Meditation News and Research

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The term meditation refers to a variety of techniques or practices intended to focus or control attention. Most of them are rooted in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years.

Today, many people use meditation outside of its traditional religious or cultural settings as a form of mind-body medicine. Many claims have been made about its value in promoting or improving health and wellness.

New review identifies promising and under-researched OTC depression aids

Most people have heard of St John's Wort and omega-3s. But did you know there are a lot more over-the-counter herbal products and supplements out there targeting depression? In our review of clinical trials of these products, we found 64 different over-the-counter (OTC) products that have been evaluated for depression – but with differing levels of evidence for each.

16 Jul 2025

Mindfulness meditation boosts attention across all age groups

A new study from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology reveals that just 30 days of guided mindfulness meditation can significantly enhance key aspects of attentional control - especially how quickly and accurately people direct their focus - regardless of age.

9 Jul 2025

Virtual mindfulness meditation apps improve cognitive focus in adults

Studies suggest mindfulness meditation can improve cognition, but few researchers have examined whether virtual mindfulness meditation apps are effective.

7 Jul 2025

Out-of-body experiences may help the brain cope with trauma

Out-of-body experiences – where people feel like spirits disconnected from their physical form – may be a coping mechanism triggered by trauma or other overwhelming stress, new University of Virginia School of Medicine research suggests.

13 Jun 2025

Transcendental Meditation may offer lasting benefits for heart health in high-risk Black adults

A newly published randomized controlled trial in Frontiers in Medicine has found that the practice of Transcendental Meditation® (TM) may significantly reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in Black men and women at high risk for heart disease.

5 Jun 2025

Eating garlic, berries, and tea may support younger, healthier cells

Higher intake of methyl adaptogen foods, such as turmeric, green tea, and berries, was associated with reduced epigenetic age in middle-aged men, according to a secondary analysis of the MDLS trial. These findings support the potential role of specific dietary polyphenols in modulating biological aging, though further research in larger and more diverse populations is needed.

21 May 2025

Exploring mindfulness practices to combat anxiety

If you're anxious about work, finances, the state of the world, or anything else, you might try a moment of mindfulness.

16 May 2025

Mindfulness-based therapy offers new hope for people with persistent depression

Mindfulness-based therapy can offer significant relief for individuals who are still depressed after receiving treatment, according to a new clinical trial.

14 May 2025

City of Hope opens largest outpatient facility to enhance cancer care

As advances in early detection and treatment transform cancer into a chronic disease, City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. with its National Medical Center named top 5 in the nation for cancer by U.S. News & World Report, opens its largest outpatient facility among its network of 38 U.S. locations.

12 May 2025

Happiness can be shaped by external circumstances or internal states

What is the secret to happiness? Does happiness come from within, or is it shaped by external influences such as our jobs, health, relationships and material circumstances? A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour shows that happiness can come from either within or from external influences, from both, or neither – and which is true differs across people.

5 May 2025

VR-guided meditation helps hospital parents manage stress

Parenting in the hospital is stressful. Moms and dads naturally focus on their ill child, sometimes to the neglect of their own mental health.

2 May 2025

Exploring the science behind blank minds and conscious gaps

Mind blanking is a common experience with a wide variety of definitions ranging from feeling "drowsy" to "a complete absence of conscious awareness."

24 Apr 2025

Transcendental meditation greatly reduces PTSD symptoms, meta-analysis shows

Just published is the third new study showing that TM is highly effective in reducing stress in a wide array of populations.

21 Apr 2025

VR and AR simulations help people practice stress relief in realistic scenarios

Everyday situations can sometimes feel like big stressors, whether it's delivering an important work presentation, attending a party full of strangers or confronting a partner. Talking to a friend or a therapist can help. But so can practice.

18 Apr 2025

Relaxation methods offer temporary relief for high blood pressure

Relaxation techniques may help lower high blood pressure-at least in the short term-but the longer term effects are unclear, finds a pooled data analysis of the existing research published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine.

9 Apr 2025

Long-term Transcendental Meditation shown to improve stress and aging markers

A collaborative study conducted by researchers at Maharishi International University (MIU), the University of Siegen, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences reveals that individuals practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) technologies long-term show favorable biological markers of aging and stress.

31 Mar 2025

‘They won’t help me’: Sickest patients face insurance denials despite policy fixes

Sheldon Ekirch spends a lot of time on hold with her health insurance company. Sometimes, as the minutes tick by and her frustration mounts, Ekirch, 30, opens a meditation app on her phone. It was recommended by her psychologist to help with the depression associated with a stressful and painful medical disorder.

31 Mar 2025

Traditional paranormal belief linked to higher stress and distress levels

A study of 3084 participants evaluated whether two types of belief in the paranormal might be associated with different levels of perceived stress.

22 Feb 2025

Fear of cancer recurrence disrupts many aspects of breast cancer survivors' lives

Breast cancer is the world's most prevalent cancer. Although earlier detection and targeted treatment have resulted in high survival rates, many breast cancer survivors experience fear of cancer recurrence. For some survivors this fear is occasional, for others it is persistent and often debilitating.

7 Feb 2025

Many Americans unaware of heart disease risks during pregnancy

Pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. have risen 140% over the past three decades with heart disease a major cause, according to the American Heart Association.

6 Feb 2025