Meditation, stress processes, and telomere biology

Abstract

Both theoretical and empirical work support the notion that meditation training can improve telomere regulation, which may ultimately contribute to healthy aging. Yet, the psychological and biological mechanisms underlying these changes remain underspecified, as do the contexts and boundary conditions in which these changes occur. Here we summarize studies investigating the effects of various meditation-based interventions on telomere biology, making suggestions for future research. We then propose a model describing how meditation training may impact acute and habitual stress responses as pathways to improved cell aging.

Figure 1

A theoretical model depicting how meditation training impacts telomere biology via stress processes (adapted from Figure 1 of Epel and Crosswell, et al. [28^●]). Meditation training is expected to alter basal processes that influence acute stress responses, potentially resulting in fewer overall stress reactions. Training may also provide tools to reduce the severity of acute responses when they do occur. Only some of the mechanistic pathways proposed here have been tested. For example, there is evidence for the link between stress appraisals and telomere length [34] and for the ability of meditation training to enhance positive reappraisals (e.g., in Ref. [59]), yet no intervention study has simultaneously assessed changes in stress appraisals and telomere biology to test this mediational pathway. With regard to perseverative cognitions, there is evidence that meditation training reduces rumination [60] and mind wandering [61], and that negative mind wandering is related to shorter telomeres [33], but no study has tested the association between telomere length and rumination. One small study of prostate cancer patients did, however, find that intervention-related increases in TA were associated with declines in individual’s intrusive thoughts about their diagnosis [23]. While this study found that changes in avoidance were not related to increases in TA, another study found that telomere length was inversely related to experiential avoidance [7^●]. Intervention-related increases in TA have also been linked to declines in morning cortisol [18], though no meditation intervention study has assessed acute reactivity in relation to telomere outcomes. Finally, there are multiple biological mechanisms that may result in TL changes, including increases in intracellular TA, alternative lengthening of telomeres, latent virus reactivation, and shifts in cell distributions [62]. These biological mechanisms will need to be considered to map out a more complete model.