There are many wonderful books and other publications that document various experiments and studies concerning meditation and how it affects our physical bodies, our emotional well-being, and thus, our lives. Two such books are:

PREVENTIVE STRESS MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIZATIONS by James Campbell Quick, PhD; Jonathan D. Quick, MD, MPH; Debra L. Nelson, PhD; and Joseph J. Hurrell, Jr., PhD

THE BOOK OF MEDITATION, The Complete Guide to Modern Meditation by Patricia Carrington, PhD

The following are References on Meditation from Dr. Deepak Chopra's book GROW YOUNGER, LIVE LONGER:

PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY 14 (1977):52-57 Physiological changes in yoga meditation by B.D. Elson, P.Hauri, and D.Cunis

MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 14 (1976):209-13 Physiological characterization of the "meditative state" during intuitional practice (the Anada Marga system of meditation) and its therapeutic value by D.N. Ghista, D. Nandagopal, et al

JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL MEDITATION 15 (1992):327-41 Elevated scrum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in practitioners of Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs by J. L. Glaser, J. L. Brind, et al

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE 16 (1982):53-58 The effects of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program on the aging process by R.K. Wallace, M. Dillbeck, et al

SCIENCE 167, no. 926 (1970): 1751-54 Physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation by R.K. Wallace