More than 350 peer-reviewed research studies on the TM technique have been published in more than 160 scientific journals. These studies were conducted at more than 200 universities and research centers, including Harvard Medical School, Stanford Medical School, Yale Medical School, UCLA Medical School, and Medical College of Georgia.
Below is an interview with Dr Norman Rosenthal by Bobby Roth of the David Lynch Foundation on some recent interesting research on Transcendental Meditation
Highlights of recent published studies:
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, November 2012, a journal of the American Heart Association: 5-year randomized controlled study on patients with established coronary heart disease reported a 48% reduction in death, heart attack, and stroke in subjects in the TM group compared to controls.
Hypertension, June 2013, American Heart Association scientific statement, states that the Transcendental Meditation technique is the only meditation practice that has been shown to lower blood pressure.
According to the AHA,* “Because of many negative studies or mixed results and a paucity of available trials, all other meditation techniques [including Mindfulness] received a ‘Class III, no benefit, Level of Evidence C’ recommendation. Thus, other meditation techniques are not recommended in clinical practice to lower BP at this time.”
The AHA scientific statement also reported the finding that lower blood pressure through Transcendental Meditation practice is associated with substantially reduced rates of death, heart attack and stroke. The AHA scientific statement concludes that alternative treatments that include the Transcendental Meditation technique are recommended for consideration in treatment plans for all individuals with blood pressure greater than 120/80 mm Hg.
* Brook RD et al., Beyond Medications and Diet: Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure. A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Hypertension, 61:00, 2013.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, October 2013: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) foundsignificantly greater effect of TM in reducing trait anxiety than treatment-as-usual and other alternative treatments, including mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) and other meditation and relaxation practices.
- Decreased Depression
- Reduced Insomnia
- Lower Blood Pressure
- Decreased Cholesterol
- Reduced Congestive Heart Failure
- Reduced Atherosclerosis/Stroke
- Decreased Free Radicals
- Reduced Metabolic Syndrome/ Pre-Diabetes
- Reduced Cardiovascular Risk Factors
- Reduction in Pain
- Decreased Health Care Costs and Utilization
- Higher Levels of Brain Functioning
- Improved Intelligence, Creativity and Learning Ability
- Improved Academics
- Improved School Behavior
- Benefits for Special and Remedial Education
- Improved Integration of Personality
- Increased Longevity
- Reduced Substance Abuse
