Genome-wide expression changes in a higher state of consciousness

Abstract

Higher states of consciousness in which the human mind can transcend the boundaries of logic and reason are envisioned as natural to the experience and potential growth of every human being. So far they have been mostly monitored by electrophysiological methods. In this study we were particularly interested in discovering the molecular transcriptional basis of higher states of consciousness. In addition to phenomenological reports of meditators who participated in this study the generated higher states of consciousness were also EEG recorded. We assessed the whole genome gene expression analysis of long-term meditators in four separate trials and detected significant differential gene expression in association with higher states of consciousness. The number of differently expressed genes as well as high proportion of genes themselves differed between meditators. Despite this, gene ontology enrichment analysis found significant biological and molecular processes shared among meditators’ higher state of consciousness.

Introduction

Science and spirituality have been becoming closer and closer in recent years. Increasing basic scientific interest in the effects of meditation, especially on the brain, has led to a dialogue between neuroscientists and prominent members of the Buddhist tradition in order to foster research that aims at understanding in particular the neuroscientific aspects of consciousness and thus combines neuroscientific knowledge with more experiential or phenomenological perspective of meditators. It is important that science has accepted the role of introspection, or reporting personal mental experience as a form of data (Barinaga, 2003). A neurophenomenology approach (Lutz et al., 2008, Lutz et al., 2002, Lutz et al., 2008, Varela, 1996) thus combines quantitative measures of neural activity with specific and stable experiential and phenomenal categories of the meditator who is generating and describing them.

Several recent studies have reported the influence of meditation on neural function (Brefczynski-Lewis et al., 2007, Chan et al., 2008, Hankey, 2006, Lutz et al., 2004, Lutz et al., 2008, Lutz et al., 2008, Pagnoni and Cekic, 2007, Travis and Shear, 2010). However, there are not many studies on how meditation influences peripheral biological processes important for health and illness, especially on the molecular level using modern molecular approaches. It was shown recently with a gene expression studies that long-term and short-term meditation practitioners may regulate immunity, metabolic rate, response to oxidative stress, cell death (Dusek et al., 2008, Engel et al., 2001, Li et al., 2005, Sharma et al., 2008). Although similar genomic pattern changes occurred overall, indicating a common relaxation response state in practitioners regardless of the techniques used to elicit it, it was not clear from these studies what subjective levels of meditation were achieved by different practices and practitioners. Larger groups of meditators are essential for the generalization of original findings, although it may unfortunately result in an averaging out of important details that might be specific to more advanced stages of consciousness developed by meditation techniques.

Meditation can be considered to be a universal human capacity, which, it is proposed, fosters clear thinking and open-heartedness, thereby developing a greater sense of emotional balance and well-being (Ludwig & Kabat-Zinn, 2008). However, there are reports of further states of the human mind, known to oriental thinkers for many centuries, in which the brain can transcend the boundaries of logic and reason, and experience states of extended awareness, commonly unrecognized (Ramamurthi, 1995). The culminating state of awareness is a state of thoughtless awareness also known as the advanced stage of meditation (Hankey, 2006), the fourth state of consciousness (Ramamurthi, 1995), pure consciousness (Bloomfield, Cain, & Jaffe, 1975), Samadhi, Dhyana-Yoga, or enlightenment (Deshmukh, 2006). Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has systemized the understanding of the seven states of consciousness described in the ancient Vedic literature. English names for these states, on a continuum from least aware to most aware, are “deep sleep,” “dreaming sleep,” “waking,” “transcendental consciousness,” “cosmic consciousness,” “refined cosmic consciousness,” and “unity consciousness.” These seven states are envisioned as natural to the experience and potential growth of every human being. However, without a special technique or techniques, the top four states are rarely if ever experienced. A few individuals in any generation may spontaneously experience one or more of the four higher states, but during the present age, for most people these states are accessible only as a result of regular practice of a meditation technique (Alexander et al., 1990, Travis and Pearson, 2000, Travis and Shear, 2010, Travis et al., 2002).

Gaining access to appropriate long-term meditators with authentic experience in advanced stages of consciousness is rare. However, long-term meditators of Transcendental meditation techniques are described who have experienced periods of pure consciousness characterized by breath suspension episodes without compensatory hyperventilation, accompanied by high intra- and interhemispheric EEG coherence in alpha and theta frequencies, especially in the frontal areas of the brain, periods of low metabolic rate and stable autonomic activity (Alexander et al., 1990, Orme-Johnson and Haynes, 1981, Travis and Shear, 2010). They could also sustain the state of pure consciousness during sleeping and walking states indicating the growth towards cosmic consciousness (Travis et al., 2002).

In this study, we were particularly interested in discovering the molecular transcriptional basis of higher states of consciousness.

We designed this preliminary study in such a way as to show whether differences in the subjective perception of a precisely experienced and defined higher states of consciousness are connected with significant and specific/consistent molecular genetic changes. In addition to phenomenological reports of the two long-term meditation practitioners who have generated higher states of consciousness in four separate experiments these states of consciousness were EEG recorded on a digital EEG system with a 128-channel cap using active electrodes. We report here the results of a whole genome expression study of the higher states of consciousness compared to ordinary states of consciousness of a long-term meditator who is living ordinary life and a long-term Buddhist lama.