Sleep-Based Brain Age Is Reduced in Advanced Inner Engineering Meditators

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to quantify the effects of advanced meditation on brain electrical activity during sleep. This investigation addresses the need for objective neurophysiological measures of meditation’s potential impact on brain aging and health. Method: This study was a single-site, prospective cohort study (conducted August 25, 2021, through September 26, 2021) of meditators attending the “Samyama Sadhana” retreat (September 1–5, 2021). Two healthy comparison groups and four comparison groups with varying degrees of age-related brain pathology are included. Using overnight electroencephalography, physiological measures of brain age were derived and subtracted from chronological age, measuring the deviation of apparent brain age from chronological age. Results: Thirty-four participants completed the study (average age = 38 years; 36% female). Estimated brain age index after adjustment by matching: meditators (n = 34), − 5.9 years (SE = 0.94 years, t-test p < 0.001); Dreem healthy controls (n = 1077), − 0.24 (0.61, p < 0.001); Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) healthy controls (n = 112), 0.55 (0.92, p < 0.05); MGH “no dementia” (n = 7618), 2.4 (0.094, reference cohort for t-test); MGH “symptomatic” (n = 697), 2.0 (0.33, p > 0.05); MGH “mild cognitive impairment (MCI)”(n = 205), 8.8 (2.8, p < 0.05); and MGH “dementia” (n = 153), 10.5 (2.8, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Long-term meditators exhibit lower brain age relative to matched control groups. This study suggests that advanced meditation enhances brain health. Preregistration: This study was not preregistered.