科学家表示仅仅7天的冥想就能重塑你的大脑

A seven-day meditation retreat appeared to reshape brain activity and blood biology in ways linked to neuroplasticity, immunity, pain relief, and even psychedelic-like mystical experiences. Credit: Shutterstock 为期七天的冥想静修似乎能以某种方式重塑大脑活动和血液生物学，这与神经可塑性、免疫力、缓解疼痛，甚至类似迷幻剂的神秘体验都有关联。图片来源：Shutterstock

A week of intensive meditation and other mind and body practices may be capable of producing measurable changes far beyond simple relaxation. In a recent study, researchers at the University of California San Diego found that a seven-day retreat was associated with changes in brain activity, blood chemistry, immune signaling, metabolism, and the body’s natural pain control systems. 为期一周的密集冥想和其他身心练习或许能够带来远超简单放松的显著改变。加州大学圣地亚哥分校的研究人员最近发现，为期七天的静修与大脑活动、血液化学成分、免疫信号、新陈代谢以及人体自然疼痛控制系统的变化相关。

The researchers also found signs of increased neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt, reorganize, and form new connections. The findings, published in Communications Biology, offer new clues about how mental practices and conscious experiences may influence physical biology. 研究人员还发现了神经可塑性增强的迹象，神经可塑性是指大脑适应、重组和形成新连接的能力。这项发表在《通讯生物学》上的研究结果，为我们了解心理活动和意识体验如何影响生理机能提供了新的线索。

Measuring the Biology of Meditation 测量冥想的生物学特性

Meditation and related practices have been used in cultures around the world for thousands of years as tools for health and well-being. Scientists, however, are still working to understand exactly what happens inside the brain and body when people engage in these practices. 冥想及相关练习在世界各地的文化中已有数千年的历史，被用作促进身心健康的工具。然而，科学家们仍在努力了解人们进行这些练习时，大脑和身体内部究竟发生了什么。

The new research was part of a multi-million-dollar initiative supported by the InnerScience Research Fund. According to the researchers, it is the first study to comprehensively measure the biological effects of several mind and body practices delivered together during a short, intensive program. 这项新研究是“内在科学研究基金”资助的一项耗资数百万美元的计划的一部分。据研究人员称，这是首个全面测量在短期强化课程中同时进行的多种身心练习所产生的生物学效应的研究。

“We’ve known for years that practices like meditation can influence health, but what’s striking is that combining multiple mind-body practices into a single retreat produced changes across so many biological systems that we could measure directly in the brain and blood,” said senior study author Hemal H. Patel, Ph.D., professor of anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and research career scientist at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. “This isn’t about just stress relief or relaxation; this is about fundamentally changing how the brain engages with reality and quantifying these changes biologically.” “多年来我们都知道冥想等练习可以影响健康，但令人惊讶的是，将多种身心练习结合到一次静修中，竟然能对如此多的生物系统产生影响，而且这些影响可以直接在大脑和血液中测量到，”该研究的资深作者、加州大学圣地亚哥分校医学院麻醉学教授、圣地亚哥退伍军人事务医疗保健系统研究员 Hemal H. Patel 博士说。“这不仅仅是缓解压力或放松身心；而是从根本上改变大脑与现实互动的方式，并从生物学角度量化这些变化。”

Inside the Seven-Day Retreat 七日静修营内幕

The study involved 20 healthy adults who participated in a 7-day residential program led by neuroscience educator and author Joe Dispenza, D.C. The retreat included daily lectures, approximately 33 hours of guided meditation, and group healing practices. 该研究招募了 20 名健康成年人，他们参加了由神经科学教育家和作家乔·迪斯潘萨 (Joe Dispenza) 博士领导的为期 7 天的住宿项目。静修活动包括每日讲座、约 33 小时的引导冥想和团体疗愈练习。

Some of those healing activities relied on an “open-label placebo” approach. Unlike a traditional placebo, where participants may not know they are receiving an inactive treatment, people taking part in an open placebo know from the beginning that no active medical ingredient is involved. Researchers have studied this approach because expectations, social interaction, and the experience of participating in a treatment can sometimes produce measurable effects even when no active drug is given. 有些治疗活动采用了“开放标签安慰剂”方法。与传统的安慰剂疗法不同，传统安慰剂疗法的参与者可能并不知道自己接受的是无效治疗，而开放标签安慰剂疗法的参与者从一开始就知道其中不包含任何活性药物成分。研究人员之所以研究这种方法，是因为即使没有服用任何活性药物，预期、社交互动以及参与治疗的体验有时也能产生可衡量的效果。

Before and after the retreat, scientists examined participants’ brains using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This type of scanning detects changes in blood flow associated with brain activity, allowing researchers to observe which areas and networks are more or less active. 在静修活动前后，科学家们利用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）技术对参与者的大脑进行了检查。这种扫描方式可以检测与大脑活动相关的血流变化，从而使研究人员能够观察哪些区域和神经网络更加活跃或不那么活跃。

Blood samples were also collected so the team could examine changes involving metabolism, immune activity, molecular signaling, and other biological processes. 研究团队还采集了血液样本，以便检查代谢、免疫活动、分子信号传导和其他生物过程的变化。

Changes From the Brain to the Immune System 从大脑到免疫系统的变化

The researchers reported several notable differences following the retreat. 研究人员报告称，静修之后出现了一些显著的变化。

Brain activity became less pronounced in regions associated with internal mental chatter during meditation. The researchers interpreted this pattern as a sign of more efficient brain function. 冥想期间，与内心活动相关的脑区活动明显减弱。研究人员将这种现象解读为大脑功能效率提高的标志。

Evidence of increased neuroplasticity also emerged in laboratory experiments. When scientists exposed laboratory-grown neurons to blood plasma collected from participants after the retreat, the neurons developed longer branches and formed more connections. These changes are commonly associated with the ability of nerve cells to communicate and adapt. 实验室实验也证实了神经可塑性增强。当科学家将实验室培养的神经元暴露于参与者在静修后采集的血浆中时，这些神经元长出了更长的分支，并形成了更多的连接。这些变化通常与神经细胞的通讯和适应能力有关。

Metabolism changed as well. Cells exposed to plasma collected after the retreat showed increased glycolytic (sugar-burning) metabolism. Glycolysis is one of the main ways cells convert glucose into usable energy, and the researchers said the shift pointed toward a more flexible and adaptable metabolic state. 代谢也发生了变化。暴露于疗养后采集的血浆中的细胞显示出糖酵解（燃烧糖分）代谢增强。糖酵解是细胞将葡萄糖转化为可用能量的主要途径之一，研究人员表示，这种转变表明细胞进入了一种更灵活、更具适应性的代谢状态。

The retreat also appeared to activate the body’s own pain control mechanisms. Blood concentrations of endogenous opioids increased after the program. Endogenous opioids are naturally produced chemicals that act on some of the same biological systems targeted by opioid pain medications, helping the body regulate pain without an external drug. 这次静修似乎也激活了人体自身的疼痛控制机制。疗程结束后，血液中内源性阿片类物质的浓度有所升高。内源性阿片类物质是人体自然产生的化学物质，它们作用于与阿片类止痛药相同的某些生物系统，帮助人体在不依赖外源性药物的情况下调节疼痛。

Researchers also detected changes in immune signaling. Both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signals increased at the same time, suggesting that the immune system was undergoing a more complicated adaptive response rather than simply becoming more or less active. 研究人员还检测到了免疫信号的变化。炎症信号和抗炎信号同时增强，这表明免疫系统正在经历一种更为复杂的适应性反应，而不仅仅是活性增强或减弱。

Small RNA molecules and patterns of gene activity in the blood also changed, particularly in biological pathways associated with brain function. Small RNA molecules help control how genes are expressed and can influence the activity of cells throughout the body. 血液中小 RNA 分子和基因活性模式也发生了变化，尤其是在与大脑功能相关的生物通路中。小 RNA 分子有助于控制基因表达，并能影响全身细胞的活性。

Mystical Experiences and Brain Connectivity 神秘体验与大脑连接

Researchers were also interested in the subjective experiences participants had while meditating. 研究人员还对参与者在冥想过程中的主观体验很感兴趣。

The volunteers completed the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30), which is designed to measure experiences involving feelings of unity, transcendence, and altered consciousness. Average scores increased significantly, from 2.37 before the retreat to 3.02 afterward. 志愿者们完成了神秘体验问卷（MEQ-30），该问卷旨在测量与合一感、超越感和意识改变感相关的体验。平均得分显著提高，从静修前的 2.37 分提高到静修后的 3.02 分。

People who reported stronger mystical experiences also tended to show greater biological changes. In particular, higher questionnaire scores were associated with increased integration of activity between different regions of the brain. 报告有更强烈神秘体验的人往往也表现出更显著的生物学变化。具体而言，问卷得分越高，大脑不同区域之间的活动整合度就越高。

That relationship suggests that greater communication across brain networks may be associated with a stronger likelihood of experiencing profound changes in consciousness. 这种关系表明，大脑网络之间更密切的沟通可能与意识发生深刻变化的可能性更大有关。

Similarities to Psychedelic Brain States 与迷幻脑状态的相似之处

One of the most intriguing findings involved patterns of brain activity that resembled effects previously documented in people using psychedelic substances. 其中一项最引人入胜的发现是，大脑活动模式与之前记录的使用迷幻物质的人的大脑活动模式相似。

The researchers said intensive meditation appeared capable of producing some of the same types of neural connectivity associated with psychedelic experiences, despite participants not taking psychedelic drugs. 研究人员表示，尽管参与者没有服用迷幻药，但高强度的冥想似乎能够产生与迷幻体验相关的某些类型的神经连接。

“We’re seeing the same mystical experiences and neural connectivity patterns that typically require psilocybin, now achieved through meditation practice alone,” added Patel. “Seeing both central nervous system changes in brain scans and systemic changes in blood chemistry underscores that these mind-body practices are acting on a whole-body scale.” 帕特尔补充道：“我们看到，以往需要服用裸盖菇素才能获得的神秘体验和神经连接模式，现在仅通过冥想练习就能实现。脑部扫描中观察到的中枢神经系统变化以及血液化学成分的系统性变化都表明，这些身心练习正在对全身产生作用。”

Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound found in certain psychedelic mushrooms. Researchers have increasingly studied it because it can produce dramatic changes in perception, mood, and the way different brain networks communicate. 裸盖菇素是某些迷幻蘑菇中发现的精神活性化合物。研究人员对它的研究日益增多，因为它能显著改变人的感知、情绪以及不同脑区之间的沟通方式。

The similarities observed in the meditation study do not mean that meditation and psychedelic drugs produce identical effects. Instead, the findings suggest that very different experiences may sometimes engage overlapping brain processes associated with altered states of consciousness. 冥想研究中观察到的相似之处并不意味着冥想和迷幻药物会产生完全相同的效果。相反，研究结果表明，截然不同的体验有时可能会激活与意识状态改变相关的重叠脑部活动。

Possible Implications for Health and Pain 对健康和疼痛的潜在影响

The findings give researchers a potential biological framework for understanding how non-drug mind and body interventions might support health and well-being. 研究结果为研究人员提供了一个潜在的生物学框架，以了解非药物的身心干预如何促进健康和福祉。

Increased neuroplasticity could potentially support processes involved in mental health, learning, emotional regulation, and resilience to stress. Changes in immune activity could also prove important if future research shows that these effects are reliable and clinically meaningful. 神经可塑性的增强可能有助于心理健康、学习、情绪调节和抗压能力等方面的生理过程。如果未来的研究表明这些影响可靠且具有临床意义，那么免疫活性的变化也可能具有重要意义。

The increase in endogenous opioids is especially interesting for pain research. Because these chemicals are part of the body’s built-in pain-regulating system, the researchers said the combination of practices used during the retreat could eventually have implications for chronic pain management. 内源性阿片类物质的增加对疼痛研究来说尤其值得关注。由于这些化学物质是人体自身疼痛调节系统的一部分，研究人员表示，静修期间采用的多种疗法最终可能对慢性疼痛管理产生影响。

However, the study was conducted in healthy adults rather than patients with diagnosed medical conditions. Controlled clinical trials will therefore be necessary before researchers can determine whether the observed biological changes translate into meaningful treatment benefits. 然而，这项研究的对象是健康成年人，而非已确诊疾病的患者。因此，在研究人员能够确定观察到的生物学变化是否能转化为有意义的治疗益处之前，必须进行对照临床试验。

The team is particularly interested in studying whether similar retreats could help people living with chronic pain, mood disorders, or conditions involving the immune system. 该团队特别感兴趣的是，研究类似的疗养是否能帮助患有慢性疼痛、情绪障碍或免疫系统疾病的人。

What Researchers Still Need to Learn 研究人员仍需了解什么

Another major unanswered question is which parts of the retreat were responsible for the observed effects. 另一个尚未解答的主要问题是，撤退的哪些部分导致了观察到的影响。

Participants experienced several interventions at the same time, including meditation, reconceptualization, and open-label placebo healing. Because those elements were combined, the current study cannot establish how much each individual practice contributed. 参与者同时接受了多种干预措施，包括冥想、概念重构和开放标签安慰剂疗法。由于这些要素是组合在一起的，因此本研究无法确定每种具体方法的贡献程度。

Future research will examine the components separately and in different combinations. Scientists also want to determine how long the biological changes last and whether repeating the interventions can strengthen or maintain them over time. 未来的研究将分别考察这些成分及其不同组合。科学家们还希望确定这些生物学变化能持续多久，以及重复干预是否能增强或维持这些变化。

“This study shows that our minds and bodies are deeply interconnected — what we believe, how we focus our attention, and the practices we participate in can leave measurable fingerprints on our biology,” said first author Alex Jinich-Diamant, a doctoral student in the Departments of Cognitive Science and Anesthesiology at UC San Diego. “It’s an exciting step toward understanding how conscious experience and physical health are intertwined, and how we might harness that connection to promote well-being in new ways.” “这项研究表明，我们的身心紧密相连——我们的信念、注意力集中方式以及参与的活动都会在我们的生物学上留下可衡量的痕迹，”该研究的第一作者、加州大学圣地亚哥分校认知科学与麻醉学系博士生亚历克斯·吉尼奇-迪亚曼特（Alex Jinich-Diamant）说道。“这是朝着理解意识体验和身体健康如何相互交织，以及我们如何利用这种联系以新的方式促进身心健康迈出的重要一步。”

Additional coauthors of the study include Sierra Simpson, Juan P. Zuniga-Hertz, Ramamurthy Chitteti, Jan M. Schilling, Jacqueline A. Bonds, Laura Case, Andrei V. Chernov, Natalia Esther Amkie Stahl, Michael Licamele, Narin Fazlalipour and, Swetha Devulapalli, at UC San Diego; Joe Dispenza and Michelle A. Poirier at Metamorphosis LLC; Jacqueline Maree and Tobias Moeller-Bertram at VitaMed Research; and Leonardo Christov-Moore and Nicco Reggente at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies. 该研究的其他合著者包括加州大学圣地亚哥分校的 Sierra Simpson、Juan P. Zuniga-Hertz、Ramamurthy Chitteti、Jan M. Schilling、Jacqueline A. Bonds、Laura Case、Andrei V. Chernov、Natalia Esther Amkie Stahl、Michael Licamele、Narin Fazlalipour 和 Swetha Devulapalli； Metamorphosis LLC 的 Joe Dispenza 和 Michelle A. Poirier； VitaMed Research 的 Jacqueline Maree 和 Tobias Moeller-Bertram；以及高级意识研究所的 Leonardo Christov-Moore 和 Nicco Reggente。

The research was supported by the InnerScience Research Fund and a Veterans Administration Research Career Scientist Award (BX005229). 该研究得到了 InnerScience 研究基金和退伍军人事务部研究职业科学家奖 (BX005229) 的支持。

Disclosure: One co-author (Joe Dispenza) is employed by Encephalon, Inc., the company offering the retreat; all other authors declare no competing interests. 披露：一位共同作者（Joe Dispenza）受雇于提供静修活动的 Encephalon, Inc. 公司；所有其他作者均声明无利益冲突。