The Psychobiological Effects of Participation in a One-Month Insight Meditation Retreat

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study was to examine how participation in a 1 month intensive Insight (vipassana) Meditation retreat (a) affects biological markers of cellular aging, social affiliation, and inflammation, which are important for physical health, longevity, and behavior, and (b) to relate observed biological changes to baseline levels and changes in psychological traits, which may underlie improvements in personal adaptive functioning.

Detailed Description
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The investigators are specifically assessing the effects of retreat on telomere length and telomerase levels in participants' white blood cells, as well as plasma levels of interlukin-6 (IL-6), to assess how the retreat experience impacts these markers of cellular aging and inflammation. The hypotheses are that retreat participation will increase both telomere length and telomerase activity, but decrease IL-6 levels. The investigators will also assess the impact of retreat participation on oxytocin-a hormone involved in a number of physiological and behavioral processes, including affiliative bonds and stress responses-the hypothesis being that participation in the retreat will increase plasma oxytocin levels. The investigators will then explore how these and other biomarkers relate to psychological processes and personality traits, which may also be altered by participation in the meditation retreat.

Official Title
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The Psychobiological Effects of a One-Month Insight Meditation Retreat, a Sub-study of The Shamatha Project: A Longitudinal, Randomized Waitlist Control Study of Cognitive, Emotional, and Neural Effects of Intensive Meditation Training

Conditions
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Aging

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Residential Insight Meditation Retreat


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Previous meditation experience equivalent to two 5-10 day residential meditation retreats Exclusion Criteria: Disclosure of potentially contagious blood-borne illness (e.g., HIV, Hepatitis, etc.) or other illnesses that might interfere with telomere or telomerase measurement

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 70 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Retreat<br>Participants registered for a one-month, residential Insight Meditation retreat held at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in either February or March, 2013 | Other: Residential Insight Meditation Retreat<br>* Retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center were led by teams of 6 experienced teachers. Participants practiced noble silence-refraining from eye contact as well as verbal and written communication-except during meetings with teachers. Teachers lead guided Insight meditation practices, as well as meditations on loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. The daily schedule consisted of sitting and walking meditation sessions (30-45 mins) totaling 8-10 hours/day, meals, and short work meditations (sweeping, dishes, etc.). Seated meditation was practiced as a group in a meditation hall with approximately 80 participants. Walking meditation took place in adjoining halls or on the grounds. Participants lived on-site during the retreat and were provided with a vegetarian diet.<br>|
| Comparison<br>Experienced meditators from the Spirit Rock Meditation Community | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Telomerase | an enzyme that repairs the shortening of telomeres that occurs during aging | change from the start of retreat to three weeks into the retreat period | 
| Telomere length | the repetitive sequence of DNA that serves as a protective cap to eukaryotic chromosomes, which protects from degradation and instability and is related to longevity | change from the start of retreat to three weeks into the retreat period | 
| Interleukin-6 | a primary measure of inflammation, which is influenced by psychological stress | change from the start of retreat to three weeks into the retreat period | 
| Oxytocin | an affiliative hormone associated with social bonding in both men and women, and which downregulates inflammatory cytokines | change from the start of retreat to three weeks into the retreat period | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arginine Vasopressin | a less commonly studied affiliative hormone also associated with close social bonds | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor | a protein related to neuroplasticity, learning, and memory, which is decreased in depression | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12 (p70), IL-13, IFN-γ, TNF-α) | a family of proteins involved in generating and regulating the immune system | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| State-Trait Anxiety Inventory | 10 item scale designed to assess trait-anxiety (STAI; Spielberger et al., 1983) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Lifestyle Profile II | Assesses health-promoting lifestyle factors (Walker et al., 1987) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Experience in Close Relationships, short form | Assesses attachment anxiety (fear of rejection or abandonment) and avoidance (avoidance of intimacy and interdependence) (ECR-12: Lafontaine et al., 2015) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Mysticism Scale | Assesses mystical experience and religious interpretation (M-Scale; Hood, 1975) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Non-attachment Scale | Assesses non-attachment from a Buddhist perspective (NAS; Sahdra, Shaver & Brown, 2010) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale | Assess five dimensions of wisdom: 1) Experience, 2) Emotional Regulation, 3) Reminiscence and Reflectiveness, 4) Openness, 5) Humor (SAWS; Webster, 2003) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Ego Resiliency Scale | Assesses the ability to adapt one's level of control temporarily up or down as circumstances dictate (EGO; Block & Kremen, 1996) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire | Assesses five facets of mindfulness: 1) Non-reactivity to Inner Experience, 2) Observing 3) Acting with Awareness, 4) Describing, and 5) Non-judging of Experience (FFMQ; Baer et al., 2006) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale | Assesses depressive symptomatology (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Psychological Wellbeing Scale | Assess autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance (PWBS; Ryff, 1989) | two measurements, three weeks apart | 
| Three Dimensional Wisdom Scale | Assess three dimensions of wisdom: 1) Cognitive, 2) Reflective, and 3) Affective (3-DWS; Ardelt, 2003) | two measurements, three weeks | 
| Big Five Inventory | Assesses extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience, neuroticism (BFI; Goldberg, 1993) | two measurements, three weeks | 
| Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale | Assesses non-acceptance to one's emotional responses, difficulty achieving goals, impulsiveness, lack of emotional awareness, access to emotion regulation strategies, emotional clarity (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004) | two measurements, three weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Well-being, affiliation, inflammation