The DOI matches its Crossref record; 114 of the 116 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators
Abstract
Background Telomerase activity is a predictor of long-term cellular viability, which decreases with chronic psychological distress (Epel et al., 2004). Buddhist traditions claim that meditation decreases psychological distress and promotes well-being (e.g., Dalai Lama and Cutler, 2009). Therefore, we investigated the effects of a 3-month meditation retreat on telomerase activity and two major contributors to the experience of stress: Perceived Control (associated with decreased stress) and Neuroticism (associated with increased subjective distress). We used mediation models to test whether changes in Perceived Control and Neuroticism explained meditation retreat effects on telomerase activity. In addition, we investigated whether two qualities developed by meditative practice, increased Mindfulness and Purpose in Life, accounted for retreat-related changes in the two stress-related variables and in telomerase activity.Methods Retreat participants (n=30) meditated for ∼6 h daily for 3 months and were compared with a wait-list control group (n=30) matched for age, sex, body mass index, and prior meditation experience. Retreat participants received instruction in concentrative meditation techniques and complementary practices used to cultivate benevolent states of mind (Wallace, 2006). Psychological measures were assessed pre- and post-retreat. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples were collected post-retreat for telomerase activity. Because there were clear, a priori hypotheses, 1-tailed significance criteria were used throughout.Results Telomerase activity was significantly greater in retreat participants than in controls at the end of the retreat (p<0.05). Increases in Perceived Control, decreases in Neuroticism, and increases in both Mindfulness and Purpose in Life were greater in the retreat group (p<0.01). Mediation analyses indicated that the effect of the retreat on telomerase was mediated by increased Perceived Control and decreased Neuroticism. In turn, changes in Perceived Control and Neuroticism were both partially mediated by increased Mindfulness and Purpose in Life. Additionally, increases in Purpose in Life directly mediated the telomerase group difference, whereas increases in Mindfulness did not.Conclusions This is the first study to link meditation and positive psychological change with telomerase activity. Although we did not measure baseline telomerase activity, the data suggest that increases in perceived control and decreases in negative affectivity contributed to an increase in telomerase activity, with implications for telomere length and immune cell longevity. Further, Purpose in Life is influenced by meditative practice and directly affects both perceived control and negative emotionality, affecting telomerase activity directly as well as indirectly.
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“A few reports demonstrated that meditation practice was associated with increased telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.33”
From Biological mechanism study of meditation and its application in mental disorders (2020) · cites this paper as [33]
In the citing paper
“Nonetheless, several studies reported “dose-response” relationships, with greater improvement in mental well-being or sense of purpose in life or greater adherence to the behavioral intervention, associating with larger increases in PBMC basal TA (Epel, 2012; Jacobs et al., 2011).”
From Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging (2015) · cites this paper as Jacobs et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“Jacobs et al., (2011) found that retreat participants, meditating for 6 hours daily for 3 months, had greater PBMC basal TA at the end of the three months than did a waitlist control group.”
From Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging (2015) · cites this paper as Jacobs et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“A caveat when interpreting that study, however, is that pre-test PBMC basal TA measures were not available for the meditation group, thus the analyses relied on cross-sectional post-meditation data only (Jacobs et al., 2011).”
From Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging (2015) · cites this paper as Jacobs et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“These studies have generally found intervention-associated increases in PBMC basal TA (Epel, 2012; Epel et al., 2009b; Epel, 2009; Jacobs et al., 2011; Lengacher et al., 2014; Ornish et al., 2008; Schutte and Malouff, 2014b; Starkweather et al., 2014).”
From Psychiatric disorders and leukocyte telomere length: Underlying mechanisms linking mental illness with cellular aging (2015) · cites this paper as Jacobs et al., 2011
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Sahdra, B.K., MacLean, K.A., Ferrer, E., Shaver, P.R., Rosenberg, E.L., Jacobs, T.L., Zanesco, A.P., Aichele, S.R., King, B.G., Bridwell, D.A., Lavy, S., Mangun, G.R., Wallace, B.A., & Saron, C.D., in press. Response inhibition enhanced by intensive meditation training predicts improved adaptive socio-emotional functioning. Emotion.
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Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691611419671 · Cited by 3,024
“…mindfulness meditation positively influences aspects of physical health, including improved immune function (Carlson, Speca, Faris, & Patel, 2007; Davidson et al., 2003), reduced blood pressure and cortisol levels (Carlson et al., 2007), and increased telomerase activity1 (Jacobs et al., 2010).”
Psychological Well-Being Revisited: Advances in the Science and Practice of Eudaimonia
Ryff, C. D. (2014) · Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics · doi:10.1159/000353263 · Cited by 2,976
Fox, K. C. R., Nijeboer, S., Dixon, M. L., Floman, J. L., Ellamil, M., Rumak, S. P., Sedlmeier, P., & Christoff, K. (2014) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.016 · Cited by 804
Garland, E. L., Farb, N. A., R. Goldin, P., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2015) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2015.1064294 · Cited by 810
“In that regard, a randomized wait-list controlled trial of persons undergoing a month-long intensive mindfulness meditation retreat found that retreat participants had significantly greater increases in sense of meaning in life than waitlist control participants (Jacobs et al., 2011).”
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“More recently, Jacobs et al. (2011) reported a study in which intensive mindfulness meditation produced positive psychological changes that were associated with increases in telomerase activity.”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Jacobs, T. L., Epel, E. S., Lin, J., Blackburn, E. H., Wolkowitz, O. M., Bridwell, D. A., Zanesco, A. P., Aichele, S. R., Sahdra, B. K., MacLean, K. A., King, B. G., Shaver, P. R., Rosenberg, E. L., Ferrer, E., Wallace, B. A., & Saron, C. D.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Davis (US)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- University of California Davis Medical Center (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-06
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 664-681
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2098489144
- Cited by
- 432
- References
- 116
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 27.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Mind and Life Institute
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Keywords
- meditation retreats, telomerase activity, perceived control, neuroticism, mindfulness, meaning of life, stress, immune cells, telomere length, Buddhist meditation, meditation training, psychological distress, negative affectivity, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, cellular aging, positive psychology interventions, concentrative meditation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Anxiety, Female, Humans, Immune System, Male, Middle Aged, Physical Education and Training, Stress, Psychological, Treatment Outcome, Telomerase, Meditation, Young Adult
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