Meditation

What is meditation?

Meditation means using attention and awareness to self-regulate. There are many ways to meditate, but almost all focus on cultivating positive mental states like calm, awareness, and compassion.

While many mind-body practices, including yoga, also involve meditation, this article focuses on meditation practices that do not require movement. We hope to highlight practices that are accessible to people with limited energy or body movement.

Common types of meditation:

• Mindfulness meditation is giving non-judgemental attention to the body and mind. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a structured 8-week course in mindfulness meditation. MBSR is offered at many clinics and meditation centers. Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery is a version of MBSR designed for people with cancer. 
• Mantra-based meditation, including transcendental meditation, is based on repeating a sound or a phrase.
• Lovingkindness meditation involves cultivating kindness toward all living beings, including yourself. 
• Mindful self-compassion focuses on cultivating compassion for one’s own suffering. 

What is it used for? 

People who meditate regularly tend to show better overall mood and less distress when faced with negative events.¹Basso JC, McHale A et al. Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behavior and Brain Research. 2019 Jan 1;356:208-220. Mindfulness-based interventions like MBSR can help people with cancer cope with common experiences like fatigue, anxiety, depression, fear of cancer recurrence, rumination, and sleep disruption.²Xu L, Guan A, Huang Y. Effects of online mindfulness-based interventions on mental and physical health outcomes in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Mar 21;104(12):e41870 For this reason, meditation courses are often offered to people dealing with cancer, as well as their family members. In addition, meditation can reduce stress.³Pascoe MC, de Manincor M et al. Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the mood benefits of meditation: A narrative review. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2021 Mar 10;6:100037. Since repeated or long-term (chronic) stress can alter the body’s hormone balance and increase inflammation—changes that are associated with higher cancer risk and worse health outcomes—some researchers are interested in meditation as a way to improve cancer outcomes. While research has not confirmed this possibility, we do know that meditation programs can help people cope better with cancer and have improved quality of life. 

Because meditation involves focus, researchers have also studied whether it can help people who suffer cognitive impairment, such as memory loss or short attention span, as a result of cancer treatment.

Does meditation work? 

There is good evidence that meditation can improve emotional wellbeing, reduce stress, and improve sleep for people with cancer. Like other mind-body and spiritual practices, people respond to meditation differently, and not all types of meditation work for everyone. However, people with cancer who benefit from a meditation practice seem to do so substantially, showing long-term improvements in mood, lower stress, and better sleep.⁴Carlson LE, Ismaila N et al. Integrative oncology care of symptoms of anxiety and depression in adults with cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2023 Oct 1;41(28):4562-4591; Mehta R, Sharma K et al. Evidence for the role of mindfulness in cancer: benefits and techniques. Cureus. 2019 May 9;11(5):e4629. Therefore, the best question is probably not whether meditation works, but whether it works for you.

Meditation can be a powerful tool for emotional well-being during and after cancer. Studies find that it can help reduce depression, anxiety, and stress and increase self-compassion, post-traumatic growth, and quality of life.⁵Carlson LE, Ismaila N et al. Integrative oncology care of symptoms of anxiety and depression in adults with cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2023 Oct 1;41(28):4562-4591. For some people with cancer, meditation is also effective at reducing fatigue⁶Bower JE, Lacchetti C et al. Management of Fatigue in Adult Survivors of Cancer: ASCO-Society for Integrative Oncology Guideline Update. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2024 Jul 10;42(20):2456-2487. and cognitive impairment (brain fog).

There is good evidence that mindfulness meditation can improve sleep among people with cancer and cancer survivors, although the effect may be slower or less pronounced than other medical approaches. Preliminary studies find that meditation can also ease the discomfort and anxiety people often feel during procedures like breast biopsies.

While mindfulness meditation, particularly in standardized programs like MBSR, has been studied the most, the research so far finds that other kinds of meditation (for example, lovingkindness or transcendental) are similarly effective.

1. Improving cancer outcomes

We did not find any published evidence investigating meditation for improving cancer outcomes.

2. Optimizing your body terrain

Hormonal balance: preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently)

People with colorectal cancer who did mindfulness meditation, as opposed to rest or attention training, showed less cortisol blunting in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects.⁷Black DS, Peng C et al. Mindfulness practice reduces cortisol blunting during chemotherapy: A randomized controlled study of colorectal cancer patients. Cancer. 2017 Aug 15;123(16):3088-3096. Cortisol blunting is an impaired response of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, a sign of chronic stress that is common among people with cancer and is correlated with worse treatment outcomes.

Immune function: good evidencesignificant effects in one large or several mid-sized and well-designed clinical studies (randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with an appropriate placebo or other strong comparison control or observational studies that control for confounds) (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently)

People without cancer who took a mindfulness course showed an increase in levels of CD4+ (immune cells) in a combined analysis of studies.⁸Dunn TJ, Dimolareva M. The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on immunity-related biomarkers: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review. 2022 Mar;92:102124. People with breast cancer who practiced autogenic training (a relaxation technique) and who researchers noted as showing signs of a meditative state (namely, relaxation of facial features) showed a higher B cell count, a marker of immune function, in a small RCT.⁹Hidderley M, Holt M. A pilot randomized trial assessing the effects of autogenic training in early stage cancer patients in relation to psychological status and immune system responses. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2004 Mar;8(1):61-5.

Inflammation: strong evidenceconsistent, significant effects in several large (or at least one very large) well designed clinical studies or at least two meta-analyses of clinical studies of moderate or better quality (or one large meta-analysis) finding similar results (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently)

People without cancer who took a mindfulness course showed a decrease in inflammatory cytokines (biomarkers of inflammation) and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines in a combined analysis of over 100 studies.¹⁰Ballesio A, Zagaria A et al. Comparative efficacy of psychological interventions on immune biomarkers: A systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA). Brain, Behavior and Immunology. 2023 Jul;111:424-435. Another large analysis found a decrease in C-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of inflammation) among people without cancer who were trained in mindfulness.¹¹Dunn TJ, Dimolareva M. The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on immunity-related biomarkers: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review. 2022 Mar;92:102124.

Breast cancer survivors who participated in an 8-week MBSR program showed greater increases in TNFα and IL-6, both markers of inflammation which are purported to indicate recovery from treatment, following the course in a mid-sized RCT.¹²Reich RR, Lengacher CA et al. A randomized controlled trial of the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR[BC]) on levels of inflammatory biomarkers among recovering breast cancer survivors. Biology Research for Nursing. 2017 Jul;19(4):456-464. 

Signs of aging: preliminary evidence

People without cancer who took a mindfulness course showed longer telomeres and more telomerase activity (telomere shortening can be used as a measure of aging; telomerase is an enzyme that repairs telomeres) in a combined analysis of 48 studies.¹³Dunn TJ, Dimolareva M. The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on immunity-related biomarkers: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review. 2022 Mar;92:102124. People with cancer who participated in either a mindfulness course or expressive group therapy showed longer telomeres compared to people in no program in a small RCT.¹⁴Carlson LE, Beattie T et al. Mindfulness-based cancer recovery and supportive-expressive therapy maintain telomere length relative to controls in distressed breast cancer survivors. Cancer. 2015 Feb 1;121(3):476-84. 

3. Managing side effects and promoting wellness

Many people turn to meditation for their general emotional well-being, an effect not easily captured by measuring the side effects listed below. In addition to alleviating depression and anxiety, many studies find that people with cancer who participate in a mindfulness program show long-term improvements in stress levels, emotional regulation, and post-traumatic growth compared to other wellness programs, like group therapy.¹⁵Carlson LE, Tamagawa R et al. Randomized-controlled trial of mindfulness-based cancer recovery versus supportive expressive group therapy among distressed breast cancer survivors (MINDSET): long-term follow-up results. Psychooncology. 2016 Jul;25(7):750-9; Johns SA, Brown LF et al. Randomized controlled pilot trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction compared to psychoeducational support for persistently fatigued breast and colorectal cancer survivors. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2016 Oct;24(10):4085-96. Similarly, in separate studies, those who participated in an online lovingkindness meditation program or in transcendental (mantra-based) meditation showed greater self-compassion, better emotional well-being, more social connectedness, and less stress.¹⁶Telke S, Leininger B et al. A randomized trial of 21 days of loving kindness meditation for stress reduction and emotional well-being within an online health community for patients, family, and friends experiencing a cancer health journey. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. 2022 Feb;28(2):158-167; Nidich SI, Fields JZ et al. A randomized controlled trial of the effects of transcendental meditation on quality of life in older breast cancer patients. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2009 Sep;8(3):228-34.

Meditation during and after cancer treatment

Anxiety: strong evidenceconsistent, significant effects in several large (or at least one very large) well designed clinical studies or at least two meta-analyses of clinical studies of moderate or better quality (or one large meta-analysis) finding similar results (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently)

Many studies find that meditation can help people with cancer and cancer survivors with anxiety;¹⁷Carlson LE, Ismaila N et al. Integrative Oncology Care of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2023 Oct 1;41(28):4562-4591; Telke S, Leininger B et al. A randomized trial of 21 days of loving kindness meditation for stress reduction and emotional well-being within an online health community for patients, family, and friends experiencing a cancer health journey. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. 2022 Feb;28(2):158-167; Chayadi E, Baes N, Kiropoulos L. The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cancer-related fatigue in oncology patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2022 Jul 14;17(7):e0269519; Yu J, Han M et al. Using mindfulness-based stress reduction to relieve loneliness, anxiety, and depression in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Sep 15;102(37):e34917. in at least one study, meditation was more effective than a self-help class.¹⁸Yun MR, Song M et al. The effects of mind subtraction meditation on breast cancer survivors’ psychological and spiritual well-being and sleep quality: a randomized controlled trial in South Korea. Cancer Nursing. 2017 Sep/Oct;40(5):377-385. Breast cancer survivors who participated in mindfulness training experienced less worry and fewer intrusive thoughts compared to those given psychological education in a mid-sized RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects.¹⁹Bower JE, Partridge AH et al. Improving biobehavioral health in younger breast cancer survivors: Pathways to Wellness trial secondary outcomes. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2023 Jan 10;115(1):83-92.

Breathlessness: preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently)

People with cancer and their caregivers who attended a group meditation class reported less shortness of breath in a mid-sized RCT; it did not appear to matter what kind of meditation they did, although all types involved paying attention to the breath.²⁰Lopez G, Chaoul A et al. A pragmatic evaluation of symptom distress after group meditation for cancer patients and caregivers: a preliminary report. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2018 May;55(5):1321-1326.e1.

Cognitive impairment: good evidencesignificant effects in one large or several mid-sized and well-designed clinical studies (randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with an appropriate placebo or other strong comparison control or observational studies that control for confounds) (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently)

Mindfulness meditation was the most effective non-medication approach for people with cognitive impairment following cancer treatment (sometimes called brain fog) across 29 studies looking at 10 interventions.²¹Zeng Y, Dong J et al. Nonpharmacological interventions for cancer-related cognitive impairment in adult cancer patients: A network meta-analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2020 Apr;104:103514. Multi-study analyses find that meditation is more effective than other non-medication approaches in improving attention and processing speed, but not as effective at improving executive function or memory.²²Cheng ASK, Wang X et al. Neuropsychological interventions for cancer-related cognitive impairment: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Neuropsychology Review. 2022 Dec;32(4):893-905; Yang P, Hu Q et al. Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on cancer-related cognitive impairment in patients with breast cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2025 Apr;75:102804. 

Depression: strong evidence

Many studies find that meditation can reduce depression among people with cancer, though one combined analysis suggests that this effect may wear off after some months.²³Chayadi E, Baes N, Kiropoulos L. The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cancer-related fatigue in oncology patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2022 Jul 14;17(7):e0269519. People with breast cancer who participated in a mindfulness meditation program saw their depression improve across 19 studies.²⁴Reangsing C, Punsuwun S, Keller K. Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on depression in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2023 Jan-Dec;22:15347354231220617; Lopez G, Chaoul A et al. A pragmatic evaluation of symptom distress after group meditation for cancer patients and caregivers: a preliminary report. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2018 May;55(5):1321-1326.e1; Yu J, Han M et al. Using mindfulness-based stress reduction to relieve loneliness, anxiety, and depression in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Sep 15;102(37):e34917. Programs that included assignments to meditate at home were the most effective, suggesting the importance of regular and sustained practice. 

Fatigue: strong evidence

Several combined analyses of studies found that people with cancer who participated in mindfulness meditation (mostly mindfulness-based stress reduction, or MBSR) had less fatigue.²⁵Yuan Y, Lin L et al. Effectiveness comparisons of various psychosocial therapies for cancer-related fatigue: A Bayesian network meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022 Jul 15;309:471-481; Chayadi E, Baes N, Kiropoulos L. The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cancer-related fatigue in oncology patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2022 Jul 14;17(7):e0269519; McCloy K, Hughes C et al. Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on fatigue and psychological wellbeing in women with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised control trials. Psychooncology. 2022 Nov;31(11):1821-1834. One analysis found that MBSR was the most effective of six psychosocial therapies at reducing fatigue among people with cancer.²⁶Yuan Y, Lin L et al. Effectiveness comparisons of various psychosocial therapies for cancer-related fatigue: A Bayesian network meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022 Jul 15;309:471-481.

Pain: preliminary evidence

People with metastatic breast cancer practicing mindfulness-focused yoga showed less daily pain, with the meditation portion of the practice having the greatest effect, in a small RCT.²⁷Carson JW, Carson KM et al. Yoga practice predicts improvements in day-to-day pain in women with metastatic breast cancer. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2021 Jun;61(6):1227-1233. MBSR was also more effective than group counseling at reducing pain among cancer survivors in a small RCT.²⁸Johns SA, Brown LF et al. Randomized controlled pilot trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction compared to psychoeducational support for persistently fatigued breast and colorectal cancer survivors. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2016 Oct;24(10):4085-96.

Sleep disruption: good evidence

Many combined analyses of studies find that mindfulness meditation can improve sleep among people with cancer,²⁹Xu L, Guan A, Huang Y. Effects of online mindfulness-based interventions on mental and physical health outcomes in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Mar 21;104(12):e41870; Fan M, Wang Y et al. Effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions for cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2023 Nov 5;53(11):1068-1076. though at least one does not.³⁰Kim SM, Park JM et al. Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on adults with sleep disturbance: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2022 Nov 4;12(11):e058032. A separate analysis of studies among cancer survivors found that MBSR improved sleep compared to no treatment, but less than medication-based approaches.³¹Suh HW, Jeong HY et al. The mindfulness-based stress reduction program for improving sleep quality in cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies and Medicine. 2021 Mar;57:102667.

Studies of other kinds of meditation also find some success: for example, people with breast cancer who participated in Mind Subtraction Meditation (a type of meditation that involves releasing anxiety and rumination) showed better sleep compared to those enrolled in a self-help class in a small RCT,³²Yun MR, Song M et al. The effects of mind subtraction meditation on breast cancer survivors’ psychological and spiritual well-being and sleep quality: a randomized controlled trial in South Korea. Cancer Nursing. 2017 Sep/Oct;40(5):377-385. and people with cancer pilot-testing a self-guided meditation app also experienced better sleep.³³Lopez G, Chaoul A et al. Self-administered meditation application intervention for cancer patients with psychosocial distress: a pilot study. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2023 Jan-Dec;22:15347354221148710.

Meditation during procedures and surgical recovery

Surgical recovery: preliminary evidence

People who were guided through mindfulness meditation while recovering from surgery for gastrointestinal tumors showed lower anxiety and had shorter hospital stays in a small RCT.³⁴Wang X, Lu Y et al. Mindfulness meditation reduces stress and hospital stay in gastrointestinal tumor patients during perioperative period. Medical Science Monitor. 2024 Nov 24;30:e945834.

During procedures: modest evidencesignificant effects in at least three small but well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observational studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently)

Meditation may be helpful during uncomfortable or stressful procedures. In two studies, people undergoing a breast biopsy—often a painful and anxiety-provoking experience—had less anxiety and less pain when they were guided through a lovingkindness or mindfulness meditation during the procedure, compared to no activity or listening to music.³⁵Ratcliff CG, Prinsloo S et al. A randomized controlled trial of brief mindfulness meditation for women undergoing stereotactic breast biopsy. Journal of the American College of Radiology. 2019 May;16(5):691-699; Wren AA, Shelby RA et al. Preliminary efficacy of a lovingkindness meditation intervention for patients undergoing biopsy and breast cancer surgery: A randomized controlled pilot study. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2019 Sep;27(9):3583-3592; Soo MS, Jarosz JA et al. Imaging-guided core-needle breast biopsy: impact of meditation and music interventions on patient anxiety, pain, and fatigue. Journal of the American College of Radiology. 2016 May;13(5):526-34.

Meditation for caregivers of people with cancer

Caregiver emotional well-being: modest evidence

Meditation can also reduce depression and anxiety among caregivers of people with cancer.³⁶Birnie K, Garland SN, Carlson LE. Psychological benefits for cancer patients and their partners participating in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Psychooncology. 2010 Sep;19(9):1004-9; Milbury K, Li Y, et al. A mindfulness-based intervention as a supportive care strategy for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and their spouses: results of a three-arm pilot randomized controlled trial. Oncologist. 2020 Nov;25(11):e1794-e1802; Price-Blackshear MA, Pratscher SD et al. Online couples mindfulness-based intervention for young breast cancer survivors and their partners: A randomized-control trial. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology. 2020 Sep-Oct;38(5):592-611; Lopez G, Chaoul A et al. A pragmatic evaluation of symptom distress after group meditation for cancer patients and caregivers: a preliminary report. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2018 May;55(5):1321-1326.e1. 

Meditation on behalf of someone with cancer

Tonglen (healing others) meditation: insufficient (conflicting) evidencepreclinical evidence only OR clinical studies with such poor or unclear methodology that no conclusion can be drawn OR conflicting findings across clinical studies with no preponderance of evidence in one direction; conflicting evidence occurs when studies find conflicting effects (positive effect vs no effect or negative effect) with the same treatment and the same general study population (same cancer type, for example) (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently)

When people they did not know practiced Tonglen meditation (a meditation practice that involves focusing compassion and good wishes on another person) on their behalf, people with cancer showed lower depression in a mid-sized, blinded RCT. However, they also had worse fatigue than the people in the control group, who did not have someone meditate on their behalf.³⁷Pagliaro G, Pandolfi P et al. A randomized controlled trial of Tong Len meditation practice in cancer patients: evaluation of a distant psychological healing effect. Explore (NY). 2016 Jan-Feb;12(1):42-9.

Meditation combined with other therapies

Mindfulness meditation and biofeedback

People receiving post-surgery chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer who participated in a mindfulness meditation and biofeedback program (biofeedback involves helping people see, and practice controlling, physical responses like heart rate and breathing) showed lower anxiety, less pain, less fatigue, and better concentration and self-reported quality of life in a mid-sized RCT.³⁸Mi N, Zhang ST et al. A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation combined with brainlink intelligent biofeedback instrument on pancreatic cancer patients under chemotherapy. Brain and Behavior. 2024 Dec;14(12):e70197. However, another study found that biofeedback plus meditation was not any more efficacious than a stress-reduction course.³⁹Millstine DM, Bhagra A et al. Use of a wearable EEG headband as a meditation device for women with newly diagnosed breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2019 Jan-Dec;18:1534735419878770.

Meditation plus qigong

People undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer who participated in a qigong plus breath-based meditation program showed better emotional function and self-regulation in a small RCT.⁴⁰Chang CI, Yeh ML, Liao J. Chan-Chuang qigong with breathing meditation improves quality of life and interoceptive awareness in patients with breast cancer: a randomised controlled trial. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2023 Jan 28;31(2):140.

Laughing meditation with dancing

People with gynecological cancer who participated in a program combining music, laughter-based meditation, and dancing saw lower stress, less depression, and better quality of life in a small RCT.⁴¹Lee YJ, Kim MA, Park HJ. Effects of a laughter programme with entrainment music on stress, depression, and health-related quality of life among gynaecological cancer patients. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2020 May;39:101118.

4. Reducing cancer risk

While there is circumstantial evidence of better health-promoting states—for example, people who meditate showed higher levels of melatonin in one study⁴²Massion AO, Teas J et al. Meditation, melatonin and breast/prostate cancer: hypothesis and preliminary data. Medical Hypotheses. 1995 Jan;44(1):39-46.—we did not find any evidence that meditation reduces the risk of cancer.

In some cases, meditation may help people follow up with cancer prevention: people undergoing a routine biopsy for breast cancer screening were more likely to return for future screenings if they did a lovingkindness meditation activity during their biopsy, compared to listening to music, in one study.⁴³Arrato NA, Soo MS et al. Impact of loving-kindness meditation intervention vs. music intervention during biopsy on adherence to recommended breast cancer screening. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2025 Jul;212(2):261-268. 

How does it work? 

Scientists are still investigating how meditation works in the brain and body. Using electroencephalography (EEG) on people who are meditating, many studies have found that meditation increases alpha waves (associated with alertness and calm) and theta waves (associated with relaxation) in the brain.⁴⁴Chiesa A, Serretti A. A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations. Psychological Medicine. 2010 Aug;40(8):1239-52. When researchers compare the brain scans (fMRIs) of non-meditators and people who have been meditating a long time, they find that meditators have greater activity in the areas of the brain responsible for attention, emotional awareness, and interoception (sensing the state of the body), as well as more connections between these areas.⁴⁵De Filippi E, Escrichs A et al. Meditation-induced effects on whole-brain structural and effective connectivity. Brain Structure and Function. 2022 Jul;227(6):2087-2102.

Many of the benefits of meditation are shared with other mind-body and psychological therapies that reduce stress. However, meditation seems to have some unique benefits: cancer survivors who meditate show greater long-term improvements in stress levels, quality of life, emotional regulation, and post-traumatic growth compared to those enrolled in group therapy, for example.⁴⁶Carlson LE, Tamagawa R, Stephen J et al. Randomized-controlled trial of mindfulness-based cancer recovery versus supportive expressive group therapy among distressed breast cancer survivors (MINDSET): long-term follow-up results. Psychooncology. 2016 Jul;25(7):750-9.

Meditation does not need to take a long time every day, but it is more effective when it is a consistent, long-term habit.⁴⁷Basso JC, McHale A et al. Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behavior and Brain Research. 2019 Jan 1;356:208-220. While meditation can be effective whether it is taught in-person or remotely,⁴⁸Boxleitner G, Jolie S et al. Comparison of two types of meditation on patients’ psychosocial responses during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2017 May;23(5):355-361; Lopez G, Chaoul A et al. A pragmatic evaluation of symptom distress after group meditation for cancer patients and caregivers: a preliminary report. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2018 May;55(5):1321-1326.e1. it is not yet clear whether apps are as helpful as classes with a teacher.

Is it safe? 

Overall, meditation is extremely safe, with most people reporting no side effects.

A small number of people (about 3%) experience emotional disruption, like anxiety or depression, when they start meditating.⁴⁹Farias M, Maraldi E et al. Adverse events in meditation practices and meditation-based therapies: a systematic review. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia. 2020 Nov;142(5):374-393. Most often, these emotional experiences are short-lived; research suggests they are more likely an effect of meditators becoming aware of, and working through, existing emotional patterns.⁵⁰Aizik-Reebs A, Shoham A, Bernstein A. First, do no harm: An intensive experience sampling study of adverse effects to mindfulness training. Behavior Research and Therapy. 2021 Oct;145:103941. 

Meditation can be beneficial for people with many mental illnesses. However, if you hear voices, experience psychosis or mania, or have had suicidal thoughts in the past, it is important to consult with your meditation teacher and your treatment team. In these cases, it’s often best to start with shorter, less intense meditation and have more guidance.⁵¹Groves P. Mindfulness in psychiatry – where are we now? BJPsych Bulletin. 2016 Dec;40(6):289-292; Farias M, Maraldi E et al. Adverse events in meditation practices and meditation-based therapies: a systematic review. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia. 2020 Nov;142(5):374-393. It’s also good to let your meditation teacher know if you are grieving a major loss or have been feeling very distressed.

What are the side effects? 

Meditation can surface feelings of anxiety, depression, or confusion, especially when someone is first learning meditation.⁵²Farias M, Maraldi E et al. Adverse events in meditation practices and meditation-based therapies: a systematic review. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia. 2020 Nov;142(5):374-393. For people with some existing mental illnesses, meditation can trigger psychosis, mania, or suicidal thoughts.⁵³Groves P. Mindfulness in psychiatry – where are we now? BJPsych Bulletin. 2016 Dec;40(6):289-292. If you might be prone to psychosis, mania, or suicidal thoughts, it is important to learn with an experienced meditation teacher who can help you manage psychological difficulties. 

Can it interact with other treatments and medications?

We did not find evidence that meditation can interact with cancer treatments or medications. 

How do I access it and how much does it cost?

Many hospitals across the US and internationally offer low-cost mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) courses, and some offer Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery, a version of MBSR tailored to people who are dealing with cancer. Many Buddhist centers also offer free or low-cost mindfulness courses. You may find the community of an in-person meditation group helpful.

There are also many resources to learn meditation online. 

• CancerCare.org hosts free guided meditations in many different styles that you can try at home. 
• The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center also offers a free series of meditations designed for people with cancer.
• Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery 
• The Yale School of Medicine keeps a list of centers that run virtual MBSR courses.
• In addition, the Insight meditation community is one of many Buddhist organizations that have introductory mindfulness videos on YouTube.
• The Insight Timer App and the Plum Village App both offer free guided meditations. 
• There is a charge for some popular mindfulness apps like Calm and Headspace, but your employer, cancer treatment center, or health insurance may give you free or low-cost access.