By Roger Chalmers, MD
A large body of research has demonstrated that Transcendental Meditation produces comprehensive improvements in mental health, enhancing positive aspects of psychological and social functioning, reducing various forms of distress, and developing a more stable, balanced, and resilient personality. Findings include:
• increased self-actualization and enhanced self development [196, 198-199, 202-204, 206, 208-209, 216-224]
• improved self-concept and increased self-esteem [210, 71, 202, 205-206, 208, 214, 225, 277]
• increased autonomy and independence [207, 245]
• decreased anxiety, tension and depression [191, 69-70, 80, 190, 193, 203, 211, 225, 230-231, 245, 277, 324, 327-328, 370]
• reduced aggression and hostility [57, 193, 324, 327-328]
• decreased irritability and impulsiveness [193, 207, 227, 302, 324]
• increased emotional stability and maturity [57, 75, 193, 203, 230-231, 233, 302, 324]
• decreased behavioural rigidity [22, 268]
• increased sociability, friendliness, tolerance, and good humour [57, 201, 205, 207, 211, 230]
• less sensitivity to criticism and greater trust [202]
• increased ability to be objective, fair-minded, and reasonable [302]
• increased social maturity [201]
• increased tolerance and appreciation of others [205, 207, 245, 300]
• enhanced capacity for warm interpersonal relationships [57, 202, 209, 211, 230, 302]
• improved personal, family, and work relationships [69-70, 190, 279, 299, 301-302]
• increased marital harmony and adjustment [299, 302]
A systematic review of 146 independent outcomes found that Transcendental Meditation was more than twice as effective in reducing anxiety as other techniques (including progressive muscular relaxation, methods claimed to induce a ‘relaxation response’, and other forms of meditation). Only TM showed a positive correlation between duration of regular practice and reduction of anxiety. The greater effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation remained highly significant when only the strongest and most rigorous studies were included in the analysis. This result remained robust even when analyses were limited to randomized controlled studies by researchers known to be neutral or sceptical towards TM, and when other potentially confounding factors were controlled [191].
In a second meta-analysis of 42 independent research results, Transcendental Meditation proved three times as effective as other meditation and relaxation procedures in increasing self-actualization, an overall measure of positive mental health and personal development. Further analysis revealed that the technique is exceptionally effective in developing three independent components of this dimension: emotional maturity, a resilient sense of self, and a positive, integrated perspective of self and the world [196].
A third meta-analysis examined 51 studies of the effects of different meditation techniques on measures of psychological health and well-being, comprising more than 9700 research subjects and 400 outcome findings. TM was found to be markedly more effective than other techniques in improving psychological variables; this result was maintained when only studies of highest validity and strongest experimental design were included [197].
The comprehensive nature of Transcendental Meditation's benefits for mental health is illustrated in a randomized study of Vietnam War veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Over a three-month period, patients practising TM showed clear-cut improvements in all aspects of the syndrome studied, with significant decreases in depression, anxiety, insomnia, and alcohol consumption; improvement in family problems; reduced severity of delayed stress syndrome; decreased emotional numbness; and reduced difficulty in obtaining employment. In contrast, the control group who received standard treatment with psychotherapy showed no significant change on any measure [69].
An exhaustive epidemiological survey conducted by the Swedish National Health Board found evidence that psychiatric hospital admissions were much less common among people practising Transcendental Meditation than in the general population [232].
• improved self-concept and increased self-esteem [210, 71, 202, 205-206, 208, 214, 225, 277]
• increased autonomy and independence [207, 245]
• decreased anxiety, tension and depression [191, 69-70, 80, 190, 193, 203, 211, 225, 230-231, 245, 277, 324, 327-328, 370]
• reduced aggression and hostility [57, 193, 324, 327-328]
• decreased irritability and impulsiveness [193, 207, 227, 302, 324]
• increased emotional stability and maturity [57, 75, 193, 203, 230-231, 233, 302, 324]
• decreased behavioural rigidity [22, 268]
• increased sociability, friendliness, tolerance, and good humour [57, 201, 205, 207, 211, 230]
• less sensitivity to criticism and greater trust [202]
• increased ability to be objective, fair-minded, and reasonable [302]
• increased social maturity [201]
• increased tolerance and appreciation of others [205, 207, 245, 300]
• enhanced capacity for warm interpersonal relationships [57, 202, 209, 211, 230, 302]
• improved personal, family, and work relationships [69-70, 190, 279, 299, 301-302]
• increased marital harmony and adjustment [299, 302]
A systematic review of 146 independent outcomes found that Transcendental Meditation was more than twice as effective in reducing anxiety as other techniques (including progressive muscular relaxation, methods claimed to induce a ‘relaxation response’, and other forms of meditation). Only TM showed a positive correlation between duration of regular practice and reduction of anxiety. The greater effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation remained highly significant when only the strongest and most rigorous studies were included in the analysis. This result remained robust even when analyses were limited to randomized controlled studies by researchers known to be neutral or sceptical towards TM, and when other potentially confounding factors were controlled [191].
In a second meta-analysis of 42 independent research results, Transcendental Meditation proved three times as effective as other meditation and relaxation procedures in increasing self-actualization, an overall measure of positive mental health and personal development. Further analysis revealed that the technique is exceptionally effective in developing three independent components of this dimension: emotional maturity, a resilient sense of self, and a positive, integrated perspective of self and the world [196].
A third meta-analysis examined 51 studies of the effects of different meditation techniques on measures of psychological health and well-being, comprising more than 9700 research subjects and 400 outcome findings. TM was found to be markedly more effective than other techniques in improving psychological variables; this result was maintained when only studies of highest validity and strongest experimental design were included [197].
The comprehensive nature of Transcendental Meditation's benefits for mental health is illustrated in a randomized study of Vietnam War veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Over a three-month period, patients practising TM showed clear-cut improvements in all aspects of the syndrome studied, with significant decreases in depression, anxiety, insomnia, and alcohol consumption; improvement in family problems; reduced severity of delayed stress syndrome; decreased emotional numbness; and reduced difficulty in obtaining employment. In contrast, the control group who received standard treatment with psychotherapy showed no significant change on any measure [69].
An exhaustive epidemiological survey conducted by the Swedish National Health Board found evidence that psychiatric hospital admissions were much less common among people practising Transcendental Meditation than in the general population [232].
No comments:
Post a Comment