A woman stands in a field and stretches her arms upwards full of serenity. In the background, the sun is rising and birds are flying.

Study on the effect of meditation on well-being and health

Bethany E Kok, Kimberly A Coffey et al.

July 2013

Meditation, Pranayama, and more

In the course of a study, the University of North Carolina was able to prove a connection between emotions and health, which is positively influenced by meditation.

The sample consisted of 65 university employees who were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. The former carried out "loving-kindness meditation" for six weeks , while the latter remained on the waiting list. The activity of the vagus nerve was measured before and after the training.

The study showed that subjects in the meditation group developed stronger positive feelings, which in turn had an influence on the autonomic nervous system: the vagus nerve showed greater activity and signaled greater relaxation.

The nerve also plays a central role in our health, as it regulates numerous internal organs and is the largest nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system.

The researchers were thus able to prove that positive emotions and health increase each other and explain why meditation increases well-being.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Immune system, General health
Institution: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC27599-3270, USA
Title: Study on the effect of meditation on well-being and health
Brief description: A study shows that positive emotions and health boost each other and explains why meditation increases well-being.
Original title: How positive emotions build physical health: perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23649562/