As an advanced-practice scientist/anesthesiologist, Bala Subramaniam, MD, MPH, has progressed his research career from studying “small c consciousness,” as he puts it, of anesthetized or otherwise altered states, to “big C consciousness.”

His own journey took a turn from science to spirituality after a tragic loss that sent him and his wife searching for answers, ultimately finding them in the teachings of a widely known teacher of meditation and yoga from his homeland of India. Once he got past his initial skepticism, the meeting would change the course of Subramaniam’s life and career focus.

Today, Subramaniam applies the tools of modern neuroscience to age-old questions around the meaning and purpose of life as director of the Sadhguru Center for a Conscious Planet, illuminating the ways the brain changes in response to even 15 minutes of contemplative practice. He is professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and Ellison “Jeep” Pierce Chair of Anesthesia at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

Tell me about vision for the Sadhguru Center, which opened in 2020.

The vision is to create a permanent platform within the Harvard community where scientists and people interact without any stigma attached. We don’t want scientists to call this pseudoscience or fringe, and we don’t want spiritualists calling science unnecessary. We need to have both.  Harvard University is a very powerful place where we can do this bridging in a balanced way.

Enhancing our understanding of consciousness, cognition, and compassion through research, education, and outreach is our mission. So many people, especially young adults, are struggling with anxiety, stress, and depression, even if they’re not formally diagnosed. They are asking, “What is the meaning and purpose of life? What am I doing here?”

You can’t answer these questions with a religious wrapper, because younger generations have evolved in their intellect in such a way that they want to know the reality. They want to know the truth. I think this center will continue to help bridge the spaces and deliver these kinds of messages in a way that people will want to hear.

You published a study recently showing that a contemplative practice called advanced inner engineering slowed brain aging. What did you find?

We found that people who do these practices have brains that are the equivalent of six years younger, on average, than people who don’t do any of these practices. Compared to people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, they were 15 years younger in their brain age.

“We found that people who do these practices have brains that are the equivalent of six years younger, on average, than people who don’t do any of these practices.”

This was done with an algorithm developed by neurologist Brandon Westover at Mass General Hospital (MGH), based on data from 25,000 patients. Sara Lazar’s group, also at MGH, has shown that brain thickness increases with contemplative practices. We and others have shown that functional connectivity is enhanced with these practices.

Using a different 15-minute meditation, we are finding enhanced long-range connectivity and better integration across the brain to a degree previously only associated with deep sleep. That suggests you’re getting deep sleep qualities with a short meditation, in addition to younger brain age and a pleasant state of mind.

You’ve also found enhanced endocannabinoids in people after intensive practice in retreat settings. What’s the real-world relevance of this finding?

People are seeking cannabinoids now as means of activating endocannabinoids, molecules that are endogenous to our body. They are naturally enhanced by intense exercise, as one example. It turns out that meditation increases endocannabinoid activity quite reliably, by about 70% on average. Some people have three-fold or 300% increases.

Imagine a brain that is thicker, more functionally connected and integrated, and younger, wrapped in a state of pleasantness. What more do you need? Now you have tuned your brain to the external world to enhance your perception. You are in sync with the external world, in these highly perceptive states. Now the profoundness of your experience goes up, right?

My master says there are only two things in life. One is profoundness of experience, and second is the impact that you create. This is all there is. If you die today, tomorrow you are topsoil.

If you tune your brain with these practices, your profoundness of experience increases. And now with the creativity and compassion that you have in your head, your humanity expands, and the actions you take will be a consequence of this state.

Are you saying we can all achieve a state of blissful oneness in 15 minutes a day?

It depends on the person and how much we have messed up our own self, if you will. Many of the situations that we have created for ourselves can be solved with this kind of engagement. We have seen that if you can follow instructions, there’s nothing more you need to do in meditation.

All over the world, different schools tell you to just sit down and watch your breath. How difficult is that? It’s actually not so easy to do. But if you do some preparatory work and then watch your breath, it becomes very easy. [We’ve seen this in studies] using a free app called Miracle of Mind, which offers simple meditative practices for seven, 14, or 21 minutes. Suddenly the breath-watching becomes very profound.

We have shown that EEG signatures associated with meditative states start appearing at the third minute of that stage of starting to watch the breath. They peak around seven minutes and last for 15 minutes.

“My advice is to do contemplative practices. Make sure you get that in your daily practice.”

If you do that for 15 minutes, you’re starting somewhere, and it can make a big difference in your life. Once you do that for six weeks or so, this becomes your habit, and you can’t live without it. After six months, it becomes your second nature, like brushing your teeth. Maybe that’s enough for most people, while others will want to explore this more deeply.

The crux of this whole thing is attention without intention. When you do that, suddenly you’re engaged with everything you do. Life becomes like child’s play. You become a surf rider. You’re not caught by the waves; you’re riding them. You’re not the one who’s creating the ocean, but you should know how to ride the waves. I am paraphrasing my master here.

Do you have any tips for young investigators, or early investigators, on getting through these challenging times?

I always go back to the inner engineering principle that you are responsible for everything that is around you. That is part of a larger karma.

Only when you accept that can you go to the next step and ask what can I do in this environment? Can I refine and survive for the next four years, or do I quit Harvard and go elsewhere?

Despite all the issues that we have, not many countries in the world provide the kinds of opportunities to do a combination of research and clinical practice that the U.S. provides. Many people in this country have not traveled much outside their city, forget about the state, and they don’t know the reality of the world. The U.S. will survive. Whatever and whoever comes, it doesn’t matter. There’s no question about that.

My advice is to do contemplative practices. Make sure you get that in your daily practice. Accept the fact that this is not in your hands. Do what you can to support whatever your principles are, but that’s all you can do. You can’t change the world. You can’t change the rules. But you can refine your research questions and reach out to non-governmental funding agencies.

Maybe this is just a small hurdle that offers an opportunity to pause and rethink. There’s only yes and yes to life; that’s what my master says.