A study suggests that a one-week meditation retreat can cause brain changes similar to those caused by hallucinogens.

A study suggests that a one-week meditation retreat can cause brain changes similar to those caused by hallucinogens. – GIGAZINE
Aug 12, 2026 12:25:00

A study suggests that a one-week meditation retreat can cause brain changes similar to those caused by hallucinogens

Meditation is gaining attention not only as a religious practice but also as a means of calming the mind and body, and is said to have relaxing and stress-reducing effects. However, research has reported that people who participated in a one-week meditation retreat that included lectures and practice on meditation experienced brain changes similar to those caused by hallucinogens.Neural and molecular changes during a mind-body reconceptualization, meditation, and open label placebo healing retreat: an observational study | Communications Biologyhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-09088-3Meditation Retreat Rapidly Reprograms Body and Mindhttps://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mindA Week-Long Meditation Retreat Produced Psychedelic-Like Brain Changes, Study Finds : ScienceAlerthttps://www.sciencealert.com/just-7-days-of-meditation-can-rewire-your-brain-study-suggests Mind-body therapies, including meditation, have been practiced in cultures around the world for many years, but much remains unknown about the biological mechanisms underlying these therapies. Therefore, a research team led by Professor Hemal Patel of the University of California, San Diego, investigated the biological changes that occur in the brains of people who participate in meditation retreats. In this study, 20 participants were randomly selected from 561 people who attended a 7-day meditation retreat hosted by Dr. Joe Dispenza, a neuroscience educator and author of books such as ‘ Breaking the Habits of Yourself: How Brain Science Teaches You to Become a New You.’ The average age of the participants was 46, 14 of whom were women, 11 of whom had practiced meditation for at least 6 months, while the remaining 9 were beginners. During the seven-day meditation retreat, participants attended daily lectures on topics such as ‘the body’s self-healing ability,’ ‘the power of the mind to shape reality,’ ‘focusing on the present moment,’ and ‘the healing power of mystical experiences.’ They also participated in guided meditation sessions to practice conscious breathing techniques and took part in group healing rituals.

Before and after the retreat, the participants underwent brain scans using

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity in real time, and blood tests were also used to measure changes in biological functions such as metabolic activity and immune activation. In addition, they were asked to complete the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ-30) to measure mystical states and emotions when they were not under the influence of hallucinogens. Analysis of the data revealed that participants showed significant changes in multiple tests after participating in a meditation retreat. fMRI scans showed that participants had decreased brain activity in the default mode network , which is associated with self-referential and inward-looking thoughts such as daydreaming and imagination, as well as decreased brain activity in the spleness network , which helps detect internal and external stimuli. According to the research team, meditation reduced fragmented activity levels in the brain and optimized overall brain function, making the flow of information more efficient. Furthermore, when plasma from subjects who participated in a meditation retreat was applied to nerve cells cultured in the laboratory, it was confirmed that the neurites extending from the nerve cells were significantly longer. This suggests that neural plasticity , the brain’s ability to rewire neural connections, may be enhanced by meditation retreats.

Blood analysis of the subjects revealed increased glycolysis (

the metabolic pathway that converts glucose into energy ) , elevated levels of endogenous opioids ( natural analgesics in the body), increased inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune signals, and changes in gene and molecular signaling related to brain function. Furthermore, a comparison of MEQ-30 responses before and after the meditation retreat revealed a significant increase in the score related to mystical experiences, from 2.37 to 3.02. This significant increase in score is comparable to the changes seen in the use of hallucinogens. Patel commented, ‘We have confirmed that mystical experiences and neural connection patterns that would normally require psilocybin (the hallucinogenic component of magic mushrooms) can be achieved through meditation practice alone. Brain scans show changes in the central nervous system, and blood chemistry tests show systemic changes, emphasizing that these mind-body therapies are working at a holistic level.’

It should be noted that this study is merely an observational study involving a small number of participants and does not prove a causal relationship between meditation and these changes. A more rigorously controlled research design is needed to understand causality. However, the effects of meditation on brain activity andthe body have been reported before, and these research findings can be considered to support existing research results. Patel stated, ‘It has long been known that practices like meditation have an impact on health. But what is surprising is that by combining multiple mind-body integrative therapies in one retreat, changes occurred in so many biological systems, including the brain and blood, that they were directly measurable.’

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