Loneliness Is a Disease: Could Meditation Help Protect Us?

Loneliness is a peculiarly modern phenomenon, and it’s on the rise in America. Despite the countless ways to connect online, we are still more disconnected today than ever.

National statistics on social connections show that the average number of hours that Americans spend socializing per month gradually decreased between 2003 and 2023. During this 20-year period, social isolation increased dramatically by 24 hours per month at the expense of time spent with family, friends, and loved ones.

Of course, loneliness is not only a psychological condition. It manifests as a physical disease. Multiple studies have demonstrated that feeling lonely can trigger a physical response in the body, leading to cardiovascular and neuroendocrine dysregulation, impaired immunity, and weakened gut microbiomes.

This physical response is a survival instinct that evolved from our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors, who lived and operated in communities for safety.

It should not surprise us, then, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murphy, that social isolation increases the risk of premature death by 29 percent, making loneliness as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

In fact, the largest-ever study on human happiness, the Harvard Study for Human Development, found that the greatest predictor of human happiness and well-being, beyond exercise, money, and fame, was the breadth and depth of our relationships.

In today’s obsession with longevity, perhaps we have been looking in the wrong places.

What Exactly Is Loneliness?

While we may intuitively understand what loneliness is, there are subtle distinctions between its different types.

1. Emotional Loneliness: This can stem from the absence of a close emotional attachment, whether that be a partner or a family member.

2. Social Loneliness: This occurs when an individual lacks a broader social network or a group of friends.

How Does Loneliness Interact With the Body?

Our modern scientific understanding shows that those with better social connections live longer. This is because extended periods of time alone can trigger a build-up of cortisol, which can, in turn, lead to inflammation throughout your body.

So, how does loneliness-triggered inflammation manifest as physical symptoms in the body?

Cardiovascular Disease: The strongest link between physical health and social connection comes in the form of the risk of stroke. Research from across 16 independent longitudinal studies shows poor social relationships (social isolation, poor social support, loneliness) were associated with a 29 percent increase in the risk of heart disease and a 32 percent increase in the risk of stroke.

Hypertension: This risk of stroke is often created by high blood pressure. In fact, several studies show that the more social support one has, the greater the reduction in the possibility of developing high blood pressure, even in populations who are at higher risk for the condition.

Diabetes: Evidence from the last 25 years shows that loneliness and social disconnection have been linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Infectious Disease: While this may seem counterintuitive, a series of studies have concluded that loneliness and poor social support are linked with an increased severity of illnesses like the flu and influenza.

Cognitive Function: Loneliness can trigger a faster mental decline. Statistics show that chronic loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of developing dementia by approximately 50 percent in older adults.

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Depression and Anxiety: Studies have shown that the odds of developing depression in adults are more than double among people who report feeling lonely often compared to those who rarely or never feel lonely.

How Can Meditation Help?

It may seem counterintuitive to claim that time spent alone in a contemplative, isolated space could help counteract loneliness. However, it is also true that mere time spent with people will not automatically counteract the feeling of hollowness that comes with loneliness.

Indeed, my favorite music director once said silence inspired his music. Finding the right balance between solitude and connection gives us the right way to know ourselves while still being connected to the lives around us.

Loneliness can stem from an inability to build, maintain, and nourish relationships with others, along with lacking a relationship with yourself and your own emotions.

By better understanding ourselves and how we relate to others, we can nurture our relationships while being more open to new ones. In a recent discussion between the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Sadhguru, the founder of the Isha Foundation and designer of many Isha Yoga programs, it was clear that healing from loneliness starts from looking within.

What Does the Science Say?

Dr Andrew Newberg, a scientist from the University of Pennsylvania has taken brain scan images of Tibetan monks as they meditated. As expected, their pre-frontal cortex, (the part of the brain associated with executive function) lit up.

What was perhaps more surprising was the meditators’ parental lobes cooled off immensely, which is the same area that is often lit up when we feel lonely or isolated.

My own research supports this. In a six-week meditation program that trained individuals on the Isha Shambhavi Mahamudra meditation course, a majority of participants reported an improvement in the quality of their relationships.

As Sadhguru stated, “It is time we harness the profound sciences of yoga to ensure our intelligence functions for our well-being rather than against it.”

Of course, my research is not alone here. In a meta-analysis of 13 studies published in BMC Psychology, 11 pointed to a positive correlation between extended meditation practices and reduced feelings of loneliness.

Equally, in a study conducted by UCLA Health, 40 adults between the ages of 55 and 85 were assigned to a mindfulness program. After the study was concluded, the members reported a greater feeling of social connectedness.

Yet beyond that, the researchers also said that mindfulness-based stress reduction could also alter the genes and protein markers of inflammation.

Conclusion

Diseases like smallpox and rinderpest have faded into the history books. Yet the modern age presents its unique range of challenges for our bodies. Loneliness is one of them.

Of course, embedding ourselves deeply into our communities is an obvious answer to this. Yet complex problems seldom have simple solutions. We must look inward as much as we look outward to counteract our feelings of loneliness.

Meditation has proven itself to be a practice that can buffer our minds and bodies against the inflammation that can arise from loneliness.

In short, meditation could be the vaccine if loneliness is the disease.