Research on the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs

2 papers found

• 2000· Biological Psychology· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Travis, Frederick; Tecce, Joseph J.; and Guttmann, Julia. Cortical plasticity, contingent negative variation, and transcendent experiences during practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Biological Psychology 55: 41–55, 2000.

  This cross-sectional study evaluated differences in CNV (contingent negative variation)—the brain response between a preparatory stimulus and a subsequent stimulus requiring a response. The three subject groups (nonmeditators, short-term, and longer-term participants in the Transcendental Meditation program) differed in terms of their frequency of self-reported Transcendental Consciousness experiences. Increased frequency of transcendent experience were associated with increased cortical preparatory responses (higher CNV amplitude) on simple reaction time trials and fewer CNV distraction effects on divided-attention reaction time trials.

  • Electroencephalographic: Higher Cortical Preparatory Response (Heightened Late CNV Amplitude during Simple Reaction Time Trials) Associated with Stabilized Experience of Transcendental Consciousness
  • Electroencephalographic: More Effective Executive Functioning (Diminished CNV Distraction Effects) Associated with Stabilized Experience of Transcendental Consciousness
• 2002· Biological Psychology· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Travis, Fred; Tecce, Joe; Arenander, Alarik; and Wallace, R. Keith. Patterns of EEG coherence, power, and contingent negative variation characterize the integration of transcendental and waking states. Biological Psychology 61: 293–319, 2002.

  Participants in the Transcendental Meditation program who reported stabilized experience of Transcendental Consciousness during waking and sleeping displayed distinctive EEG patterns during task performance, indicating the integration of Transcendental Consciousness during activity, in comparison to two other groups of subjects who reported either occasional or rare experiences of Transcendental Consciousness in activity or sleep. These EEG patterns included higher 6-12 Hz EEG amplitude and higher broadband frontal EEG coherence during choice tasks, as well as contingent negative variation (CNV or preparatory response) differences associated with more efficient information processing.

  • Electroencephalographic: Improved Brain Functioning among Those Reporting Stabilized Transcendental Consciousness: Enhanced Attention Capability During Simple Reaction Time Task
  • Electroencephalographic: Improved Brain Functioning among Those Reporting Stabilized Transcendental Consciousness: More Efficient Attention Deployment During Choice Reaction Time Task
  • Electroencephalographic: Improved Brain Functioning among Those Reporting Stabilized Transcendental Consciousness: Higher Broadband Frontal EEG Coherence During Choice Reaction Time Task
  • + 4 more findings