 |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Transcendental Meditation
compared with Rest
2. TM and other meditation and relaxation techniques
3. Research on TM and HYPERTENSION
4. Research on TM and CHOLESTEROL
5. Research on Reduced Health Care Costs
6. Transcendental Meditation and AGING
7. Research on TM and MENTAL HEALTH
8. Research on TM in EDUCATION
9. Research on TM in BUSINESS
10. TM and TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME
11. TM and SUBSTANCE ABUSE
12. TM and CRIMINAL REHABILITATION
13. Research on TM and QUALITY OF LIFE
14. TM community reduces crime in Fairfield, Iowa
15. TM Research Summary: Universities and Journals
16. Summer 1993 WASHINGTON DC Project
Q.: Is there scientific evidence to show
that Transcendental Meditation is different from just resting with
your eyes closed?
A.: Yes. Research shows that Transcendental Meditation is unique; it
is much different from eyes-closed rest.
A comprehensive statistical "meta-analysis" was
conducted that compared the findings of 31 physiological studies on
Transcendental Meditation and on resting with eyes closed. (A
meta-analysis is the preferred scientific procedure for drawing
definitive conclusions from large bodies of research.) The study
evaluated three key indicators of relaxation and found that
Transcendental Meditation provides a far deeper state of relaxation
than does simple eyes-closed rest.
The research showed that breath rate and plasma lactate decrease,
and basal skin resistance increases, significantly more during
Transcendental Meditation than during eyes-closed rest.
Interestingly, immediately prior to the Transcendental Meditation
sessions, meditating subjects had lower levels of breath rate,
plasma lactate, spontaneous skin conductance, and heart rate than
did controls. This deeper level of relaxation before starting the
practice suggests that reduced physiological stress through
Transcendental Meditation is cumulative. (American Psychologist 42:
879-881, 1987.)
Q.: Are all meditation and relaxation
techniques equally as effective as Transcendental Meditation?
A.: No. All meditation and relaxation techniques are not the same.
Four studies were conducted that compared findings of
research on different meditation and relaxation techniques. These
meta-analyses found that Transcendental Meditation is the most
effective technique for reducing anxiety; increasing
self-actualization; reducing alcohol, cigarette, and drug abuse; and
improving psychological health.
 | Reduced anxiety--A statistical meta-analysis of 146 previously
conducted studies indicated that compared with every other
meditation and relaxation technique tested to date,
Transcendental Meditation is much more effective at reducing
anxiety, the most common sign of psychological stress. (Journal
of Clinical Psychology 45: 957-974, 1989.)
| Increased self-actualization--A second meta-analysis of 42
studies found that Transcendental Meditation was significantly
more effective in increasing self-actualization than other
meditation and relaxation techniques. (Journal of Social
Behavior and Personality, 6, 189-247, 1991.)
| Reduced substance abuse--A third meta-analysis of 198 studies
found that Transcendental Meditation was significantly more
effective in reducing drug, alcohol, and cigarette abuse than
were standard treatment and prevention programs, including
relaxation. (Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 13-87, 1994.)
| Improved psychological health--A fourth meta-analysis of all
relevant, previously conducted research--51 studies in
all--showed that compared with every other meditation and
relaxation technique tested to date, Transcendental Meditation
is far more effective at enhancing psychological health and
maturity. The studies showed that Transcendental Meditation
promotes greater overall self-actualization, as indicated by
increased self-regard, spontaneity, inner directedness, and
capacity for warm interpersonal relations. (Dissertation
Abstracts International 42(4): 1547, 1980.) |
| | |
The accuracy of the results of these and other studies was
strengthened through the use of sophisticated methods, including:
statistically controlling for a broad range of demographic
variables, such as population density, median years of education,
age, etc.
Q.: Does Transcendental Meditation lower
high blood pressure?
A.: Yes. More than 30 million Americans suffer from high blood
pressure, one of the most serious risk factors for heart disease.
Sixteen studies have clearly demonstrated the positive effects of
Transcendental Meditation on hypertension.
For example, a recent study was conducted on 128 inner-city,
elderly African-Americans with hypertension. They were randomly
assigned to either the Transcendental Meditation technique,
progressive muscle relaxation, or a usual-care control group. All
subjects followed the same diet and exercise regimen. After 3 months
Transcendental Meditation produced an 11-point decrease in systolic
blood pressure and a 6-point decrease in diastolic blood pressure,
compared to untreated controls, and more than twice the reduction in
blood pressure produced by progressive muscle relaxation.
(Personality, Elevated Blood Pressure, and Essential Hypertension,
Johnson, Gentry, and Julius (eds.). Hemisphere, Washington, D.C.,
291-312, 1992.)
Q.: Does Transcendental Meditation reduce
cholesterol levels?
A.: Yes. Cholesterol is also a major risk factor in heart disease. A
longitudinal study showed that cholesterol levels significantly
decreased through Transcendental Meditation in hypercholesterolemic
patients, compared to matched controls, over an 11-month period.
(Journal of Human Stress 5 (4): 24-27, 1979.)
Q.: Is there any evidence to show that
Transcendental Meditation can lower health care costs?
A.: Yes. Spiraling health care costs in the U.S. pose a dangerous
threat to the health and financial well-being of individuals,
institutions, and the government. The only permanent solution to the
health care crisis is to make people healthier. Transcendental
Meditation has been shown to be most effective in promoting health
and reducing health care utilization and medical fees, compared to
other wellness and health promotion programs.
| Reduced health care utilization--A large study of the
insurance statistics of 2,000 Transcendental Meditation
participants over a 5-year period gives an indication of what
could happen if Transcendental Meditation were incorporated into
existing health care programs. The study found that the
Transcendental Meditation group had 50% less of the medical care
utilization, both in-patient and out-patient, compared to
controls matched for age, gender, and occupation.
The Transcendental Meditation group had lower sickness rates
in all categories of disease, including 87% less hospitalization
for heart disease and 55% less for cancer. The difference
between the Transcendental Meditation and non-Transcendental
Meditation groups was greatest for individuals over 40 years of
age. (Psychosomatic Medicine 4:, 493-507, 1987.)
| Reduced health care expenses--A study of 599 Transcendental
Meditation participants in Quebec, Canada, found an average 12%
reduction in medical expenses each year over a 3-year period. In
the 3 years before starting the technique, the group's medical
expenses had been equivalent to the norms for the same age and
sex. Medical fees for "high-cost" individuals and
older people decreased by 19% annually. (Dissertation Abstracts
International 53(12:) 4219-A, 1993.) |
|
Q.: What effect does Transcendental
Meditation have on aging?
A.: Successful aging is the best indication of how effectively an
individual handles the stresses of life. Transcendental Meditation
has proven highly effective in promoting successful aging.
- Younger biological age (1)--A study comparing people
practising Transcendental Meditation who were an average age of
50-years-old to matched controls on the Adult Growth Examination
(a test measuring indicators of biological age: systolic blood
pressure, auditory threshold, and near-point vision) found that
the biological age of long-term participants in the
Transcendental Meditation program was, on average, 12 years less
than their actual chronological age. This means that a
50-year-old who has been practising Transcendental Meditation
for 5 years would, on average, have the biological age of a
38-year-old. (International Journal of Neuroscience 16: 53-58,
1982.)
- Younger biological age (2)--Higher levels of plasma
dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a hormonal marker of
younger biological age. This hormone was found to be
significantly higher for 326 adult Transcendental Meditation
technique practitioners than for 972 age-and sex-matched
controls. These differences were largest for the oldest age
categories. (Journal of Behavioral Medicine 15(4): 327-341,
1992.)
- Longer life--Seventy-three residents of homes for the elderly
(mean age 81 years) were randomly assigned to one of three
treatments which were highly similar in external structure and
expectation-fostering features: Transcendental Meditation,
mindfulness training in active distinction making, and a
relaxation program; while a fourth group received usual care.
The Transcendental Meditation group improved significantly more
than did all other groups on all the measures tested: systolic
blood pressure, mental health, paired-associates learning, two
measures of cognitive flexibility, self-ratings of behavioral
flexibility and aging, and multiple indicators of treatment
efficacy. Moreover, after 3 years the survival rate for
Transcendental Meditation was 100%, compared to 65%, 77%, or 88%
survival rates for the other treatment groups, respectively, and
63% for the untreated elderly. These results indicate that
Transcendental Meditation promotes a longer life and a higher
quality of life. (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
57(6): 950-964, 1989.)
Q.: Has there been research on the effects
of Transcendental Meditation on mental health?
A.: Yes. Transcendental Meditation has been found to improve mental
health by reducing biochemical indicators of stress, decreasing
anxiety, and enhancing psychological development.
- Increased field independence--A study of perception found
that after 3 months those who learned Transcendental
Meditation increased significantly more than did controls in
their ability to perceive the world more accurately under
potentially confusing conditions. Psychologists call this
ability "field independence" because it indicates
the growth of a stable internal frame of reference that makes
the individual more self-sufficient and independent of the
"field" of the physical and social environment.
-
- These individuals have broader comprehension and improved
ability to focus and are better able to see another person's
perspective, while remaining unswayed by social pressure to do
something that they judge to be wrong. Perceptual and Motor
Skills 39: 1031-1034, 1974.)
- Most effective technique to reduce anxiety--As previously
cited on page 159, a meta-analysis of 146 previously conducted
studies on the effects on trait anxiety of Transcendental
Meditation, other meditation techniques, and progressive
relaxation and other relaxation techniques, found that
Transcendental Meditation had a significantly greater effect
on reducing anxiety than did all other treatments. This study
controlled for a number of possible variables, including
population, age, sex, experimental design, etc. (Journal of
Clinical Psychology 45: 957-974, 1989.)
- Most effective technique for enhancing psychological
maturity--As previously cited on page 160, a meta-analysis of
51 studies of different meditation techniques found a
significantly larger effect from Transcendental Meditation,
compared to other forms of meditation, on a wide range of
psychological measures, including anxiety, depression, anger,
self-esteem, and internal locus of control. The result was
maintained in the studies of highest validity and strongest
experimental design. (Dissertation Abstracts International
42(4): 1547, 1980.)
- Less hospital admissions for psychiatric care--The Swedish
government's National Health Board conducted a nationwide
epidemiological study that found that hospital admissions for
psychiatric care were 150-200 times less common among the
35,000 people practising Transcendental Meditation in Sweden,
than for the population as a whole. (Suurkula, University of
Gothenburg, Vasa Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, 1977.)
Q.: Is there research on the effects of
Transcendental Meditation in the schools?
A.: Yes. Over 30 years of experience in schools, colleges, and
universities in the U.S. and around the world, and extensive
scientific research, have shown that Transcendental Meditation
improves basic learning skills, increases intelligence, improves
grades, and improves moral reasoning in students.
- Improved basic learning skills--A study of elementary school
children found that students who practiced Transcendental
Meditation over the course of an academic year significantly
improved in mathematics, reading, language, and study skills.
(Education 107: 49-54, 1986.)
- Improved intellectual performance and self-concept in
inner-city children--A study of inner-city children found that
through regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation
technique, students increased in analytic intelligence,
self-concept, and general intellectual ability. (Presented at
the 98th annual meeting of the American Psychological
Association, Washington, D.C., August 1990.)
- Increased intelligence--A study of college students who
practiced Transcendental Meditation at Maharishi University of
Management (former MIU) in Fairfield, Iowa, found that they
improved significantly on a "culture-fair" (nonverbal)
measure of IQ over a 2-year period, while no change in IQ was
found in non-meditating college students from another Iowa
university over the same period. Subjects' age, education level,
level of interest in meditation, father's education level, and
father's annual income were statistically controlled for in the
study. No other procedure has consistently been found to
increase general intelligence in college-age students.
(Maharishi University of Management (former MIU) integrates the
arts, sciences, and professions with the study and development
of consciousness through the practice of Transcendental
Meditation. The University is accredited to the Ph.D. level by
the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.)
(Personality and Individual Differences 12: 1105-1116, 1991.)
Q.: What effect does Transcendental
Meditation have in a business?
A.: Transcendental Meditation has been used in hundreds of
businesses in the U.S. and around the world. Research in several
business settings has found Transcendental Meditation to be a highly
effective corporate development program.
- Improved health and increased job performance--Transcendental
Meditation proved highly effective in reducing on-the-job stress
and promoting employee health and development, when the
technique was offered in the manufacturing plant of a large
Fortune 100 company and in a smaller distribution sales company.
The study found that managers and employees practising
Transcendental Meditation displayed less anxiety, job tension,
insomnia and work/personal relationships. (Anxiety, Stress and
Coping: International Journal 6: 245-262, 1993.) The study also
found that the Transcendental Meditation group showed improved
health and fewer health complaints, and enhanced effectiveness,
job satisfaction, and work/personal relationships. (Anxiety,
Stress and Coping: International Journal 6: 245-262, 1993.)
- Increased job performance--A second study found that
Transcendental Meditation increased job productivity and
satisfaction. In addition, relationships with both supervisors
and co-workers improved. (Academy of Management Journal 17:
362-368, 1974.)
- Case history of business success--A 7-year case study of a
chemical manufacturing company found dramatic increases in
productivity and net income, and decreases in sick days,
correlated with increases in the number of employees in the
company practising Transcendental Meditation. (Enlightened
Management: Building High Performance People. Maharishi
University of Management (former MIU) Press, Fairfield, Iowa,
1989.)
- Improved health in Japanese industry--The Japanese
government's National Institute of Industrial Health, in a
controlled longitudinal study with nearly 800 subjects in one of
Japan's largest companies, found significant improvements in
physiological and mental health in industrial workers who
practiced Transcendental Meditation compared to controls. The
meditators showed decreases in physical complaints, anxiety,
depression, smoking, insomnia, digestive problems, neurotic
tendencies, and psychosomatic problems. (Japanese Journal of
Public Health 37(10): 729, 1990; Japanese Journal of Industrial
Health 32(7): 177, 1990.)
Q.: Has research been done on the effects of
Transcendental Meditation on traumatic stress?
A.: Yes. In a Vietnam veterans center, 18 men suffering from severe
and apparently intractable post-traumatic stress syndrome were
randomly assigned to either the Transcendental Meditation technique
or psychotherapy (multiple modalities). After 3 months of treatment,
the counseling had no significant impact, but Transcendental
Meditation reduced emotional numbness, alcohol abuse, insomnia,
depression, anxiety, and severity of delayed stress syndrome.
Veterans practising Transcendental Meditation also showed
significant improvement, compared to controls, in employment status.
(Journal of Counseling and Development 64: 212-214, 1985.)
Q.: Has Transcendental Meditation been used
to prevent and treat cigarette, drug, and alcohol abuse?
A.: Yes. Cigarette smoking is the largest, non-genetic cause of
death in the U.S. (400,000 people per year), and alcohol is the
third largest cause of death (100,000 per year). Experts estimate
that nearly 80% of crime is drug or alcohol related. Research has
found Transcendental Meditation to be highly effective in both the
treatment and prevention of substance abuse.
- More effective than other programs--As previously cited on
page 159, a statistical meta-analysis of 198 studies, which
compared all standard treatment and prevention programs for
substance abuse (including Alcoholics Anonymous, individual
counseling, educational programs, anti-smoking courses,
anti-drug programs, and self-esteem training), found that
Transcendental Meditation was far more effective than all these
other approaches. (Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 13-87,
1994.)
- 81% quit or decreased cigarette smoking--In a prospective
study of 324 smoking adults--110 who started Transcendental
Meditation and 224 matched controls who did not
start--significantly more (51%) of the Transcendental Meditation
participants quit smoking, compared to 21% for non-meditating
controls. When reduction of smoking (at least five cigarettes
less per day--a 25% average decrease) was considered along with
cessation, 81% of the regular Transcendental Meditation
participants quit or decreased smoking, compared to 33% for the
non-meditating controls. (Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11:
219-236, 1994.)
- 65% abstinence rate in alcoholism treatment--In a study funded
by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 108
transient, chronic alcoholic patients were randomly assigned to
learn Transcendental Meditation, standard drug counseling, or
two other programs. Transcendental Meditation was significantly
more effective than all other treatment programs. For example,
after 18 months, 65% of the Transcendental Meditation group were
abstinent, compared to 25% for standard drug counseling.
(Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 185-218, 1994.)
- 89% reduction in use of illicit drugs--An 18-month study of
115 high school- and college-age drug users in an out-patient
drug rehabilitation center in Germany showed that the
Transcendental Meditation group had significantly greater
reductions in drug usage and improvements in psychological
health, compared to matched controls of comparable age, gender,
and severity and type of drug consumption who received only
standard out-patient drug counseling. After 4 months of
Transcendental Meditation, drug use dropped 50%; after 18
months, 89%. (Zeitschrift fur Klinische Psychologie 7: 235-255,
1978.)
Q.: Has Transcendental Meditation been used
in prisons?
A.: Yes, very successfully.
Currently, about 1.4 million Americans are behind bars, and
experts agree that conventional approaches to rehabilitating
prisoners have failed. In fact, nearly two-thirds of all inmates who
are paroled return to prison within 3 years--often after committing
further violent crimes. In the past 20 years, Transcendental
Meditation has been taught to thousands of adult inmates in 18 U.S.
correctional institutions and to hundreds of incarcerated juveniles
in 8 U.S. facilities. It has also been used in prisons in 12 other
countries. Research has found Transcendental Meditation to be very
effective in rehabilitating offenders and reducing recidivism (the
rate at which offenders return to prison).
- 33-38% reduction in recidivism--In a study conducted by
Harvard researchers of 133 maximum-security inmates, those who
learned Transcendental Meditation decreased significantly in
aggression and mental disorders, and increased markedly in
psychological maturity, compared to matched controls and matched
participants in four other treatment programs. Inmates
practising Transcendental Meditation also had recidivism rates
33-38% less than those of the four other treatment groups and
the control group, over a 3 1/2 year period. (Dissertation
Abstracts International 43(2): 539-B, 1982.)
- 35-40% reduction in recidivism--In a 5-year study of 259 male
felons in California who had been paroled from such prisons as
Folsom and San Quentin, the Transcendental Meditation group had
35-40% less recidivism than did matched controls. Other
programs, including vocational training, psychotherapy, and
prison education, did not consistently reduce recidivism.
(Journal of Criminal Justice 15: 211-230, 1987.)
- Large-scale study in Senegal--In Senegal, West Africa, in
1987, President Abdou Diouf introduced the Transcendental
Meditation program into 31 prisons nationwide. More than 11,000
prisoners and 900 correctional officers learned the technique.
Violence in the prisons decreased markedly and recidivism rates
dropped from 90% to about 8%. The Director of Penitentiary
Administration in Senegal Colonel Mamadou Diop credited the
Transcendental Meditation program for the dramatic reduction in
recidivism. (Total Rehabilitation. Maharishi Vedic University
Press, in press.)
- Comprehensive research review--A narrative and quantitative
review of research projects on Transcendental Meditation in
eight correctional settings indicated that regular practice of
Transcendental Meditation consistently leads to positive changes
in health, personality development, and behavior, as well as
lower recidivism, among inmates. (International Journal of
Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice 11: 111-112, 1987.)
Q.: Is there evidence that people practising
Transcendental Meditation have a positive effect on society as a
whole?
A.: Yes. More than 40 studies have shown that group practice of
Transcendental Meditation and the more advanced TM-Sidhi program
reduces social stress, as indicated violence, crime, and
international conflict in society and improves economic vitality and
governmental efficiency. (For a discussion of the mechanics of this
effect, please see Chapter 7, "Reducing Crime in Society and
Creating World Peace.")
How did scientists measure this? To evaluate the potential impact
of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program on society,
researchers assessed many variables, including crime rate, violent
fatalities (homicides, suicides, and motor vehicle fatalities),
armed conflict, economic indicators, and broad quality-of-life
indices, which include the above variables as well as rates of
notifable diseases, hospital admissions, infant mortality, divorce,
cigarette and alcohol consumption, and GNP.
The results indicated that the effects for each of these
variables, or for overall indices, consistently changed in the
direction of improved quality of life when a sufficiently large
group of people were practising the ranscendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi
program in society.
The following are summaries of four studies published in
peer-reviewed scientific journals.
- Decreased crime rate in 24 U.S. cities: Twenty-four cities
that reached 1% of their populations practising the
Transcendental Meditation program in 1972 were found to have
significant reductions in crime trend during the 6-year
experimental period from 1972-1977, compared to 24 control
cities matched for total population, college population, and
geographic region. Even when statistically controlling for
specific demographic factors known to affect crime, such as
median years of education, stability of residence, and
pre-intervention crime rate, the crime trends in the 1% cities
were still significantly lower. (Crime and Justice IV: 26-45,
1981.)
- Decreased crime rate in 160 U.S. cities: A study of a random
sample of 160 U.S. cities found that increasing the numbers of
Transcendental Meditation participants in the 160 cities over a
7-year period (1972-1978) was followed by reductions in crime
rate. The study used data from the FBI Uniform Crime Index total
and controlled for other variables known to affect crime. Causal
analysis supported the hypothesis that Transcendental Meditation
caused the reduction in crime. (Journal of Mind and Behavior 9:
457-486, 1989.)
- Decreased crime rate in Washington, D.C.: A study of weekly
data from October 1981 through October 1983 found that increases
in the size of a large group practising the Transcendental
Meditation and TM-Sidhi program in Washington, D.C., were
followed by significant reductions in violent crime. Weekly
violent crime totals in Washington decreased 11.8% during the
2-year period. Time series analysis verified that this decrease
in crime could not have been due to changes in the percentage of
the population who were of young-adult age, nor Neighborhood
Watch programs nor changes in police polices or procedures.
(Journal of Mind and Behavior 9: 457-486, 1989.)
- Reduced armed conflict and improved quality of life in the
Middle East: This study found that increases in the size of a
group of individuals in Jerusalem practising the Transcendental
Meditation and TM-Sidhi program had a statistically significant
effect on improving the quality of life in Jerusalem (automobile
accidents, fires, and crime) and the quality of life in Israel
(crime, stock market, and national mood measured through news
content analysis) and on reducing the war in Lebanon (war deaths
of all factions and war intensity measured through news content
analysis). The effects of holidays, temperature, weekends, and
other forms of seasonality were explicitly controlled for and
could not account for these results. As in many other studies,
the pattern of results supported the hypothesis that the
Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program group caused the
reduction in armed conflict and the improvement in the quality
of life. (Journal of Conflict Resolution 32: 776-812, 1988;
Journal of Conflict Resolution 34: 756-768, 1990.)
The accuracy of the results of these and other studies was
strengthened through the use of sophisticated methods, including:
- statistically controlling for a broad range of demographic
variables, such as population density, median years of
education, age, etc.;
- applying causal "cross-lagged analysis" methods,
which indicated that increasing numbers of people practising
Transcendental Meditation is followed by corresponding
improvements in society;
- employing "time-series analyses" to control for
seasons, trends, drifts, and rival hypotheses, and to
demonstrate temporal relationships among variables, supporting
the hypothesis that Transcendental Meditation caused these
beneficial changes;
- creating large groups of Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi
program participants in various populations to demonstrate
positive changes on specific social indicators, such as crime,
and predicting that these changes would occur.
Moreover, the results of the studies assessing the effect of group
practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program on
society are highly statistically significant. The probabilities that
these positive effects could have been due to chance are very
small.
The Home of Maharishi University of Management (MUM) and a Large
Number of TM Practitioners
This was compiled from data reported in the Iowa Uniform Crime
Report and the FBI Uniform Crime Report for the United States from
1976 to 1991, the period during which there have been over 1000
meditators in Fairfield, Iowa (pop. 9,648).
- The average number of violent crime per year in Fairfield from
1974 to 1991 (the period in which MUM (former MIU) has been in
Fairfield) is approximately 3.8 per year, for a rate of 38
crimes per 100,000.
- Fairfield had 1/5 the rate of violent crime compared to the
average of other non-suburban towns in Iowa of 5,000 to 10,000
population (small towns in Iowa).
- Moreover, small towns in Iowa had approximately 1/2 the rate
of violent crime of small towns in the U.S. as a whole
(non-suburban towns in the U.S. of 5,000 to 10,000).
- Fairfield had approximately 1/10 the rate of violent crime as
other small U.S. towns; 1/18 the overall U.S. average rate; 1/44
the average rate of large U.S. cities (over 250,000 population);
and 1/60 the violent crime rate of Washington D.C. in 1990.
Source:
- Iowa Uniform Crime Report,.1990. Iowa Department of Public
Safety, Plans, Training, and Research Bureau. Wallace State
Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa, 50319.
- FBI Uniform Crime Report 1990: Crime in the United State. U.S.
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 20402.
In the past 36 years, over 1.7 million people have learned
Transcendental Meditation in North America.
There have been over 500 research studies conducted on
Transcendental Meditation at 210 independent universities and
research institutions in 33 countries.
Universities where research on TM has been conducted:
| Boston
University |
|
Cornell University |
|
George Washington University |
|
Harvard Medical School |
|
Harvard University |
|
Indiana University |
|
Lawrence Livermore National University |
|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
|
Ohio State University |
|
Pennsylvania State University |
|
Princeton UniversityPerdue University
|
|
Stanford University |
|
State University College of New York (at
Brockport, |
|
Buffalo and New Paltz) |
|
University of Arkansas |
|
University of California (at Berkeley,
Irvine, |
|
Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Cruz) |
|
University of Chicago |
|
University of Colorado Medical Center |
|
University of Florida |
|
University of Georgia |
|
University of Kansas |
|
University of Maryland |
|
University of Massachusetts |
|
University of Michigan Medical School |
|
University of Michigan |
|
University of Minnesota |
|
University of Oklahoma |
|
University of Pittsburg |
|
University of Southern California |
|
University of Tennessee |
|
University of Texas (at Austin and El Paso) |
|
University of Virginia Medical Center |
|
University of Washington |
|
West Virginia University |
|
Western Kentucky University |
|
Western Washington State College |
|
Xavier University |
|
Yale Medical School |
100 peer reviewed scientific
journals in which the research results have been published:
| Academy of
Management Journal |
| Addictive Behaviors |
| AGE |
| American Journal of Physiology |
| American Journal of Psychiatry |
| American Psychologist |
| British Journal of Educational Psychology |
| British Journal of Psychology |
| Bulletin on Narcotics |
| Bulletin of the Society of Psychologists in
Addictive Behaviors |
| Business and Health |
| Circulation |
| Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and
Physiology |
| Clinical Research |
| College Student Journal |
| Criminal Justice and Behavior |
| Drug Forum |
| Education |
| Electroencephalography and Clinical
Neurophysiology |
| Experimental Neurology |
| Hormones and Behavior |
| Hospital and Community Psychiatry |
| International Journal of Comparative and
Applied Criminal Justice |
| International Journal of Neuroscience |
| International Journal of the Addictions |
| Journal of Applied Physiology: Respiratory,
Environmental and Exercise |
| Physiology |
| Journal of Biomedicine |
| Journal of Chronic Disease and Therapeutic
Research |
| Journal of Clinical Psychiatry |
| Journal of Clinical Psychology |
| Journal of Conflict Resolution |
| Journal of Counseling and Development |
| Journal of Counseling Psychology |
| Journal of Creative Behavior |
| Journal of Crime and Justice |
| Journal of Criminal Justice |
| Journal of Human Stress |
| Journal of Humanistic Psychology |
| Journal of Inhalation Technology |
| Journal of Mind and Behavior |
| Journal of Moral Education |
| Journal of Neural Transmission |
| Journal of Personality and Individual
Differences
|
| Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|
| Journal of Personality Assessment |
| Journal of Psychology |
| Journal of Psychosomatic Research |
| Journal of Social Behavior and Personality |
| Journal of the American Association of
Nephrology Nurses and Technicians |
| Journal of the American Society of
Psychosomatic Dentistry and Medicine |
| Journal of the Canadian Medical Association |
| Journal of the Israel Medical Association (Harefuah) |
| L'Encephale |
| Lancet |
| Medizinische Klinik |
| Memory and Cognition |
| Motivation |
| Motor and Sensory Processes of the Brain |
| Progress in Brain Research |
| Neuroendocrinology Letters |
| Perceptual and Motor Skills |
| Pflugers Archiv |
| The Physiologist |
| Physiology &s; Behavior |
| Psychologia--An International Journal of
Psychology in the Orient |
| Psychological Reports |
| Psychopathometrie |
| Psychophysiology |
| Psychosomatic medicine |
| Psychotherapie-Psychosomatik Medizinische
Psychologie |
| Respiration |
| Revue d'electroencephalographie et de
neurophysiologie |
| clinique |
| Science |
| Scientific American |
| Sleep Research |
| Social Indicators Research |
| Social Science Perspectives Journal |
| Society for Neuroscience Abstracts |
| Tijdschrift voor Psychologie (Behavior:
Journal of Psychology) |
| Transactions of the American Society for
Neurochemistry |
| Ugeskrift for Loeger |
| Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft fur Okologie |
| Vestes: the Australian Universities' Review
Western Psychologist |
| Zeitschrift fur Allgemeinmedizin |
| Zeitschrift fur Elektroenzephalographie und
Elektromyographie |
| Zeitschrift fur Klinische Psychologie |
An annotated bibliography of over 500 studies on TM
conducted at these and other universities and research institutions
can be obtained by writing to:
| Reprint Office
Maharishi University of Management (former MIU)
1000 North 4th Street
Fairfield, IA 52557-1118
| Or call 515-472-1158 |
|
The reprint office can also send you the papers at cost of copying
and postage.
The following is a letter from Dr. John Hagelin, the project
director of the experiment to reduce crime in DC through group
practice of Transcendental Meditation. This letter was included with
the press release to the press, media and government officials. (The
text of the press release follows this letter):
October 5, 1994
Sir:
U.S. Congress just passed a $30.2 billion for an anti-crime
package that few experts believe will make even the slightest dent
in violent crime.
There is no hard evidence to suggest that more police, more
prisons, or stiffer sentencing reduces crime. The so-called
"get tough" approach to crime offers enormous public
appeal and political mileage--but its costly, ineffective, and
intensifies the climate of fear and tension in our cities.
Why have conventional crime fighting tactics failed? They miss
the target. Crime fighting tactics must be aimed at the alarming
levels of social stress in our cities, which explode into violence
and crime.
Effective law enforcement demands a solution that will reduce
built-up stress in society.
That solution already exists. Its effectiveness has been
documented through 42 research studies, published in such leading,
peer-reviewed scientific journals as Journal of Conflict
Resolution, Social Indicators Research, Journal of Crime and
Justice, and Journal of Mind and Behavior.
Last summer in Washington, D.C., government leaders and the
world press saw this new approach in action. Nearly 4,000 people
from 82 countries--experts in Maharishi's Transcendental
Meditation and TM-Sidhi program--assembled in the nation's capital
to participate in a highly public, $6 million scientific
experiment to test the effects of group meditation in reducing
social stress and crime.
After more than a year of rigorous analysis of the data, the
results are in. Violent crime fell 18% in Washington during the
experiment. An independent Project Review Board of scientists from
leading U.S. universities has approved the research analysis and
signed off on the findings (see enclosed news release).
How much longer will government ignore the obvious--that the
old approaches do not work? And how much longer will it take
before government uses an approach that does work?
The following materials provide a summary of the research
findings, as well as comments from several members of the Project
Review Board. If you would like more information, including a copy
of the final report, please contact the Institute, 515-472-1200.
John S. Hagelin, Ph.D.
News Release
Comprehensive Report Released Violent Crime Decreased 18% in
Washington, D.C. during Last Summers TM Demonstration Project 4,000
Transcendental Meditation Experts Reduce Urban Crime and Improve
Government Achievements
(OCTOBER 6, Washington, D.C.) Last summer in Washington, D.C.,
4,000 TM experts from 82 countries gathered for a $6 million
"National Demonstration Project."
The demonstration was the worlds largest--and most
public--scientific experiment to test the effects of group practice
of Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program in
reducing violent crime and social stress and improving the
effectiveness of government.
The results are in: Violent crime decreased 18% in Washington,
D.C., during the project, and the declining trend in public approval
and confidence in the Clinton administration was reversed.
The findings--all highly statistically significant--are included
in a comprehensive report released today by the Institute of
Science, Technology and Public Policy at Maharishi University of
Management (former MIU). The research replicated findings of 41
previous studies on group TM practice.
According to Institute Director John S. Hagelin, Ph.D., the D.C.
crime results are based on statistics received from the District of
Columbia Metropolitan Police Department. Analysis of the results was
carried out by the Institutes Research and Evaluation Division, and
approved by an independent Project Review Board of scientists from
such leading institutions as the University of Maryland, The
University of Texas, Temple University, The University of Denver
School of Law, the University of the District of Columbia, American
University, and Howard University.
"Results Are Dramatic"
"The results of the analysis presented in this report are
dramatic and support the major hypotheses lodged in advance of the
Demonstration Project--that a group of experts in Maharishi's
Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program relieves social
stress and reverses negative social trends, including violent
crime," Dr. Hagelin said.
"Design Was Rigorous"
John Davies, Ph.D., Research Coordinator for the Center of
International Development and Conflict Management at the University
of Maryland, is a member of the Project Review Board who evaluated
the project. According to Dr. Davies, "The project design was
rigorous, the analysis was conducted in a highly competent manner,
and the results are impressive."
"Impact of Research Exceeds Any Other
Social-Psychological Research Program"
David V. Edwards, Ph.D., Professor of Government, The University
of Texas at Austin, is a member of the Project Review Board:
"The claim can be made plausibly that the promised practical
societal impact of this research significantly exceeds that of any
other ongoing social-psychological research program. For this reason
alone the research along with the theory that informs it deserves
the most serious evaluative consideration by the social science
community." Dr. Edwards does not practice Transcendental
Meditation.
"Experiment Appears to Have Been Competently
Undertaken"
According to Emanuel Ross of the Planning and Research Division
at the D.C. Police Department, "The data on violent crime used
in the experiment was provided by the Police Department. The
experiment appears to have been competently undertaken, and to be a
good faith effort on the part of the Institute of Science,
Technology and Public Policy and the independent Project Review
Board of scientists formed to oversee the project. "
Mr. Ross acknowledged that the Police Department is not in a
position to comment on the results of the Demonstration Project, or
to assess the statistical significance of the results. "For
this, you would have to talk to members of the Project Review Board
who are experts in time series analysis," he said.
"An Impressive, Statistically Significant
Correlation"
Beverly Rubik, Ph.D., biophysicist and Director of the Center for
Frontier Sciences at Temple University, is a member of the Project
Review Board: "The data show an impressive, statistically
significant correlation: a decrease in violent crime for the time
period over which the group meditated. An impressive number of
variables were considered in analyzing the data, and I am satisfied
that the research team made a serious effort to examine the data in
the light of numerous other possible influences."
"Promise for Assisting with Society's Problems"
Anne Hughes, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology and Government at the
University of the District of Columbia, is a member of the Project
Review Board and a non-meditator. According to Dr. Hughes, "the
Demonstration Project in D.C. as well as the demonstrations
elsewhere hold promise for assisting with society's problems."
Crime Decreased as the Group Size Increased
The Report was based on analysis of crime data called "Radio
Runs." Radio Runs data for homicides, rapes, and assaults (HRA
crimes) used in the analysis extended from January 1992 through
August 30, 1993. The size of the coherence-creating group of experts
participating in the Demonstration Project increased in three tiers
from June 7 to July 30, 1993--from approximately 1,000 to 2,500 to
4,000.
"Time series methodology analyzed actual crime levels with
the coherence-creating group, and also predicted crime levels
without the group," Dr. Hagelin said. "By the end of the
Demonstration Project, when the group was largest, actual crime
decreased sharply below the predicted level without the
coherence-creating group. This approximately 18% decrease was highly
statistically significant."
Controlled for Variables Known to Influence Violent Crime
Dr. Hagelin said that the analysis controlled for variables known
to influence violent crime and found that the drop in crime could
not be attributed to temperature, precipitation, weekend effects, or
trends in the data. In addition, a community-based 72-hour crime
vigil and an increase in police surveillance in certain police
districts could not account for the decrease in crime throughout the
District of Columbia over the two-month project.
Marked Transformation in President Clintons Public Opinion
Polls
Before the Demonstration Project, President Clintons popularity
had declined to the lowest point ever recorded for a new president;
news reports constantly underscored the disharmony among the
president, Congress, and the media. As The Washington Post commented
on June 5, 1993--two days before the experiment began, "Twenty
weeks old, the Clinton presidency is setting records as the most
mistake-prone in modern history."
However, time series analysis of 86 opinion polls on President
Clinton from January 20, 1993 through December 19, 1993, showed a
highly significant reversal of this trend during the Demonstration
Project. "As predicted in advance, the experimental period
witnessed a marked transformation in public approval for the
government as measured by increasing support for the President in
the polls," Dr. Hagelin said.
A Practical Tool to Reduce Violent Crime and Improve the
Quality of Life
The Washington study is the 42 consecutive experiment
demonstrating reduced violent crime and other positive social
changes resulting from group practice of the Transcendental
Meditation and TM-Sidhi program.
"Each study has produced consistent, statistically
significant results," Dr. Hagelin said. "This large body
of research shows that governments now have a practical tool to
reduce inner city crime and dramatically improve the quality of life
for the whole population."
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