RESEARCH STARTER

Relaxation response: Herbert Benson

The relaxation response, a term popularized by Dr. Herbert Benson in the 1970s, refers to a physiological state of deep rest achieved through various relaxation techniques. This response engages the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, promoting calmness and reducing stress. Dr. Benson's research demonstrated that individuals could consciously train their bodies to elicit the relaxation response, thereby improving health and well-being. Techniques to achieve this state include meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and yoga, which can be practiced regularly for maximum benefit.

Chronic stress can disrupt the body’s natural ability to return to homeostasis, leading to a range of health issues. Benson's work emphasizes the importance of consistent relaxation practices as a means to counteract this chronic stress. While his methods have been critiqued by some religious groups for their Eastern philosophical roots, Benson has also sought to integrate these relaxation techniques with spiritual beliefs. Recent studies continue to explore the benefits of the relaxation response in various populations, including immigrants and urban youth, demonstrating its potential as an effective tool for managing anxiety and enhancing mental health.

Full Article

  • TYPE OF PSYCHOLOGY: Biological bases of human behavior; Clinical; Counseling; Health; Psychotherapy

The relaxation response is a “deep state of relaxation,” according to Dr. Herbert Benson, and can be learned through a process of using psychological meditational strategies to allow the body to return to baseline homeostasis after stress activates the fight-or-flight response. The Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School, was founded by Dr. Benson. He was a physician who conducted the initial research on what he called the relaxation response in the 1970s. He and his colleagues continued to publish on their methods and health benefits into the twenty-first century.

Introduction

Human beings worldwide have used various strategies for achieving relaxation that date back centuries. Early methods used for relaxation included prayer, warm baths, listening to soft music, various herbal remedies, and drinking tea or warm milk before bedtime, to name just a few. Some of these relaxation methods continued to be popular. However, research on the benefits of relaxation started in the 1970s. Dr. Herbert Benson (1935–2022) is credited with describing and naming the relaxation response through empirical research on the process of calming the body. This normally autonomic response controlled by the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, which can be intentionally activated with practice, essentially involves training oneself to relax through dedicated and repeated practice, which has evolved to encompass several relaxation strategies ranging from repeating a word or a mantra (special phrase) to repeating any phrase that is experienced as neutral by the person.

Typically, under stress, humans respond with the fight (fight back against an aggressor), flight (run away from danger), or freeze (freeze or immobilize as in feigning death) response, although other reactions such as faint (collapse) or submit (defer to the threat as seen in submissive behavior) may also occur. According to American psychologist Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal theory, humans may respond to stress in three ways: social engagement (ventral vagal), mobilization (sympathetic), and immobilization (dorsal vagal). While this theory remains influential in trauma research, it is considered one of several models describing autonomic stress responses.

The body, once stressed, will return to homeostasis automatically when the threat has passed after a period of time. The stress response happens at the autonomic nervous system level and was thought to be solely under unconscious control. The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system responds when people are under stress to help mobilize their bodies via stress hormones or glucocorticoids to face the perceived threat. The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system helps people's bodies return to homeostasis. The parasympathetic nervous system is active when people experience relaxation (or return to homeostasis). These systems can be influenced through intentional training and mind-body practices, reflecting the brain’s neuroplasticity and capacity for self-regulation.

Effects of Chronic Stress

Chronic stress exposure has been known to disrupt this automatic homeostatic pattern. In fact, even though short-term sympathetic responsivity can be helpful at times of danger, allowing us to escape and/or mobilize ourselves to fight a predator, chronically elevated stress hormones can actually be damaging to the health of the individual. Some researchers have called an individual's total stress burden the “allostatic load,” which represents the accumulated stress burden that is potentially damaging to one's health, especially over the long term.

The damage to health from long-term stress can include lower immune system functioning, increased susceptibility to illness, impaired sleep or insomnia, and changes in volume in the hippocampus that stores emotional or autobiographical memories. It is also associated with the enlargement of the amygdala (a cluster of small, almond-shaped brain structures that processes stressors) and with hypertension (high blood pressure), producing an over-sensitized fight-or-flight reaction. Neuroimaging research has also shown dysregulation of the prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in attention and decision-making, further supporting the role of stress in mental and physical illness.

Initial Research

Dr. Benson conducted research showing that training our autonomic nervous system to facilitate the relaxation response could improve health. This was a groundbreaking discovery, as autonomic nervous system functions largely operate at the unconscious level, happen automatically, and were not previously thought capable of being brought under conscious control. His work laid the foundation for the integration of mind-body approaches into Western medicine. His research helped bring mind-body medicine into standard medical practice and education.

Critique of Approach

Christian religious groups have critiqued the meditational approach for achieving the relaxation response as being rooted in Eastern philosophy and religious beliefs. These groups have expressed concern over the spiritual origins of meditation methods used to elicit the relaxation response. In response to such concerns, many colleges and wellness centers offer access to both mindfulness meditation and spiritually aligned alternatives such as Christian meditation groups. Benson addressed this issue in his 1998 book coauthored by Margaret Stark, Timeless Healing: The Biology and Power of Belief, where he wrote about integrating the relaxation response with religious and spiritual belief in God. Clinicians have created secular, interfaith, and culturally adapted versions of these techniques to respect and align with individuals’ belief systems.

Relaxation Training

Benson provided steps for eliciting the relaxation response in his 1975 book The Relaxation Response. He recommended that the method be practiced twice daily for ten to twenty minutes to achieve full parasympathetic relaxation. However, several methods or combinations of relaxation training methods can be used to elicit this response. Benson utilized elements from some of these methods (primarily focused meditation and deep breathing) in his protocol. One of these relaxation training methods is called Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), in which a person is encouraged to alternately tense and relax targeted muscle groups in the body while pairing that process with slow, deep breathing (slow inhale on a count of five and slow exhale on a count of five). The person begins tensing and releasing the muscle groups in the head or neck and moves to the lower extremities to achieve total body relaxation. Another method he utilized is yoga, which is more physically oriented. Various schools of yoga and meditation have also been shown to elicit this response.

Many clinicians also incorporate additional methods such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), breathwork like box breathing, guided imagery, biofeedback, and compassion-focused training. These approaches can be adapted for clinical, educational, and community-based settings.

The Mind Body Institute and similar wellness centers provide resources for achieving relaxation. Benson's institute specifically has offered audio instruction in Basic Relaxation Exercise/Mindfulness Meditation, Basic Relaxation Response Exercise, Advanced Relaxation Response, Guided Visualization with Ocean Sounds, and Breath and Body Awareness, among others. Increasingly, these resources became available via mobile apps and online platforms.

Ongoing Research

The importance of regular stress reduction or self-care has been validated by ongoing research, and the health and mental health benefits cannot be underestimated. The Benson-Henry Institute started a pilot investigation of a culturally adapted eight-week group mind-body approach to relaxation for American immigrants from China experiencing depression. This study was effective and showed promise for utilizing the relaxation response in conjunction with other tools for addressing both mood and anxiety or stress-related disorders. Research has also shown that the relaxation response can influence gene activity related to immune function and energy use in the body.

In addition, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a neuroimaging method that highlights changes in brain function, has demonstrated the neurological effects of the relaxation response. Changes in the brain due to meditation include increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula—regions involved in self-regulation and attention. There is also evidence of decreased activity in the default mode network (DMN), which is associated with rumination and mind-wandering.

Another area of research has been to gauge the impact of the relaxation response on urban high school students, led by the teacher. Researchers used the Perceived Stress Scale, as well as other techniques, to measure the effectiveness of the program. The study found that teachers are capable of leading the program and that students who participated experienced a marked reduction in stress. These findings have contributed to the integration of relaxation training into social-emotional learning and trauma-informed education models.

The National Institute of Health (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine), has greatly educated the public on relaxation methods and supported empirical investigation of various relaxation techniques, including methods for eliciting the relaxation response. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health outlines not only the physical and mental health benefits of validated methods of relaxation training but also the associated risks and side effects. For example, physicians must advise those with heart conditions to evaluate whether progressive muscle relaxation is appropriate.

Adverse effects of the relaxation response are thought to be rare. However, there are some individuals—especially those with certain psychological disorders, such as dissociative disorders, survivors of childhood trauma or abuse, or epilepsy—for whom any kind of relaxation or meditation training may aggravate symptoms. They may experience increased anxiety, discomfort, or dissociation (an uncomfortable mental state that separates feelings, thoughts, and awareness). Mental health professionals may recommend trauma-informed adaptations such as grounding exercises, open-eyed meditation, or titrated exposure therapy for these individuals.


Bibliography

“About Us—Mission & History.” Benson-Henry Institute, bensonhenryinstitute.org/mission-history. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Benson, H. The Relaxation Response. William Morrow and Company, 1975.

Benson, Herbert, and Margaret Stark. Timeless Healing. Scribner, 2014.

Benson, Herbert, and William Proctor. Relaxation Revolution: Enhancing Your Personal Health through the Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing. Scribner, 2010.

Cannon, Walter B. The Wisdom of the Body. W. W. Norton and Company, 1932.

Dusek, Jeffery A., et al. “Genomic Counter-Stress Changes Induced by the Relaxation Response.” PLoS One, vol. 3, no. 7, 2 July 2008, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002576. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Levey, Joel, and Michelle Levey. The Fine Art of Relaxation, Concentration and Meditation: Ancient Skills for Modern Minds. Wisdom Publications, 2003.

McEwen, Bruce S. “Stress and Hippocampal Plasticity.” Annual Review of Neuroscience, vol. 22, 1999, pp. 105–22, doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.22.1.105. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Mitchell, Marilyn. “Dr. Herbert Benson’s Relaxation Response.” Psychology Today, 29 Mar. 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/heart-and-soul-healing/201303/dr-herbert-benson-s-relaxation-response. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

“Relaxation Techniques: What You Need to Know.” National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, June 2021, www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Sutton, Jeremy. “18 Polyvagal Theory & How to Use the Exercises in Therapy.” Positive Psychology, 17 Oct. 2023, www.positivepsychology.com/polyvagal-theory. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Full Article

  • TYPE OF PSYCHOLOGY: Biological bases of human behavior; Clinical; Counseling; Health; Psychotherapy

The relaxation response is a “deep state of relaxation,” according to Dr. Herbert Benson, and can be learned through a process of using psychological meditational strategies to allow the body to return to baseline homeostasis after stress activates the fight-or-flight response. The Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School, was founded by Dr. Benson. He was a physician who conducted the initial research on what he called the relaxation response in the 1970s. He and his colleagues continued to publish on their methods and health benefits into the twenty-first century.

Introduction

Human beings worldwide have used various strategies for achieving relaxation that date back centuries. Early methods used for relaxation included prayer, warm baths, listening to soft music, various herbal remedies, and drinking tea or warm milk before bedtime, to name just a few. Some of these relaxation methods continued to be popular. However, research on the benefits of relaxation started in the 1970s. Dr. Herbert Benson (1935–2022) is credited with describing and naming the relaxation response through empirical research on the process of calming the body. This normally autonomic response controlled by the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, which can be intentionally activated with practice, essentially involves training oneself to relax through dedicated and repeated practice, which has evolved to encompass several relaxation strategies ranging from repeating a word or a mantra (special phrase) to repeating any phrase that is experienced as neutral by the person.

Typically, under stress, humans respond with the fight (fight back against an aggressor), flight (run away from danger), or freeze (freeze or immobilize as in feigning death) response, although other reactions such as faint (collapse) or submit (defer to the threat as seen in submissive behavior) may also occur. According to American psychologist Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal theory, humans may respond to stress in three ways: social engagement (ventral vagal), mobilization (sympathetic), and immobilization (dorsal vagal). While this theory remains influential in trauma research, it is considered one of several models describing autonomic stress responses.

The body, once stressed, will return to homeostasis automatically when the threat has passed after a period of time. The stress response happens at the autonomic nervous system level and was thought to be solely under unconscious control. The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system responds when people are under stress to help mobilize their bodies via stress hormones or glucocorticoids to face the perceived threat. The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system helps people's bodies return to homeostasis. The parasympathetic nervous system is active when people experience relaxation (or return to homeostasis). These systems can be influenced through intentional training and mind-body practices, reflecting the brain’s neuroplasticity and capacity for self-regulation.

Effects of Chronic Stress

Chronic stress exposure has been known to disrupt this automatic homeostatic pattern. In fact, even though short-term sympathetic responsivity can be helpful at times of danger, allowing us to escape and/or mobilize ourselves to fight a predator, chronically elevated stress hormones can actually be damaging to the health of the individual. Some researchers have called an individual's total stress burden the “allostatic load,” which represents the accumulated stress burden that is potentially damaging to one's health, especially over the long term.

The damage to health from long-term stress can include lower immune system functioning, increased susceptibility to illness, impaired sleep or insomnia, and changes in volume in the hippocampus that stores emotional or autobiographical memories. It is also associated with the enlargement of the amygdala (a cluster of small, almond-shaped brain structures that processes stressors) and with hypertension (high blood pressure), producing an over-sensitized fight-or-flight reaction. Neuroimaging research has also shown dysregulation of the prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in attention and decision-making, further supporting the role of stress in mental and physical illness.

Initial Research

Dr. Benson conducted research showing that training our autonomic nervous system to facilitate the relaxation response could improve health. This was a groundbreaking discovery, as autonomic nervous system functions largely operate at the unconscious level, happen automatically, and were not previously thought capable of being brought under conscious control. His work laid the foundation for the integration of mind-body approaches into Western medicine. His research helped bring mind-body medicine into standard medical practice and education.

Critique of Approach

Christian religious groups have critiqued the meditational approach for achieving the relaxation response as being rooted in Eastern philosophy and religious beliefs. These groups have expressed concern over the spiritual origins of meditation methods used to elicit the relaxation response. In response to such concerns, many colleges and wellness centers offer access to both mindfulness meditation and spiritually aligned alternatives such as Christian meditation groups. Benson addressed this issue in his 1998 book coauthored by Margaret Stark, Timeless Healing: The Biology and Power of Belief, where he wrote about integrating the relaxation response with religious and spiritual belief in God. Clinicians have created secular, interfaith, and culturally adapted versions of these techniques to respect and align with individuals’ belief systems.

Relaxation Training

Benson provided steps for eliciting the relaxation response in his 1975 book The Relaxation Response. He recommended that the method be practiced twice daily for ten to twenty minutes to achieve full parasympathetic relaxation. However, several methods or combinations of relaxation training methods can be used to elicit this response. Benson utilized elements from some of these methods (primarily focused meditation and deep breathing) in his protocol. One of these relaxation training methods is called Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), in which a person is encouraged to alternately tense and relax targeted muscle groups in the body while pairing that process with slow, deep breathing (slow inhale on a count of five and slow exhale on a count of five). The person begins tensing and releasing the muscle groups in the head or neck and moves to the lower extremities to achieve total body relaxation. Another method he utilized is yoga, which is more physically oriented. Various schools of yoga and meditation have also been shown to elicit this response.

Many clinicians also incorporate additional methods such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), breathwork like box breathing, guided imagery, biofeedback, and compassion-focused training. These approaches can be adapted for clinical, educational, and community-based settings.

The Mind Body Institute and similar wellness centers provide resources for achieving relaxation. Benson's institute specifically has offered audio instruction in Basic Relaxation Exercise/Mindfulness Meditation, Basic Relaxation Response Exercise, Advanced Relaxation Response, Guided Visualization with Ocean Sounds, and Breath and Body Awareness, among others. Increasingly, these resources became available via mobile apps and online platforms.

Ongoing Research

The importance of regular stress reduction or self-care has been validated by ongoing research, and the health and mental health benefits cannot be underestimated. The Benson-Henry Institute started a pilot investigation of a culturally adapted eight-week group mind-body approach to relaxation for American immigrants from China experiencing depression. This study was effective and showed promise for utilizing the relaxation response in conjunction with other tools for addressing both mood and anxiety or stress-related disorders. Research has also shown that the relaxation response can influence gene activity related to immune function and energy use in the body.

In addition, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a neuroimaging method that highlights changes in brain function, has demonstrated the neurological effects of the relaxation response. Changes in the brain due to meditation include increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula—regions involved in self-regulation and attention. There is also evidence of decreased activity in the default mode network (DMN), which is associated with rumination and mind-wandering.

Another area of research has been to gauge the impact of the relaxation response on urban high school students, led by the teacher. Researchers used the Perceived Stress Scale, as well as other techniques, to measure the effectiveness of the program. The study found that teachers are capable of leading the program and that students who participated experienced a marked reduction in stress. These findings have contributed to the integration of relaxation training into social-emotional learning and trauma-informed education models.

The National Institute of Health (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine), has greatly educated the public on relaxation methods and supported empirical investigation of various relaxation techniques, including methods for eliciting the relaxation response. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health outlines not only the physical and mental health benefits of validated methods of relaxation training but also the associated risks and side effects. For example, physicians must advise those with heart conditions to evaluate whether progressive muscle relaxation is appropriate.

Adverse effects of the relaxation response are thought to be rare. However, there are some individuals—especially those with certain psychological disorders, such as dissociative disorders, survivors of childhood trauma or abuse, or epilepsy—for whom any kind of relaxation or meditation training may aggravate symptoms. They may experience increased anxiety, discomfort, or dissociation (an uncomfortable mental state that separates feelings, thoughts, and awareness). Mental health professionals may recommend trauma-informed adaptations such as grounding exercises, open-eyed meditation, or titrated exposure therapy for these individuals.


Bibliography

“About Us—Mission & History.” Benson-Henry Institute, bensonhenryinstitute.org/mission-history. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Benson, H. The Relaxation Response. William Morrow and Company, 1975.

Benson, Herbert, and Margaret Stark. Timeless Healing. Scribner, 2014.

Benson, Herbert, and William Proctor. Relaxation Revolution: Enhancing Your Personal Health through the Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing. Scribner, 2010.

Cannon, Walter B. The Wisdom of the Body. W. W. Norton and Company, 1932.

Dusek, Jeffery A., et al. “Genomic Counter-Stress Changes Induced by the Relaxation Response.” PLoS One, vol. 3, no. 7, 2 July 2008, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002576. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Levey, Joel, and Michelle Levey. The Fine Art of Relaxation, Concentration and Meditation: Ancient Skills for Modern Minds. Wisdom Publications, 2003.

McEwen, Bruce S. “Stress and Hippocampal Plasticity.” Annual Review of Neuroscience, vol. 22, 1999, pp. 105–22, doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.22.1.105. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Mitchell, Marilyn. “Dr. Herbert Benson’s Relaxation Response.” Psychology Today, 29 Mar. 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/heart-and-soul-healing/201303/dr-herbert-benson-s-relaxation-response. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

“Relaxation Techniques: What You Need to Know.” National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, June 2021, www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Sutton, Jeremy. “18 Polyvagal Theory & How to Use the Exercises in Therapy.” Positive Psychology, 17 Oct. 2023, www.positivepsychology.com/polyvagal-theory. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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