Meditation May Alter Genes

Meditation May Alter Genes

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By Grant Lawrence

Bodhi Thunder

Recently it was reported that a decade after the completion of the Human Genome Project there has not been much in the way of cures or even treatment that has arisen from the research.

Once touted as eventually leading to the cure for everything from diabetes to heart disease, the Human Genome Project has been a bust in producing the miracles the scientific community and the politicians had promised.

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As I postulated in commenting on that article, “Perhaps the human genome project has produced so little benefits because we don’t really understand the nature of what genes do. They may be more of a receiver that turn on and off certain characteristics as a signal from the environment, the mind, and/or the body.

They are likely not the predestined determinants that many thought they were.”

It appears that my postulation has merit.

Scientists have found a real difference between Gene Expression in Meditating Falun Gong practitioners and non-mediators.

The Falun Gong practice, which has faced repression and human rights abuses in China, has been found to have a “miraculous impact on practitioners’ health.” Falun Gong emphasizes meditation, compassion, truthfulness, and forbearance. All of this seems to have remarkable effects on health.

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Meditate to a Bigger Brain

Meditation Boosts Health of Body and Mind

Surprisingly though scientists found something genetically different about Falun Gong members.

….The scientists used gene-chip technology to compare the expression of 12,000 genes in neutrophils between Falun Gong practitioners and non-practitioners. They found differential expression in more than 300 genes, in which the differences were tenfold or more. This is an uncommon phenomenon in cell biology research. For example, it’s known that normal cells and cancer cells are very different, because the DNA or the genome will have been divided too many times in tumor cells.

In their study, these researchers found that the numbers of neutrophils in their samples from Falun Gong practitioners were reduced. Furthermore, the lifespan of neutrophils from ordinary healthy people is only two or three hours, but in Falun Gong practitioners, it could be as long as 60 hours….From these findings, we can surmise that the fewer neutrophils in the Falun Gong practitioners may serve to defend them from external infection more efficiently because their lives are longer….(source: the epoch times)

The authors in this study believe that Falun Gong practice is a great way to strengthen the immune system.

In today’s world, we are exposed to an avalanche of chemicals, toxins, radiation, and other enemies of good health. It is good to know that we can somewhat protect ourselves with certain practices like meditation, mindfulness, and cultivating compassion and understanding.

However, we must also be mindful that we share this planet with all of life. We cannot continue to abuse our mother and her children (our brothers and sisters) and expect not to face severe consequences. Thus we need to realize that as we cultivate our inner self, we also have to cultivate a healthy, helpful, life supporting outer world.

For more Information on the Falun Gong Gene Study See

Meditation: Effective Gene Therapy?