Quest to Analyze One Thousand Humans Meditating

Launched by TOBIAS MOELLER-BERTRAM · Aug 30, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This is an observational study called QUANTUM that will look at what happens after an intensive 7-day advanced meditation retreat. The researchers want to understand whether this type of meditation is linked to changes in the body and mood. They plan to follow more than 2,000 adults (including healthy volunteers and people with various health conditions) and measure things like heart-rate patterns (a sign of how the body handles stress), the tiny organisms in the gut and their byproducts, and multiple blood-based signals that reflect genes, proteins, and metabolism. They’ll also track overall physical and emotional health with a standard questionnaire. Participants will wear a Garmin device during the retreat and for up to about 10 months afterward to monitor heart rate, sleep, and activity, and will provide stool, blood, and urine samples at different parts of the study. This study is not testing a drug or medical device; it’s observing how a meditation retreat might relate to these biological and health changes. The project is led by VitaMed Research in Palm Desert, California, and at the moment is inviting people to participate, with primary completion expected in 2025.

Who can participate and what to expect: Adults aged 21 years and older who can speak English and are registered to attend the 7-day advanced meditation retreat at the study site are eligible, and they must be willing to wear the Garmin device and complete consent and health surveys. Participation is by invitation, not all applicants will be enrolled. If you join, you can expect a guided meditation program during a week-long retreat, plus possible sample collection (stool, blood, urine) and periodic health questionnaires, with follow-up monitoring after the retreat. The study will not share individual data publicly, and it is not an FDA-regulated drug or device trial.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Must be at 21 years of age or older
• • 2. Must speak English
• • 3. Must be a registered attendee of the advanced 7-Day meditation retreat
• • 4. Must be willing to wear a Garmin device for the entire retreat
• • 5. Must complete the research consent to participate in the study
• • 6. Must be willing to complete self-report surveys for physical and emotional well-being
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Younger than 21 years of age
• • 2. Non-English speaking
• • 3. Not a registered attendee of the advanced 7-Day meditation retreat
• • 4. Not willing to wear a Garmin device for the entire meditation retreat
• • 5. Did not complete the research consent
• • 6. Not willing or able to complete all self-report surveys