Showing posts with label myths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label myths. Show all posts

Myth #1: Meditation and relaxation practices are all the same and produce the same effects

The scientific literature on meditation shows that not all meditation practices produce the same effects. Different types of meditation practices engage the mind in different ways and employ a variety of methods for different results. 

For example, numerous independent scientific studies have found consistent distinctions between the Transcendental Meditation technique and other practices on measures of deep relaxation, anxiety reduction, growth of intelligence, normalization of high blood pressure, reduction of drug and alcohol abuse and self-actualization.* A recent study published by the American Heart Association found that TM practice reduces the chance of heart attack and stroke among those at-risk by 48% — an effect not found in research on other meditation practices. The TM technique is the only form of meditation recommended by the American Heart Association.

*Cognitive Processing, 11, 1, 2010; American Journal of Health Promotion, 12, 297-299; American Psychologist [42] 879-81, 1987; Intelligence 29: 419-440, 2001; Journal of Social Behavior and Personality (6) 189–247, 1991; International Journal of Neuroscience 100, 77-89, 2000; Journal of Clinical Psychology [45] 957-974, 1989; American Journal of Hypertension 21(3): 310-316, 2008

Three areas of research showing distinctions between meditation techniques:

1. Meditation and brain function: 

In recent decades, neuroscientists have researched the brain patterns of various meditative practices — studying Tibetan monks, Indian yogis, trained Western meditators and many other groups as subjects. Out of this research has emerged the understanding that different meditation techniques have very different effects on the brain.

For example, EEG research on mindfulness meditation (Cahn et al, Cognitive Processing, 2010) reports an increase in frontal theta brain waves (4-8 Hz) during mindfulness practice, as well as possible gamma waves (35-45 Hz) in the back of the brain, but no continuous or “state” effects were found for theta, alpha, or beta. Studies have found that during concentration meditation the brain shows increased frontal gamma, a frequency commonly associated with controlled focus (Lutz A, et al, 2004).
   
Research on the Transcendental Meditation technique reports patterns of highly coherent and synchronous alpha waves ("high amplitude" alpha, 10-12 Hz) throughout the entire brain, especially in the prefrontal cortex (the brain’s “CEO”). Heightened alpha activity is associated with relaxed wakefulness, and high amplitude alpha is associated with heightened awareness. 

This continuous state of increased widespread EEG coherence seen during TM practice also carries over into daily activity outside of meditation, indicating more efficient overall brain functioning. Coherence is associated with increased learning ability, higher IQ, better moral reasoning and improved neurological efficiency — all of which result from TM practice according to numerous studies. This heightened state of EEG coherence is not reported from ordinary relaxation or other meditation practices (Travis et al, 2010).

2. Deep Relaxation: Although the Transcendental Meditation technique is a mental process, it produces extensive physiological effects. The TM technique allows the mind to settle very deeply inward, beyond thinking, in an effortless, natural way. This is called transcending — going beyond all mental activity to experience the state of restful alertness or pure consciousness at the basis of the mind.

Due to the natural relationship between mind and body, when the mind becomes deeply settled during TM practice, the body also experiences deep relaxation. The TM technique is the only mind-body practice shown by scientific research to provide a state of rest more than twice as deep as ordinary, eyes-closed relaxation (American Psychologist [42] 879-81, 1987). Meditation practices that keep the mind engaged in thinking or mental activity (such as mindfulness or the "relaxation response" technique) have not been found to produce this degree of deep rest.

3. Reducing Anxiety: A meta-analysis (critical review of all available research data) conducted at Stanford University found the Transcendental Meditation technique significantly more effective in reducing trait anxiety than concentration and contemplation procedures or other techniques (Journal of Clinical Psychology [45] 957-974, 1989). The research project analyzed 146 independent study results, and found that the increased effectiveness of TM practice could not be attributed to subject expectation, experimenter bias or quality of research design. In fact, the studies with the most rigorous design showed the most significant results for the Transcendental Meditation technique.
 


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Myth #11: When learning Transcendental Meditation you undergo a religious ceremony

When you are instructed in the Transcendental Meditation technique, you indeed witness a short, traditional Vedic ceremony performed by the teacher — as a preparation for teaching (the student does not participate, he or she only witnesses). It is not a religious ceremony (no one is worshiping or being worshiped). It is a way of honoring the ancient tradition of meditation teachers who passed this knowledge down through the ages.

The Sanskrit word "puja" means "to honor;" it doesn't mean "to worship"—it is not a prayer. The puja procedure is a traditional performance of Vedic or Indian culture, used for many circumstances and occasions throughout India: people perform non-religious or secular pujas to honor teachers, guests, elders, musicians, literary figures — anyone who inspires respect. For example, on Mahatma Ghandi's birthday, secular pujas are performed all over India, with elements of invocation and offering, and attended by people of all religions and no religion. During India's Independence Day celebrations, candlelight may be offered and ceremoniously waved before a map or flag of India — another example of a non-religious, secular puja.

There are also religious pujas used for honoring deities; the language and offerings are similar to the secular pujas, but the context and intention is very, very different.

Nowadays, people seem more respectful and willing to accept ceremonies and protocols from other traditions — and that's what the puja is: an ancient, traditional ceremony from another culture, which uses some of that culture's traditional language of adoration. You might say that the TM program puja is performed in a sense similar to doctors taking the Hippocratic oath* — no worship is involved, it's traditional and ceremonial.

Yet the ceremony serves the vital function of keeping the TM technique connected to its source in the Vedic tradition. This timeless tradition of knowledge and the comprehensive understanding of consciousness that Maharishi revived from this tradition is the basis of the TM technique's effectiveness. TM instructors teach the technique in the way that has proven effective, using the ceremony as a preparation to teach.

If you're into ceremonies, you'll enjoy it. If you're not, it's very brief.






Religious leaders on the TM technique
 
More about the TM program's instruction ceremony (puja)

More about science, religion, and the Transcendental Meditation program



Myth #10: The Transcendental Meditation organization is a moneymaking $3.5 billion empire.

Myth #11: When learning Transcendental Meditation you undergo a religious ceremony.

Myth #12: Transcendental Meditation is a form of Hinduism

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*The Hippocratic oath, still used by many Western medical schools as part of the symbolic ceremony of becoming a medical doctor, begins, "I swear by Apollo, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath...."



Myth #7: Yikes! It's a cult!

Dr. Sandeep Chaudhary, Medical Director of Endocrinology, Scripps Memorial Hospital:   
"If anyone is concerned that the TM program might be some kind of religious sect or cult, then just ask yourself: How many so-called cults have had their program researched by teams of scientists who've received nearly $30 million in U.S. government research grants from the NIH (National Institutes of Health), or offer programs validated by peer-reviewed research studies published in hundreds of refereed medical and scientific journals, including the American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine or the American Heart Association's journal Cardiology?

"How many religious sects have offered AMA-approved continuing education courses for physicians, or teach systematic instruction in a technique that’s regularly featured in brain research presentations at the American Psychological Association’s annual conferences, and highlighted in the American College of Cardiology press releases for benefits to cardiovascular health?

"The distinguished recognition and scientific validation goes on and on." ________________________________________________________

The Transcendental Meditation technique involves no beliefs or dogma and no change in lifestyle. Research shows that the practice creates coherence in the brain's prefrontal cortex and thereby improves discrimination, comprehension and focus—the basis of critical thinking. Scientific studies show that the technique creates self-sufficiency and heightens self-actualization.

All of these effects suggest the exact opposite of "cult." TM is not something you join, it's a technique you practice for your own personal benefit—like yoga or jogging, but with its own holistic range of effects.

"Cult" is often a derogatory label some people use to denounce any group they think they don't like. Granted, there are harmful, dangerous groups in the world, but by any rational standards the TM organization is not one of them.

As a meditator recently told me: "When I do TM, I'm minding my own business. Nothing that I do on my own, in my room, by myself, for my own personal benefit, is a cult. Even doing the group meditations, I am just minding my own business. When you're transcending, you're totally free from anyone telling you what to do or think."

Numerous peer-reviewed studies show that TM practice develops independent, responsible, creative thinking. The founder of the TM program, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, rather than positioning himself as a "spiritual leader" with followers, was known for encouraging personal independence, integration with society and good citizenship.

Improved Brain Functioning:
TM practice creates brainwave coherence (in the frequency of high amplitude alpha) throughout the frontal regions of the brain, and in the left and right hemispheres and posterior regions, clearly distinguishing the technique from hypnosis and other forms of meditation. Researchers have long known that most experiences (including hypnotic trance) activate only small, specific areas of the brain. Studies indicate that the Transcendental Meditation technique enlivens and coordinates synchronous brain activity over a wide area — stimulating what neuroscientists call “more efficient, integrated brain functioning.”

Dozens of peer-reviewed studies on brain patterns of people practicing the TM technique show heightened brainwave coherence during meditation, and, more importantly, the studies show that this coherence grows in daily life outside of meditation, over time, as one continues practicing.

Brainwave coherence is healthy and desirable for many reasons: it's associated with increased intelligence and creativity, improved moral reasoning and self-actualization. Neuroscientists tell us that everything good about our brains depends on its healthy, coherent and orderly functioning.

Enhanced Critical Thinking:

According to research studies, the area of the brain most immediately affected by TM practice is the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher-level discrimination and decision making. The TM technique is found to bring the prefrontal cortex more fully "online," directly enhancing the neurological basis of "critical thinking"—application of one's higher discriminatory powers.

Also, research shows that reaction time is faster after TM practice and that creativity, IQ, comprehension, and problem-solving abilities improve. Those who practice the technique actually become less susceptible to suggestion and control by other people, as shown by measures of increased discrimination, self-sufficiency and self-concept. People practicing the technique also display greater field independence (sharper focus along with broader comprehension), which psychologists associate with leadership qualities, self-reliance and independent thinking. (Consciousness and Cognition, 8, 302-318, 1999; International Journal of Neuroscience 14: 147–151, 1981: Cognitive Processing, 11, 1, 2010)

Students of the Maharishi School (K-12) in Fairfield, Iowa, where the Transcendental Meditation technique is an integral part of the curriculum, are famous among educators and students for their consistent wins, year after year, at national and world championship competitions involving critical, creative and innovative thinking. 

In reality, the TM technique is a beneficial mental practice that people do for their own well-being, and the organization teaching it (Maharishi Foundation) is a collection of people enjoying their daily meditations and striving to help create more peace in the world.

Phillip Goldberg, author of "American Veda" and writer for the Huffington Post:

"I've found that some people will call any unconventional spiritual movement a cult. If you stretch the definition far enough the term fits an awful lot of organizations, making it a useless term... The TM Movement is incredibly benign. Most people recognize that. But there are always the loud, angry, disappointed folks... Other movements that started in the 70s have far more anger directed at them, from far more people, in far harsher terms—they're flaming all over the internet and in support groups. Compared to them, TM's detractors are like people dropping notes in a suggestion box." 

• Who runs the TM organization—and what is a raja?




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Myth #9: Meditation can have negative side effects and make you go crazy!

The deep, coherent rest gained during TM practice has been found by medical and health researchers, in hundreds of peer-reviewed clinical studies, to have only positive benefits.

More than 20,000 TM-practicing subjects have been studied by scientists over the past 40 years, and no credible published studies on the TM technique have ever found the practice to be unpleasant or harmful in any way — all such studies show positive results.

That's why leading physicians and medical professionals continue to speak out in favor of TM — such as renowned author, senior NIH scientist and psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal; NIH researcher and Discovery Channel Doctor Pamela Peeke, M.D., along with medical and health researchers at NYU, Harvard, University of Kentucky, Stanford, Medical College of Georgia and many other institutions. 

Because of the extensive supportive research and positive health outcomes, the TM technique is the only meditation practice recommended by the American Heart Association.
 
No Negative Side-effects: Professionally controlled clinical research on the effects of TM practice has been conducted under a wide variety of settings and conditions: on general populations, people in the workplace, athletes, groups of students at all grade levels, patients at high-risk for heart disease, students with learning disorders, factory workers, members of the military, groups of corporate executives, new meditators, long-term meditators on advanced courses, and people with pre-existing mental health problems. All these studies show significant improvements in mental and physical health, with no negative side effects. About 50 of these studies were randomized controlled trials (it takes only 2 positive RTCs in a phase III trial for the FDA to approve a drug as safe).

Since the 1970s, anti-meditation activists have been soliciting worldwide for testimonials from people who believe they had bad or harmful experiences as a result of practicing the TM technique. After all this time, how many testimonials (real people with names and identities) have they now collected to post online — people asserting that their meditation practice was the reason for some mental or physical distress that they experienced in their life? A dozen or so, at best, and there's no clinical documentation to substantiate even these few claims. How many people have learned TM over the last 50 years? About 6 million. This small handful of critics has helped demonstrate (along with the hundreds of scientific research studies) the TM technique's all-positive effects.

Some things are just good for you: For thousands of years, the experience of transcendental consciousness has been cherished in cultures around the world as a means to relieve suffering and awaken the field of order, creativity and intelligence that resides within all of us. Deep rest is good for you. Gaining inner peace is good for you. Reducing stress is healthy — in fact, it's lifesaving. More coherent brain waves are very, very healthy. It's that simple.

• GOVERNMENT FUNDING: The National Institutes of Health has provided $26 million over the past 20 years to document TM's benefits for heart health and brain functioning. The Veteran's Administration in Washington, D.C., has granted more than $2 million to research the effects on TM practice on veterans suffering from post traumatic stress. Why? Because of a 40-year precedence of solid, promising research studies on TM showing benefits—with no trend of negative side effects recorded.

• MEDICAL DOCTORS: The American Medical Association, representing 140,000 medical doctors, has published and promoted research showing that the TM technique improves high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. The AMA has also offered professional credit (CME) for doctors to take classes in TM.

• PSYCHOLOGISTS: The American Psychological Association, at its annual conferences, regularly features research on the benefits of the TM technique for improving overall mental health.

• SCIENTIFIC REVIEW: THE INTERNAL REVIEW BOARD at American University in Washington, D.C., comprised of a team of independent university physicians and scientists, conducted an exhaustive review of all existing scientific research on the TM technique and thoroughly considered the information found on various alternative Internet sites — pro and con. The board unanimously agreed that the technique was safe, had no negative side effects, and should be learned by 300 college students from American University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, and University of District of Columbia as part of a carefully controlled, two-year study examining the effects of the technique on student life. The study was completed and the results published in peer-reviewed scientific journals — showing that the technique reduces stress, improves health and strengthens brain functioning.

National Institutes of Health Senior Researcher Norman Rosenthal, M.D.: The state of the Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation program:

 

What about studies that critics claim show harmful effects from meditation?





Myth #10: The Transcendental Meditation organization is a moneymaking $3.5 billion empire.

Myth #11: When learning Transcendental Meditation you undergo a religious ceremony.

Myth #12: Transcendental Meditation is a form of Hinduism

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Myth #10: Transcendental Meditation is a moneymaking business

The TM program is offered through a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) educational organization, called Maharishi Foundation. All the money from TM course fees goes to support teaching activities and help fund TM training for at-risk populations — people who cannot afford to pay anything and can learn for free — including inner-city youth, veterans with PTSD, Native Americans on reservations, impoverished students in developing nations, and the homeless.

No individual or organization has ever made a lucrative profit from teaching the TM technique. There are no highly paid share holders, no kickbacks — only very modest salaries paid to organizational staff, much lower than the national average for administrative positions. As with all non-profits, the financial records are public access. The Foundation undergoes an independent yearly audit and its non-profit status has never been legally challenged.

The TM organization's only assets are teaching centers, schools, Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centers or properties under development for these purposes.*

For anyone wishing to learn the TM technique who cannot afford the full course fee, Maharishi Foundation offers payment plans, special reduced rates, grants, scholarships and other financial aid options. Due to the non-profit structure, anyone who wants to learn the TM technique should be able to learn.

For more about the non-profit foundation that teaches the TM technique, please see http://www.tm.org/inside-story

*Regarding the net worth of Maharishi Foundation, news and Internet sources have occasionally cited the figure of "$3.5 billion." Officials at Maharishi Foundation, if asked, can verify that this number exaggerates Maharishi Foundation's net worth many times over; it was never a credible or verified citation but seems to have been picked out of the air by some writer or blogger, and then others began to cite the erroneous amount without checking the facts.




Myth #10: The Transcendental Meditation organization is a moneymaking $3.5 billion empire.

Myth #11: When learning Transcendental Meditation you undergo a religious ceremony.

Myth #12: Transcendental Meditation is a form of Hinduism
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Myth #6: Scientific reviews show that Transcendental Meditation produces no health benefits

Scientists sometimes do broad surveys of existing research in a particular area to assess the quality of the studies and the general findings — to determine what conclusions may be drawn from that larger body of research. About a dozen such "meta-analyses" or reviews have been done involving the Transcendental Meditation technique, comparing it to other practices.

One such independent review, done at Stanford University, looked at the TM technique's effects on reducing anxiety, and found that TM practice had a significant, positive impact on anxiety and was more than twice as effective as any other mind-body practice studied (Journal of Clinical Psychology [45] 957-974, 1989).

A 2013 review (meta-analysis) conducted by scientists associated with the American Heart Association and published in the journal Hypertension, investigated the effects of various forms of meditation on high blood pressure. The study concluded that the Transcendental Meditation technique should be recommended by doctors as an alternative treatment for hypertension, and that the TM technique is the only form of meditation that the American Heart Association can recommend for reducing hypertension.

Other reviews have shown such effects as a distinct state of physiological relaxation (American Psychologist [42] 879-81, 1987), reduced use of cigarette smoking (Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 11,13-88, 1994), reduction of high blood pressure (Current Hypertension Reports 2007;9(6):520-528), reduced drug use (American Journal of Health Promotion, 12 [5]:297-298, 1998), reduced alcohol use (Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 11, 13-88, 1994) and increased self-actualization (Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 6 (1991): 189–247; Journal of Counseling Psychology 19 (1972): 184–187).

AHRQ Report: Two scientific reviews (most notably the "AHRQ" paper, now archived on the AHRQ website as an "obsolete" study) failed to find strong evidence to verify whether or not TM or meditation of any kind produces significant health benefits. These are the reviews often cited by skeptics and opponents of meditation to argue that meditation has no clinically proven benefits. The current Transcendental Meditation Wikipedia page, displaying obvious negative bias on the part of its volunteer editors, cites these reviews as definitive studies—grossly misrepresenting the proven health benefits of TM practice.

One might say that meditation opponents are cherry picking the data and favoring only studies that support their beliefs, while ignoring literally hundreds of other peer-reviewed studies that validate the benefits of the TM program, including other meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials. 

A close look at the reviews in question and the methodology they used reveals that there is little basis to the charge that "TM produces no significant health benefits." These two reviews are considered to be poorly designed and replete with errors, and are often dismissed because they did not thoroughly consider the large body of relevant data. Meditation researchers in general consider the reviews inconclusive, at best.

A 2014 meta-analysis published in JAMA also considered the general health effects of meditation, but included only a small handful of studies on the TM technique and did not analyze the data of several larger, more significant studies. That study is reviewed here in JAMA itself: http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1885495
 
Fortunately, the fact remains: over 600 scientific papers, research studies and reviews have validated the benefits of the TM program for mind, body, behavior and environment—hundreds of these studies appearing in leading peer-reviewed research journals, with nearly $30 million in research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

More on the AHRQ report and health research on meditation



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Myth #5: The research was conducted only by “TM scientists” and is not objective

Research studies on the Transcendental Meditation technique have been conducted by more than 360 scientists in 33 countries — at over 250 medical schools and universities. The majority of the studies were conducted by scientists unaffiliated with the TM teaching organization or Maharishi University of Management (www.mum.edu). Those studies in which MUM faculty did participate were almost always collaborations with independent scientists from other universities.
 
“An area of scientific research that’s here to stay”
by Dr. Sidney Weinstein, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Neuroscience

 “Over the past 10 years the editors and reviewers of IJN have accepted several papers on Transcendental Meditation because they have met the rigorous standards of scientific publication. IJN is honored to have two Nobel laureates on its editorial board, and has a distinguished group of scientists from leading universities on every continent who judge the scientific value of the papers submitted for consideration. Not once have these scientists ever questioned the integrity or scientific validity of the papers on Transcendental Meditation. The fact that the articles on Transcendental Meditation continue to appear in large numbers in reputable journals in addition to IJN demonstrates, at least to me, that this is an area of scientific research that’s here to stay. Any review of Transcendental Meditation literature that overlooks these publications smacks of scientific censorship. Perhaps such reviewers would find it instructive to read about the Galileo affair."

 Note: Dr. Weinstein does not practice the Transcendental Meditation program.


The peer-review process
Even though most of the several hundred peer-reviewed studies on the TM technique did not involve MUM faculty or scientists associated with the TM organization, a small handful of critics on the Internet charge that research studies involving scientists from MUM are necessarily weak or invalid due to an alleged lack of objectivity. Yet scientists and peer-reviewers from the research community at large generally do not charge that MUM-affiliated studies (or research on the TM program in general) are lacking in rigor. Typically, accusations of “biased research” are made by non-scientists and remain unsupported by empirical evidence.

 The peer-review process strives to filter out weak research or studies that may have been biased by the orientation of the scientists. While this process is far from flawless, it involves layers of independent, professional scientific reviewers, editors and publishers who filter out the vast majority of weak experimental designs and analyses before accepting papers for publication. It is certainly possible that less-than-topnotch studies in any field of research can slip through the peer-review process. But the fact that hundreds of studies on the Transcendental Meditation technique have met the high standards of peer-review — and that scientific journals continue publishing new research on the TM technique year after year — speaks for the professionalism and integrity of the body of research supportive of the TM technique.

 Bias in scientific research
It may be true that one should be suspicious of studies funded by big pharma about their drug products, but it is a fallacy that scientists who care about a topic they are studying are necessarily biased. For example, the researcher Ian Mitroff studied 40 scientists involved in Apollo lunar missions. The study suggested that attachment to one's ideas is not necessarily a liability in the scientific arena. The scientists Mitroff surveyed considered the notion of an emotionally uninvolved, objective scientist to be naive and also not an ideal worth emulating. The most successful and respected scientists, the study found, were actually those most committed to the theory being investigated.
 
Unlike pharmaceutical companies, the TM organization does not pay for research on the TM technique. Scientists researching the TM program, meditating and not meditating, get their own funding because they are dedicated to people's well-being and see the TM program as a promising field of research. It seems "biased" to automatically conclude that just because a meditating research scientist has participated a particular study on meditation, that the study is necessarily biased and therefore to be doubted.


Universities & Research Institutes Conducting NIH-funded Research on Transcendental Meditation:

University of Pennsylvania
Effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on Functional Capacity and Quality of Life of African Americans with Congestive Heart Failure.
Published in Ethnicity and Disease, Winter 2007 Full Article

Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles
The effects of Transcendental Meditation on cardiovascular disease in coronary heart disease patients with metabolic syndrome.
Published in the American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine, July 2006 Full Article

University of California, Irvine
The effects of Transcendental Meditation on brain functioning, stress, and pain as shown by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Published in NeuroReport, August 2006 Full Article

University of Iowa
The effects of the multimodality approach of the TM technique and Ayurvedic herbal preparations on coronary disease.
Published in Journal of Preventive Cardiology, August 2014 Full Article

St Joseph Hospital, Chicago
A randomized controlled trial of the effects of Transcendental Meditation on quality of life in older breast cancer patients.
Published in Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2009 Full Article
Funded by grant from the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
(1) A study on the effects of Transcendental Meditation on the prevention of hypertension in African Americans; and
(2) A study on the effects of Transcendental Meditation on morbidity and mortality in African Americans with heart disease.
Published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes Nov 2012 Full Article

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles
(1) A study on the mechanisms of atherosclerosis—the effects of Transcendental Meditation on the sympathetic nervous system and the functioning of the arterial endothelium in African Americans; and
(2) The effects of Transcendental Meditation on carotid atherosclerosis.
Published in the American Heart Association’s Stroke, March 2000 Full Article

The Medical College of Georgia, Augusta GA

(1) Impact of Transcendental Meditation on ambulatory blood pressure in African-American adolescents at risk for development of hypertension.
Published in American Journal of Hypertension, April 2004 Full Article

(2) Impact of Transcendental Meditation® on cardiovascular function at rest and during acute stress in adolescents with high normal blood pressure.
Published in Journal of Psychosomatic Research October, 2001 Full Article

 (3) Impact of Transcendental Meditation on negative school behavior in African Americans adolescents at risk for development of hypertension.
Published in Health and Quality of Life Outcome, 2003 Full Article

 (4) Impact of Transcendental Meditation on left ventricular mass in African American adolescents.
Published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012 Full Article

(5) Acute effects of Transcendental Meditation1 on hemodynamic functioning in middle-aged adults
Published in Psychosomatic Medicine, July-August 1999 Full Article

These studies were supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the American Heart Association Scientist Development.

West Oakland Health Center, Oakland California
A randomized controlled trial of stress reduction for hypertension in older African Americans.
Published in Hypertension, Nov 1995 Full Article

A trial of stress reduction for hypertension in older African Americans (Part II): Sex and risk factor subgroup analysis.
Published in Hypertension, August 1996 Full Article

A randomized controlled trial of stress reduction in the treatment of hypertension in African Americans during one year.
Published in American Journal of Hypertension, Jan 2005 Full Article

Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield Iowa; the West Oakland Health Center, Oakland California; University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa; Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia
A randomized controlled trial of stress reduction on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the elderly: Results of 8 and 15 year follow-ups.
Published in Circulation Feb 1996 Abstract

Long-term effects of stress reduction on mortality in persons ≥ 55 years of age with systemic hypertension.
Published in American Journal of Cardiology, July 2005 Full Article

Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield Iowa
A controlled study of the effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program on cardiovascular reactivity and ambulatory blood pressure.
Published in International Journal of Neuroscience, 1997 Abstract

Anger expression correlates with platelet aggregation.
Published in Behavioral Medicine, 1997 Abstract


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