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2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Beneficial association of spirituality/religiosity on psychological and physical health via allostatic adaptation.

Research Project

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Project/Area Number 17H02171
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Applied health science
Research InstitutionFoundation for Advancement of International Science

Principal Investigator

Murakami Kazuo  公益財団法人国際科学振興財団, バイオ研究所, 主席研究員 (70110517)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 堀 美代  公益財団法人国際科学振興財団, その他部局等, 専任研究員 (90399329)
坂本 成子  公益財団法人国際科学振興財団, その他部局等, 専任研究員 (60419869)
大西 淳之  東京家政大学, 家政学部, 教授 (40261276)
Project Period (FY) 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
Keywords遺伝子発現 / メタボローム解析 / アロスタシス / 瞑想 / 祈り / ヨーガ / 心身技法
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our purpose in this study is to explore the role of spiritual/religious involvement across the biological markers, including transcripts and metabolites, associated with psychological aspects of Buddhist priests and YOGA practitioners. We identified distinguishing biological alterations in Buddhist priests and non-priest controls during GOMA ritual involvement. The identified biological characters include genes associated with inflammation, fatty acid metabolism, and NK cell regulation. Next, we examined transcriptional and metabolic changes YOGA practice in YOGA practitioners and non-experience controls. Both groups showed specific changes in metabolites related to the biosynthesis and degradation of ketone bodies in practice. Interestingly, we uncovered that long term YOGA practitioners exhibited distinct patterns of transcripts and metabolites comparing with controls in the basal state, indicating that these observations may be long-lasting changes as allostatic responses to YOGA.

Free Research Field

分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

祈りや瞑想などの宗教性を含む心身技法を実施することにより、アロスタシス変容を引き起こす可能性を見出すことができた。このことは個人のアロスタシスによるストレス対処力を強化する点でも意義がある。また、その効果は習慣的に長期間実施することによって、より有効に作用する可能性が示唆された。
瞑想や祈りなどの宗教性は、人類の営みの中で、我々の生き方や社会性の基盤となり、何千年もの間育まれ続けてきた。本研究成果は、その普遍性対する科学的根拠のひとつになりうると思われる。

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Published: 2021-02-19  

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