Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
October 11, 2007
Yi-Yuan Tang, Yinghua Ma, Junhong Wang et al.
1,585 citations
Five days of brief, daily meditation using the integrative body-mind training method improved attention and reduced stress more than relaxation training alone. In a randomized experiment with 40 undergraduate Chinese students, those who practiced 20 minutes of integrative meditation for five days showed greater improvement on the Attention Network Test, lower anxiety, depression, anger, and fatigue, higher vigor, reduced cortisol, and increased immunoreactivity compared to a relaxation control group. The findings suggest that even short-term meditation can produce measurable cognitive and physiological benefits, offering a practical way to study meditation using controlled experimental designs.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
November 23, 2011
Judson A. Brewer, Patrick D. Worhunsky, Jeremy R. Gray et al.
1,410 citations
Experienced meditators show reduced activity in brain regions linked to self-referential thought and mind-wandering, particularly the medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices, across different meditation types. They also exhibit stronger connections between areas involved in self-monitoring and cognitive control, such as the posterior cingulate, dorsal anterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, both at rest and during meditation. These neural patterns align with decreased mind-wandering, offering insight into how meditation may support present-moment awareness and well-being.
Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging
April 1, 2025
Saampras Ganesan, Fernando A Barrios, Ishaan Batta et al.
6 citations
Meditation practices, which have shown therapeutic benefits for conditions like depression, pain, addiction, and anxiety, have been studied with neuroimaging over the past decade. However, existing neuroscientific models are based on small, heterogeneous datasets, limiting generalizability and replicability. The ENIGMA-Meditation consortium is the first worldwide collaborative effort to conduct systematic meta- and mega-analyses of globally distributed neuroimaging data using standardized methods. This framework aims to improve statistical power and address multidomain heterogeneity in meditation practice types, experience, and experimental design. The consortium will generate rigorous neuroscientific insights into the mechanisms underlying meditation's therapeutic effects on psychological and cognitive attributes.
Scientific reports
July 25, 2025
Yi-Yuan Tang, Jeffrey S Patterson, Rongxiang Tang et al.
3 citations
A brief mindfulness intervention, integrative body-mind training (IBMT), significantly enhances metabolic profiles, promoting physical and mental health. In a trial with 42 participants, IBMT led to notable increases in glycine derivatives and phosphatidylcholine, while relaxation training showed no significant effects. Specific metabolic pathways related to amino acid and lipid metabolism, including sphingolipid and α-linolenic acid metabolism, were altered after IBMT. These results underscore the potential of mindfulness practices to influence health through metabolic regulation, paving the way for future health promotion strategies.