Research on the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs

10 papers found

• 1988· Journal of Conflict Resolution· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 4
  Orme-Johnson, D. W.; Alexander, C. N.; Davies, J. L.; Chandler, H. M.; and Larimore, W. E. International peace project in the Middle East: The effect of the Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field. Journal of Conflict Resolution 32: 776–812, 1988.

  The collective practice of the Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field by a group of experts, numbering approximately the square root of one per cent of the Israeli population, was found to lead to improvements in the quality of life both within the nation and in neighboring Lebanon. This was reflected in decreased war deaths and decreased intensity of fighting in Lebanon; increased economic prosperity as shown by rises in the Tel Aviv stock market; decreased crime; increased positivity in the national mood; and, in Jerusalem where the group was located, decreased automobile accidents, crime, and fires.

  • Sociological—Improved Quality of Life: Increased Positivity in National Mood (Israel, 1983)
  • Sociological—Reduced Crime: Decreased Crime (Israel, 1983)
  • Sociological—Improved Economy: Rise in Stock Market Index (Israel, 1983)
  • + 9 more findings
• 1989· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 4
  Alexander, C. N.; Davies, J. L.; Newman, R. I.; and Chandler, H. M. The effects of Transcendental Meditation on cognitive and behavioral flexibility, health, and longevity in the elderly: An experimental comparison of the Transcendental Meditation Program, mindfulness training, and relaxation. Department of Psychology and Social Relations and Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia, 1983.

  The Transcendental Meditation program was found to be particularly effective in reversing declines in psychological and physiological functioning in the elderly in comparison to other treatments. Improvements were found in cognitive flexibility, word fluency, systolic blood pressure, behavioral flexibility, and mental health. Furthermore, results demonstrated that the reversal of aging brought about by the practice of Transcendental Meditation leads directly to an enhancement of longevity.

  • Health—Aging: Increased Longevity
  • Cognitive Performance: Increased Cognitive Flexibility among the Elderly (Including Increased Learning Ability and Greater Perceptual Flexibility)
  • Health—Aging: Improvements in Self-Reported Measures of Behavioral Flexibility and Aging among the Elderly
  • + 3 more findings
• 1989· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 5
  Orme-Johnson, D. W.; Dillbeck, M. C.; Alexander, C.; Chandler, H. M.; and Cranson, R. W. Time series impact assessment analysis of reduced international conflict and terrorism: Effects of large assemblies of participants in the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program. Summary of a paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, August 1989.

  Time series analyses indicated that during the three largest assemblies of participants in the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program there were significant reductions in international conflict and terrorism, and improved economic conditions worldwide.

  • Sociological—Reduced Violent Conflict: Reduced Conflict Globally (Worldwide, 1983–1985)
  • Sociological—Reduced Violent Conflict: Reduced Terrorism (Worldwide, 1983–1985)
  • Sociological—Improved Economy: Increase in World Index of Stock Prices (Worldwide, 1983–1985)
• 1989· Journal of Personality and Social Psychology· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Alexander, C. N.; Langer, E. J.; Newman, R. I. ; Chandler, H. M.; and Davies, J. L. Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and longevity: An experimental study with the elderly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 57: 950–964, 1989.

  Individuals who learned the Transcendental Meditation program showed, in contrast to those participating in other treatments, a wide variety of physiological and psychological changes indicating a reversal of the deleterious effects of aging: reduction of high systolic blood pressure, improved mental health, increased cognitive flexibility, increased learning ability, greater behavioral flexibility, and greater sense of well-being. Those who learned the Transcendental Meditation program also showed significantly increased longevity during a follow-up period of three years.

  • Health—Aging: Increased Longevity (Higher Survival Rate)
  • Health—Cardiovascular: Reduction of Systolic Blood Pressure to More Ideal Levels among the Elderly
  • Psychological Health: Improved Mental Health (Improvements on Nurses’ Mental Health Ratings) among the Elderly
  • + 4 more findings
• 1990· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 5
  Alexander, C. N.; Langer, E.; Newman, R. I.; Chandler, H. M.; and Davies, J. L. Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and longevity: An experimental study with the elderly. Summary of a paper to appear in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

  Participation in the Transcendental Meditation program by the elderly resulted in reduced blood pressure, improved cognitive functioning, and increased longevity.

  • Learning and Memory: Increased Learning Ability among the Elderly
  • Health—Aging: Improvements in Self-Reported Measures of Behavioral Flexibility and Aging among the Elderly
  • Health—General: More Relaxation after Practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique among the Elderly
  • + 4 more findings
• 1991· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Chandler, H. M. Transcendental meditation and awakening wisdom: A 10–year longitudinal study of self development. Dissertation Abstracts International 51(10): 5048B, 1991.

  This ten-year longitudinal study found that those who were participating in Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation program showed significantly increased ego development to unusually high levels, in contrast to control groups. Participants in the Transcendental Meditation program also showed significantly increased principled moral reasoning, and increased motivation for warm interpersonal relationships.

  • Self Development: Increased Ego Development
  • Cognitive Performance: Increased Principled Moral Reasoning
  • Social Behavior: Increased Motivation for Warm Interpersonal Relationships
• 1994· Theoretical/Review· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Alexander, C. N.; Heaton, D. P.; and Chandler, H. M. Advanced human development in the Vedic psychology of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Theory and research. In Transcendence and Mature Thought in Adulthood, eds. M. E. Miller and S. R. Cook-Greuter, pp. 39-70. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1994.

  The authors describe the development of higher states of consciousness as brought to light by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in his Vedic Psychology, and contrast this to contemporary theories of cognitive or self development. The authors then review research demonstrating uniquely high scores on self-­development measured among advanced participants in Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program.

  • Review Paper—Psychology: Theoretical and Review Paper—Human Development and Consciousness
• 1996· Circulation· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Alexander, C.; Barnes, V.; Schneider, R.; Langer, E.; Newman, R.; Chandler, H.; Davies, J.; and Rainforth, M. A randomized controlled trial of stress reduction on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the elderly: Results of 8 year and 15 year follow-ups. Circulation 93: 629, 1996 (Abstract).

  This long-term follow-up study found that elderly persons who had learned the Transcendental Meditation program showed significantly increased longevity, compared to those randomly assigned to participate in other programs. Those who had learned the Transcendental Meditation program also showed less cardiovascular mortality.

  • Health—Aging: Increased Longevity (Higher Survival Rate)
  • Health—Aging: Higher Survival Rate Among Those with Cardiovascular Mortality
• 1998· Theoretical/Review· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Chandler, Howard M. Maharishi’s Vedic Defence Technologies: Scientifically proven to prevent terrorism and international conflict. Paper presented at the International Conference on Terrorism: Threat to the 21st Century, sponsored by the International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies, New Delhi, India, December 1998.

  The author reviews research findings on the influence of peace created by large groups of experts in the TM-Sidhi program, including reduction of international terrorism and international conflict, and considers these findings in light of recent advances of modern physics.

  • Review Paper—Society: Theoretical and Review Paper—Prevention of Terrorism
• 2005· Journal of Social Behavior and Personality· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Chandler, Howard M.; Alexander, Charles N.; Heaton, Dennis P. The Transcendental Meditation program and postconventional self-development: A 10-year longitudinal study. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 17: 93–121, 2005.

  Participants in the Transcendental Meditation program showed significantly increased ego development over a 10-year period in contrast to matched control groups; they also displayed increased principled moral reasoning and intimacy, thus demonstrating development in cognitive, emotional, and ego functioning.

  • Self Development: Increased Ego Development
  • Cognitive Performance: Increased Principled Moral Reasoning
  • Social Behavior: Increased Motivation for Warm Interpersonal Relationships