Transcendence/Spirituality
Yoga is a powerful practice with growing scientific support.
These resources help yoga teachers, schools, and advocates understand the latest research and integrate evidence-based insights into their work.
- Review Papers provide a broad understanding via existing studies of yoga’s impact in this area.
- Notable Publications highlight key research shaping our understanding of yoga’s role in health, well-being, and society.
We invite you to share how yoga research informs your teaching and practice. Connect with us on social media (@YogaAlliance).
Review Papers
Review Papers
Citations for review, summary, and scientific/clinical hypothesis papers that summarize and analyze the yoga research in this specific area; these are the best resource for becoming familiar with the literature.
Supple bodies, healthy minds: yoga, psychedelics and American mental health.
Richert L, DeCloedt M.
Med Humanit. 2018 Sep;44(3):193-200.
[ full text ]
A Systematic Review of Transcendent States Across Meditation and Contemplative Traditions.
Wahbeh H, Sagher A, Back W, Pundhir P, Travis F.
Explore (NY). 2018 Jan – Feb;14(1):19-35.
[ full text ]
Meditation has stronger relationships with mindfulness, kundalini, and mystical experiences than yoga or prayer.
de Castro JM.
Conscious Cogn. 2015 Sep;35:115-27.
[ abstract ]
Self-transcending meditation is good for mental health: why this should be the case.
Hankey A, Shetkar R.
Int Rev Psychiatry. 2016 Jun;28(3):236-40.
[ abstract ]
The subtle body: an interoceptive map of central nervous system function and meditative mind-brain-body integration.
Loizzo JJ.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016 Jun;1373(1):78-95.
[ abstract ]
Notable Publications
Notable Publications
Citations of individual study publications that are notable from a historical, scientific, mechanistic, clinical, sociological, epidemiological, philosophical, and/or policy aspect.
Interactions Between Body and Social Awareness in Yoga.
Fiori F, Aglioti SM, David N.
J Altern Complement Med. 2017 Mar;23(3):227-233.
[ abstract ]
The Psychology of Yoga Practitioners: A Cluster Analysis.
Genovese JE, Fondran KM.
Int J Yoga Therap. 2017 Mar 30.
[ full text ]
The relationship between yoga involvement, mindfulness and psychological well-being.
Gaiswinkler L, Unterrainer HF.
Complement Ther Med. 2016 Jun;26:123-7.
[ abstract ]
Processing of proprioceptive and vestibular body signals and self-transcendence in Ashtanga yoga practitioners.
Fiori F, David N, Aglioti SM.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2014 Sep 18;8:734.
[ full text ]
Moving beyond health to flourishing: the effects of yoga teacher training.
Conboy LA, Wilson A, Braun T.
ScientificWorldJournal. 2010 May 4;10:788-95.
[ full text ]
The fourth state of consciousness: the Thuriya Avastha.
Ramamurthi B.
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1995 May;49(2):107-10.
[ full text ]
Intense personal experiences: subjective effects, interpretations, and after-effects.
Wilson SR, Spencer RC.
J Clin Psychol. 1990 Sep;46(5):565-73.
[ abstract ]
The “third eye”: a psychoendocrine model of hypnotizability.
Leskowitz E.
Am J Clin Hypn. 1988 Jan;30(3):209-15.
[ full text ]