mwight

Study: Meditation Alters DNA

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I don't think that it is actually saying you are changing your DNA. Rather by changing states of consciousness, you are altering the expression of certain genes in your DNA.

 

Regulating genes in your nuclear DNA by switching your state, is not quite the same as changing your DNA. You are altering expression, but the DNA is still the same. "Software" changes, but "hardware" is still the same. Perhaps this is semantics, but it seems there is a difference.

Edited by Xienkula1

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Epigenetic changes are extremely powerful and do get passed down through the generations... you can lock or unlock a tremendous amount of genetic potential in a very short period of time.

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Cat,

 

Just eating onions or garlic or exercising daily or eating well or meditating, thinking happy thoughts etc will change your epigentic structure and change which genes get expressed. Aging or doing the opposite of the above list will do the same... so no special practice necessary! Mom is trying to get me out of the door but if you google epigentics discover magazine, you'll find a nice intro article on that and check out epigenetics wiki too.

 

It's a truly revolutionary discovery only 2-3 years old. Scientists have no idea how big this is going to get.

 

I'm theorizing that the changing magnetic fields of the earth are going to unlock a shitload of genetic coding over the next several centuries... should be a fun ride!!

 

Gotta go!

 

Your pal,

Yoda

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It is saying that they can alter which genes are "turned on and which are turned off." In my mind it is more of what is and is not activated...

What's the difference between turned on & off and activated or not? :) Seems to be the same thing to me...

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What's the difference between turned on & off and activated or not? :) Seems to be the same thing to me...

 

It is the same thing-I was trying to put it in terms where everyone would understand what I meant.

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Cat,

 

Just eating onions or garlic or exercising daily or eating well or meditating, thinking happy thoughts etc will change your epigentic structure and change which genes get expressed. Aging or doing the opposite of the above list will do the same... so no special practice necessary! Mom is trying to get me out of the door but if you google epigentics discover magazine, you'll find a nice intro article on that and check out epigenetics wiki too.

 

It's a truly revolutionary discovery only 2-3 years old. Scientists have no idea how big this is going to get.

 

I'm theorizing that the changing magnetic fields of the earth are going to unlock a shitload of genetic coding over the next several centuries... should be a fun ride!!

 

Gotta go!

 

Your pal,

Yoda

 

Here's the direct link to the Discover article for those who would like to read it :D

 

http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/cover...t:int=0&-C=

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Yes. But these are dietary modifications. Methyl-donors have all sorts of epigenetic effects, so does ubiquitination, acetylation etc. Diet plays a role in changing phenotype (physical expression). It is a form of environmental regulation of the cell architecture and thus determines the metabolism of the cell.

What is not covered by this discovery article is the effects of consciousness on epigenetic regulation, and if that has a role (which we know it does).

 

However, I m not sure about silencing the genes that cause cystic fibrosis with a slew of methyl donors would be sufficiently effective by itself to knock out the disease expression, especially if the parents are genetic carriers for different iso-forms of the disease.

It seems to be a very complex issue.

Edited by Xienkula1

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Okay, I see. I was thinking in practical terms.. like I have a friend who has a child with cystic fibrosis. How wonderful if meditation could be employed to prevent carrier parents passing on the disease.

 

Keep checking in on that one!

 

X- There was another Science News article. I don't know if it's googleable, but it was very good too. Alluded to stress responses in mice... some of these genes can flip on and off for just a few weeks producing anxiety or peacefulness in response to the surrounding environment and others are extremely long term depending on the strength of the chemical bond that is used to lock up the particular sequence. The article was maybe two-three months ago if their site allows for searching.

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