Mindfulness (N Y). 2016;7:651-659. Epub 2016 Feb 22.
Abstract
Mindfulness
refers to an awareness that emerges by intentionally focusing on the
present experience in a nonjudgmental or evaluative manner. Evidence
regarding its efficacy has been increasing exponentially, and recent
research suggests that the practice of meditation is associated
with longer leukocyte telomere length. However, the psychological
mechanisms underlying this potential relationship are unknown. We
examined the telomere lengths of a group of 20 Zen meditation
experts and another 20 healthy matched comparison participants who had
not previously meditated. We also measured multiple psychological
variables related to meditation practice. Genomic DNA was
extracted for telomere measurement using a Life Length proprietary
program. High-throughput quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization
(HT-Q-FISH) was used to measure the telomere length distribution and
the median telomere length (MTL). The meditators group had a longer MTL (p = 0.005) and a lower percentage of short telomeres in individual cells (p
= 0.007) than those in the comparison group. To determine which of the
psychological variables contributed more to telomere maintenance, two
regression analyses were conducted. In the first model, which applied to
the MTL, the following three factors were significant: age, absence of
experiential avoidance, and Common Humanity subscale of the Self
Compassion Scale. Similarly, in the model that examined the percentage
of short telomeres, the same factors were significant: age, absence of
experiential avoidance, and Common Humanity subscale of the Self
Compassion Scale. Although limited by a small sample size, these results
suggest that the absence of experiential avoidance of negative emotions
and thoughts is integral to the connection between meditation and telomeres.
KEYWORDS:
Compassion; Experiential avoidance; Mindfulness; Telomere length- PMID:
- 27217844
- PMCID:
- PMC4859856
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s12671-016-0500-5
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