Picture 14.
We built two side-by-side research laboratories within a large dorm room located underneath the meditation
hall. Donated labor from Shambhala Mountain Center staff and local contractors enabled the construction to be finished
just before we arrived with equipment to set up. Photo by Mark Corwin.
Picture 15. (Left).
Equipment before installation in the control rooms. The sound attenuating ductwork and quiet
blowers were for environmental comfort within the control and subject rooms.
(Right).
Interior of subject testing room.
Usually it was dimly lit. Low light color video camera and remote pan/tilt mount used for unobtrusive recording of facial
expression is normally hidden from view by the speaker enclosure sitting on the shelf below. Photos by author.
These findings were compelling. But it is also important to pair findings from questionnaires with
objective measures such as cognitive task performance, physiology or our psychobiological
markers. One such biological measure we investigated was
telomerase
, an enzyme responsible
for restoring the length of telomeres. Telomeres are repeated DNA sequences that form a
protective “cap” at the ends of chromosomes. However, the telomeres are not fully copied each
time cells divide and hence grow shorter with each subsequent cell division. When telomeres grow
too short, cells cannot divide. Telomerase, then, plays a crucial role in helping regulate telomere
length. Furthermore, the length of telomeres in leukocytes (white blood cells) has been shown to
predict longevity
In our study, we measured telomerase levels in peripheral blood monocytes
(PBMCs, a type of white blood cell) at the end of the first retreat and we then looked at the
relationship between telomerase and our questionnaire measures. First off, we found changes in
telomerase levels between our experimental groups: the retreat group had significantly greater
telomerase levels than the matched control group, about 30% more. And what did we find in
attempting to link our subjective and objective measures? We found that a change in the
psychological sense of purpose in life
relates to the amount of telomerase you have after three
months of intensive meditation practice.
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