting patterns, gamma oscillations can decrease (suggesting less external processing), and some practitioners report anxiety or other drawbacks. The findings contribute to understanding how meditation reshapes neural dynamics and were published in Neuroscience of Consciousness (2025).
UC San Diego researchers report that a seven-day intensive mind-body retreat, combining meditation with reconceptualization and open-label placebo, produced rapid, multi-system brain and blood changes in 20 healthy adults—lowered default-mode activity, signs of enhanced neuroplasticity, metabolic shifts toward flexible energy use, increased endogenous opioids, and a balanced immune response—patterns that resemble psychedelic brain states and could inform non-drug approaches to pain and stress, though clinical trials are still needed.
The article highlights seven top third-party apps for Apple Watch that enhance its functionality beyond built-in features, including fitness tracking with Strava and Nike Run Club, outdoor navigation with AllTrails, mindfulness with Calm, music with Spotify, and navigation with Google Maps, offering users a versatile smartwatch experience.