I’m thrilled to tell you about a major accomplishment for our research team, the community, and for the human species as a whole. Last week, our paper titled “Meditation-induced bloodborne factors as an adjuvant treatment to COVID-19 disease” was accepted for publication in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity-Health.

You may recall a blog post I shared with you earlier this year, “The Pharmacy Within,” about our research team’s isolation and identification of a protein called SERPINA5 – which inhibits a SARS-CoV-2 pseudo-virus containing spike protein from entering the cell.

The paper we published last week details the studies that led to that discovery, including the strict protocols we implemented and followed; our extensive measurements and data analysis; and the many experiments we conducted to support our findings … all leading to the conclusion indicated by the title of the paper itself:

We identified a protein – SERPINA5 – that enhances the body’s immune response (that’s what “adjuvant” means) in fighting COVID-19. And our studies demonstrate that meditation elevates levels of that protein in the blood.

Further, our studies say the more experienced you are as a meditator and the more you practice, the more protection you have against the virus. Even in cases where study subjects contracted COVID-19, our findings demonstrate a lessened impact and duration of symptoms.

We call this a “dosing effect” – the greater your meditation experience and frequency, the lower the risk and impact. In other words, the more you practice, the better you get.

And it’s important to note: We’re not saying that. The data is saying that.

We first shared these findings with our community early last year in a Livestream – Evidence Is the Loudest Voice. In that presentation, our team of researchers, led by Dr. Hemal Patel, Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Anesthesiology Department at UC San Diego, walked us through the rigorous studies that led to these findings.

And last week, Hemal shared further highlights of this research with those in attendance at our Week Long Advanced Retreat in Vienna, Austria. You can watch his brief presentation from Vienna below.

I encourage you to watch both videos to understand fully the context of this important publication – and the implications for where these findings may lead our ongoing research. SERPINA5 has not only been found to inhibit COVID-19; it’s also being examined for its possible impacts on cancer cell biology, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, myriad digestive disorders, and overall immune regulation.

It’s a powerhouse protein – one that members of our community can increase through meditation alone. And it’s going to help us further demonstrate how a single intervention – in the form of our applied science and meditation practices – can treat many conditions and diseases.

I’ll share more about the growing impacts of that single intervention in my next post. In the meantime, I hope you’ll take the time to read this important paper and watch the Livestream recording, along with Hemal’s presentation from Vienna, to better understand it.

I also hope you’ll take a moment to celebrate this wonderful community. As Hemal and I have said many times, our research participants are the most curious, the kindest, and the most grateful we’ve ever seen. This accomplishment is shared by everyone who’s so willingly and generously contributed to our research over the years. We’re grateful for your ongoing support of these efforts – and so excited for what’s yet to come. Stay tuned.