Mind-Body Medicine: AI, Quantum Computing, and the New Frontier of Personalized Healing

by George B. Stefano¹

¹Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Ke Karlovu 11, 120 00 Prague, Czech Republic.

Evolution of Mind-Body Medicine: A Clinician's Perspective

by Margaret Baim¹

¹Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Virtual Reality for Stress Reduction: Evaluating Strategies and Challenges in Coburg

by Hannah Strauch¹, Isabel Schuil¹, Jens Grubert², Karin Meissner¹ (on behalf of the AI4Coping consortium)

¹Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 96450 Coburg, Germany

²Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 96450 Coburg, Germany

Medicine at the Crossroads of Artificial Intelligence and Human Judgment

by George B. Stefano^1,2,3

¹Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Ke Karlovu 11, 120 00 Prague, Czech Republic

²Distinguished Teaching Prof. Emeritus, Distinguished Academy, State University of New York, USA

³Co-Founder & Co-Chair, Mind-Body Medicine Research Council (MBMRC), Witten/Herdecke University, School of Medicine, Witten, Germany 

Mind-Body Approaches to Physician Well-Being: A Talk by Dr. Michelle Dossett

 by Dr. Michelle Dossett¹

 ¹General Internal Medicine, University of California, 95816, Sacramento and USA

Precision breathing: AI-personalised MBM microinterventions for sleep and stress in adolescence

by Yvonne Beerenbrock¹

¹Professorship for Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, Faculty of Health, Medical Department, Institute of Integrative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany 

Body, Emotions and the Self: Complementary Mind-Body Approaches to Psychotherapy

by Marc Wittmann¹

¹Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, 79098 Freiburg, Germany

Exercise Corner

Mantra Meditation

by Anna Illgner¹

¹Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, 58455 Witten, Germany

Description

Mantra meditation is a mind-based relaxation technique whereby the mantra acts as an anchor to maintain focus during meditation. The word "mantra" has a long history in ancient systems such as yoga, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Ayurveda. It is derived from the old Sanskrit and has various meanings as “prayer” or “mystic formula” (Gonda, 1963). In its wider sense we can understand it as “song, chant, or hymn”. Every syllable, word, verse, or phrase can be used as a mantra, though there are many traditional ones. The tone "om," which is a sacred sign and represents the primordial sound of the cosmos, is undoubtedly the most well-known mantra. These days, affirmations and positive phrases and statements are frequently used, such as "I am glad." It is repeated in the same beat, revealing the spiritual power and effectiveness. You can chant it, whisper it, or only say it to yourself (Carrington, 2007).

Mantra meditation can help to deepen relaxation and have beneficial effects on stress, anxiety, hypertension and immunity (Tseng, 2022). It is also helpful for depression therapy (Bringmann et al., 2021), may improve attention, awareness and stress coping (Lynch et al., 2018).

Exercise

You can do mantra meditation almost anywhere. While it is advised to look for a peaceful area and attempt to minimize distractions during this period, it is not required to be sitting in an upright position. To relax and establish a connection with yourself, start by concentrating on your breathing. Next, consider a word, phrase, or syllable that makes you feel good or evokes pleasant feelings. Attempt to establish your rhythm by repeating it multiple times. The mantra can be linked to your breathing. This facilitates understanding the flow.

As with all mindfulness meditations, you simply observe the present moment without passing judgment or setting any particular goals. The practice of meditation is neither "good" nor "bad." You just watch what happens, and when you catch yourself thinking about something else, gently remind yourself to return to your mantra. To finish your meditation, return your focus to your breathing and take one or two deep breaths.

Announcements

MBMRC Guest Lecture with Leigh A. Frame, PhD, MHS1 on November 19th at Witten/Herdecke University, 15:00h – 16:15h (CET)

We are excited to present the next speaker in our growing hybrid lecture series.

Happily, we welcome Leigh A. Frame from the 1George Washington University (GW) School for Medicine and Health Science Washington, DC, USA, as a speaker for the MBMRC Guest Lectures on November 19st 2025, hosted by the Institute of Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion (IGVF).

Title: Connecting the Gut to the Mind: The Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis

Time: 15:00h – 16:15h (CET)

Join online: Zoom-Link

Join on-site: Room 2.273 (Purkinje), Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50, D-58448 Witten

The lecture will be followed by an open Q&A. The participation will be free of charge. For further information, please click here.

Additional dates of the guest lectures are

25th February 2026

20th May 2026

26th August 2026

04th November 2026

This new series aims to create a platform for exchange beyond institutional boundaries – and you're warmly welcomed to be part of it from the start! We invite all interested participants – students, researchers, and members of the public – to join us for this event.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Save the date!

We look forward to the
2nd International Scientific Conference on Innovation in Mind-Body Medicine (ISC-MBM)
(hybrid) on 19th and 20th November 2026

Delve for the second time with international experts from diverse fields into the molecular mechanisms, neurobiological correlates, artificial intelligence in mind-body medicine, and integrative approaches to holistic health.

We are inviting abstracts on the following topics:

• Topic 1: Mind-body medicine interventions
• Topic 2: Modes of action of mind-body medicine, e.g., mitochondria and microbiome
• Topic 3: Artificial Intelligence in Mind-body medicine research

Click here to see updates on the upcoming conference and information about the first one.

The Mind-Body Medicine Research Council (MBMRC)

At the present time, the Council consists of the following members:

Tobias Esch, M.D. (Co-Chair)
George B. Stefano, Ph.D. (Co-Chair)

Maren M. Michaelsen, Dr. rer. oec. Dr. rer. medic. (Project Lead)

Christoph Stückle, M.D.

Pascal Büttiker, M.Sc.

How to become a member of MBMRC

As the MBMRC has been founded in 2022, and due to its dedication to rigorous contributions on the basic research foundations of Mind-Body Medicine, the number of members is yet small. In the future, the council aims to invite outstanding researchers in the field to become MBMRC members. Membership implies no fee.