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Transcendental Meditation technique
An evidence-based approach to mind-body balance
© 2014, TM Health Professionals Program
Meta-Analysis of Trait Anxiety
Selection Criteria:
• Journals/dissertations
• Random assignment
• Authors neutral or negative toward TM.
• 143 studies in all
Effect sizes are treatments compared to non-treated controls, means and standard errors. Reference: Eppley K, Abrams A, Shear J. Differential effects of relaxation techniques on trait anxiety: a meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology 1989 45(6):957-974
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Sta
nd
ard
Diff
ere
nce i
n
Mean
s (
d)
Effects of TM on Trait Anxiety
High AnxietyPatients
ModerateAnxiety Patients
An
xie
ty G
reate
r th
an
th
is
% o
f G
en
era
l Po
pu
lati
on
40%
Before TM
After TM
Orme-Johnson D, Barnes V. (2013) Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on Trait Anxiety: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine; doi:10.1089/acm.2013.0204
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
Reduced Rates of Death, Heart Attack and Stroke
with Transcendental Meditation
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Schneider RH, Grim CE, Rainforth MA, Kotchen TA, et al. Stress reduction in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: Randomized controlled trial of Transcendental Meditation and health education in Blacks. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 5(6):750-8, 2012.
Ris
k o
f E
ven
ts (
Exp
ecte
d N
um
ber
of
Even
ts
per
Year
per
1000 E
ven
t-fr
ee P
ers
on
s)
Health Education Transcendental Meditation
48% lower rate
in Transcendental Meditation
practitioners over 5 years follow-
up(p =.025)
Effect of Transcendental Meditationon Carotid Atherosclerosis
INTIMA-MEDIAL THICKNESS
Adjusted mean changes in millimeters
- 0.1
+ 0.1
+ 0.05
- 0.05
TM
Health Education
p < .038
0
This 8-month randomized controlled trial showed that the Transcendental Meditation program significantly reduced carotid artery atherosclerosis in high risk subjects. Castillo-Richmond AB, Schneider RH,et al. Effects of Stress Reduction on Carotid Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive African Americans. Stroke, 2000: 31; 568-573.
Decreased Insulin Resistancethrough Transcendental Meditation
This randomized controlled clinical trial among individuals with stable coronary heart disease found that 16 weeks of practice of the Transcendental Meditation Program, in contrast to participation in a health education program, led to a significant reduction in insulin resistance based on a ratio of glucose to insulin. Reference: Archives of Internal Medicine 166: 1218-1224, 2006.
0.60.40.20
-0.2-0.4-0.6-0.8
Hom
eosta
sis
mod
el
assessm
en
tof
insu
lin
e r
esis
tan
ce
TranscendentalMeditation
HealthEducation
p=.01
Effects of Mindfulness, TM and Other Meditation on Trait Anxiety
A meta-analysis of three categories of meditation found that the TM technique produced a greater reduction in trait anxiety than Mindfulness or other meditation techniques (30 studies). Sedlmeier, P., Eberth, J., Schwarz, M., Zimmermann, D., & Haarig, F. (2012). The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(6), 1139-1171.
Mindfulness Other TM
-0.45-0.4
-0.35-0.3
-0.25-0.2
-0.15-0.1
-0.050
Eff
ect
Siz
e (
r, 9
5%
C
I)
Comparison of Three Types of Meditation on Psychological
Variables
Mindfulness Other TM0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
Co
mp
osit
e I
nd
ex:
Eff
ect
Siz
e (
r)
Comparison of TM with other types of meditation on a composite index of beneficial changes in trait anxiety, negative emotion, neuroticism, perception, self-concept, and self-realization: a meta-analysis.Orme-Johnson DW & Dillbeck MC. Methodological Concerns for Meta-Analyses of Meditation: Comment on Sedlmeier et al. Psychological Bulletin 2014; 140(2):610-16.
Transcendental Meditation and PTSDDecreased PTSD through TM in Congolese Refugees : a
randomized controlled trial
War refugees with severe PTSD demonstrated marked reduction of PTS symptoms after 30 days of TM practice. Rees B, Travis F, Shapiro D, Chant R. Reduction in post traumatic stress symptoms in Congolese refugees practicing Transcendental Meditation. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2013:26(2):295-8.
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TM ControlsDays
PT
SD
Sym
pto
ms (
PC
L-C
)
Reduced Symptoms of PTSD
Transcendental Meditation
Brook
s, 1
985
Rees,
201
4
-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-10
Eff
ect
Siz
e (
d)
Mindfulness Meditation
Kearn
ey, 2
013
Kearn
ey, 2
012
-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-10
Eff
ect
Siz
e (
d)
Brooks, 1985. Journal of Counseling and Development 64: 212-15. Rosenthal, 2011. Military Medicine 176, no. 6 : 626. Rees, 2014. Journal of Traumatic Stress 27, no. 1: 112-15. Rees, 2013. Journal of Traumatic Stress 26: 295-98. Kearney, 2013. Journal of Clinical Psychology 69, no. 1 : 14-27. Bremmer, 2011. American Psychosomatic Society Conference, San Antonio, Texas. Kearney, 2012. Journal of Clinical Psychology 68, no. 1: 212-15. King, 2013. Depression and Anxiety 30, no. 7 : 638-45. Orme-Johnson, 2014. Meta-analysis of meditation and PTSD, manuscript.
Reduced Symptoms of PTSD
Mindfulness TM
-3.5
-3
-2.5
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
Meta-Analysis of Eight StudiesS
tan
da
rdiz
ed
Diff
ere
nce
in
M
ea
ns (
d)
p = .0004
Orme-Johnson DW. The effects of Transcendental Meditation and Mindfulness on PTSD: A meta-analysis. 2014.
“…the Transcendental Meditation technique is the only meditation practice that has been shown to lower blood pressure… all other meditation techniques, including MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction), received a 'Class III, no benefit, Level of Evidence C' recommendation and are not recommended in clinical practice to lower blood pressure at this time.”
Brook, R. D., Appel, L. J., Rubenfire, M., et al (2013). Beyond medications and diet: Alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure : A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association(61)
AmericanHeartAssociation®
Learn and Live
Lower blood pressure through Transcendental Meditation practice is also associated with substantially reduced rates of death, heart attack and stroke.
AmericanHeartAssociation®
Learn and Live
Brook et al., Beyond Medications and Diet: Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure. A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Hypertension, 61: 1360-1383, 2013.
Recommended Reference:
Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through
Transcendental Meditation
by Norman Rosenthal, MDClinical Professor of Psychiatry
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Tarcher Penguin Books (2012) A New York Times bestselling book