Genetics Role in Meditation

A 2025 pilot study conducted by researchers at the Harvard Osher Center explored how meditation affects the body and mind, and whether genetics play a role. Meditation has long been linked to better health, but scientists wanted to understand how it influences the body at a biological level. Scientists investigated this question by studying identical twins during a week-long meditation retreat.

The researchers analyzed blood samples to look at gene activity and chemical changes, measured brain waves to track brain activity during meditation, and monitored physical signs like heart rate and breathing. Pairs of twins either meditated together, meditated separately, or split their activity so that one twin listened to a documentary while their identical twin meditated elsewhere. This design allowed the team to see how meditation influences the body while controlling for genetic and varying lifestyle similarities between twins.

The results of the study showed that meditation caused noticeable changes in how genes were activated or deactivated in the body, which can affect overall health. It also impacted the levels of various molecules in the blood, called metabolites, that play a role in energy, metabolism, and bodily functions. Additionally, meditation influenced signaling molecules that are involved in the immune system, which helps the body fight off illness.

The twins’ biological and brain activity patterns, which started off similar, differed halfway through the retreat, then aligned again by the end. Brainwave activity and heart rate patterns were also synchronized between twins, even when they meditated in separate rooms, suggesting a surprising physiological connection between twin pairs.

While preliminary, the researchers say the findings suggest that meditation can produce measurable body-wide changes and may even influence the subtle ways our bodies and brains align with those we are closely connected to.