What Meditation Does: 7 Great Effects

The effects of meditation have been intensively researched over the past ten years. The positive effects are proven in these 7 areas.

1. Stress

An eight-week MBSR course reduces stress just as well as established relaxation methods (for example, autogenic training). At the same time, mindfulness training reduces anxiety and brooding. This leads to a significant improvement in the quality of life of breast cancer patients, for example.

2. Asthma

Although the MBSR program has no effect on lung function, it significantly improves patients’ quality of life – even one year after completion of the course.

3. Pain

Mindfulness training enables a new attitude towards constant pain. Brain scans show that unpleasant stimuli are perceived as equally intense, but still as significantly less stressful. The effect: the affected persons have a much lower need for medication.

4. Eating disorders

The so-called MB-EAT Program – a combination of MBSR and information on nutrition and eating behavior – reduces the number of overeating attacks in patients from four to one and a half per week.

5. Depressions

Mindfulness training in combination with behavioral therapy reduces the probability of a relapse by half in people who have already had at least three depressive episodes.

6. Sleep problems

Even those who suffer from problems falling asleep or sleeping through the night benefit from a meditation course. Its effect is as great as if sleeping pills were taken every night.

7. Anti-Aging

Mindfulness meditation activates the enzyme telomerase. In the course of life, the so-called telomeres – these are certain structures at the ends of the chromosomes – become shorter. Telomerase can restore them. Intensive meditation may also use this mechanism to slow down the aging process of the body.