Sitting quietly may seem uneventful, but it can affect many important things happening inside our body, including DNA healing. This is real science.
Health Viewpoints
There is evidence that COVID-19 and its vaccines are likely to
injure our DNA. Many people are exploring ways to mitigate any potential side effects.
Repairing our DNA may seem impossible, but it’s not.
For example, after a hard day at work, a good night’s sleep can help us feel refreshed in the morning because our body undergoes numerous
silent repairs during sleep.
Our body has natural self-healing mechanisms to protect against harmful stimuli, and there are natural ways to enhance this process.
Even if we haven’t been affected by COVID-19, other external and internal factors such as ultraviolet light and radiation, environmental toxins,
food additives, and
stress can negatively affect our DNA.
Sitting Quietly Can Repair Our DNA
People often find relief from stress through sleep. Meditation is a form of active rest that can be practiced while awake.
Some people find meditation or mindfulness training boring or irrelevant to their lives, but countless studies have shown that it can lead to positive changes in gene expression.
Meditation is a practice that involves sitting in stillness without thinking or engaging in simple movements. It originated from traditional culture and has since evolved into various exercises, including mindfulness meditation. The primary objectives of this practice include regulating the mind, eliminating distractions, promoting positive and calm thoughts, and finding inner peace and serenity.
By meditating regularly, we can actually help our bodies repair their DNA.
A 2020 systematic review found that both extended and short-term meditation can
positively affect gene expression, reducing the factors that cause DNA damage and repairing the DNA.
Even a
one-day meditation can switch on genes related to staying healthy and fighting off sickness. But those who spent the day relaxing normally didn’t show the same DNA changes.
Specifically, this study found that pivotal pathways responsible for DNA repair and stability are consistently improved after meditation.
Another study suggests that when men integrate meditation and yoga into their daily lifestyle, it may
help repair DNA damage to their sperm, improving sperm mobility and embryo viability. This resulted in a reduction in recurrent pregnancy loss in their female partners. Repairing this type of DNA damage is an essential step for healthy offspring.
DNA damage is often caused by inflammation, oxidative stress, viral infections, and other toxic insults, and meditation helps reduce these damaging stimuli.
A large-scale genomic study by
American scientists in 2021 showed robust immune system activation following an advanced meditation retreat. The study analyzed the gene expression profile changes of 106 people in an eight-day meditative retreat for 10 hours per day.
The research data indicate that meditation activates 220 genes directly linked with immune response, including 68 genes related to antiviral potency, particularly interferon signaling. The top 10 genes affected are known for their essential role in the type I interferon pathway, which is the most relevant to frontline antiviral immunity.
The effect on the genes took place quickly. Nearly 44 percent of the genes were altered immediately after meditation, followed by 30 percent at the three-month follow-up.
It’s particularly important to note that the study found that meditation improved immune function without triggering inflammatory markers.
The authors suggested that meditation is an effective behavioral intervention for treating conditions associated with a weakened immune system, including COVID-19-related injuries.
‘Self-Healing’ Genes Activated by Classical Music
Listening to music is another simple act that has been found to enhance DNA repair.Our DNA is
susceptible to frequencies. When we listen to music, not only our ears, but also our muscles, cells, and DNA are listening. The music permeates our entire being. As Dr. Carlo Ventura’s team stated, listening to music can significantly affect human health and well-being.
In the words of the Sufi musician Hazrat Inayat Khan:
“A person does not hear sound only through the ears; he hears sound through every pore of his body. It permeates the entire being, and according to its particular influence either slows or quickens the rhythm of the blood circulation; it either wakens or soothes the nervous system. It arouses a person to greater passions or it calms him by bringing him peace.”
An
experimental 50-minute classical music concert was held on June 14, 2022, in the Auditorio de Galicia in the city of Santiago of Compostela in Spain. The audience included 60 people with Alzheimer’s disease or age-related cognitive disorders and a healthy control group.
Scientists analyzed their gene expression profile pre- and post-music sessions and found that listening to music was linked to a 2.3 times increase in the activity of genes across the entire genome, particularly neurodegeneration-related genes in people with age-related cognitive disorders, compared with the nondiseased group.
This increased gene activity was especially seen in genes related to the breakdown of diseased brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease, which is a cellular self-healing process. The study was published in 2023 in Scientific Reports, a journal within the Nature Portfolio.
A group of Finnish scientists and artists conducted a study in which they analyzed the gene expression profiles of 48 people who listened to classical music and 15 people who listened to nothing.
One gene supercharged by classical music is alpha-synuclein, which helps keep dopamine levels balanced in our brains and is also genetically linked to
Parkinson’s disease. Another gene, NR3C1, can pump up our dopamine levels, making us happy and hooked on those tunes.
Classical music not only has the potential to heal our brain cells at a genetic level but may also help us live longer.
A study conducted by MetLife from 1956 to 1975 on 437 active and former conductors of symphony orchestras found that their mortality rate was
38 percent lower than that of the general population. For those aged 50 to 59, the death rate was 56 percent lower, despite being the most stressful decade of their career.
The type of music we listen to appears to matter. Pop music may not be as beneficial to people as other genres.
Research on 1,064 famous North American and European pop stars between 1956 and 1999 shows that their mortality rate was more than
70 percent higher from three to 25 years post-fame than that of the general public. American and European pop stars died at an average age of 42 and 35, respectively. Although many factors are involved, including drug and alcohol abuse, the type of music and lyrics may play a role in our DNA response.
The human lifespan is closely linked with the
self-repairing abilities of our genes. The more powerful our
DNA self-repairing abilities are, the more stable our genes will be and
the longer we may live.
DNA Responds to Our Thoughts
Our thoughts may seem intangible, but scientists have found extensive evidence that they have a real-time effect on our DNA, prompting us to reconsider how we perceive our lives.
Our perception of life can affect our gene expression, as shown by a
2013 study in PNAS. The study found that two types of happiness, hedonic and eudaimonic, have different effects on gene expression.
People who experience hedonic happiness typically feel happy when they engage in activities that provide them with immediate pleasure, such as indulging in a delicious meal or consuming alcohol. In contrast, those who experience eudaimonic happiness tend to derive pleasure from achieving a greater purpose in life, such as contributing to society or helping others.
The study found that people who are inclined toward justice and noble goals have a distinct genetic profile indicating a greater potential for fighting viruses, including higher interferon gene expression, increased ability to produce antibodies, and a lower expression of inflammation-related genes.
Our views on well-being affect our gene expression. (Illustration by The Epoch Times)
In a 2017 study published in Molecular Psychiatry, two gene locations were found to be linked with differences in
positive attitudes and well-being among more than 2,500 African American participants.
Healing our DNA doesn’t require advanced technology. Research shows that even small, seemingly insignificant habits can have powerful effects.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here. 
