Meditation Changes the Brain and the Immune System
Oct 22, 2026The original paper
Davidson RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, et al. Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 2003.
Read the original paper on PubMed →
Summary
Employees took an eight-week mindfulness meditation programme, or were placed on a waiting list. At the end, everyone received a flu vaccine.
The meditators showed a shift in brain activity linked to positive mood, and produced more antibodies to the vaccine. The bigger the brain shift, the bigger the immune response.
Key finding
A stronger immune response — and the bigger the brain shift, the bigger the response.
Why this matters
Inner states have outer effects. Training the mind is also training the body.
Research is summarised in plain language for a general audience. Hypnotherapy and energy healing are complementary approaches and are not a substitute for medical or psychiatric care.