Research on the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs

23 papers found

• 1979· The Journal of Creative Behavior· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 3
  Travis, F. Creative thinking and the Transcendental Meditation technique. The Journal of Creative Behavior 13(3): 169–180, 1979.

  The Transcendental Meditation program was found to improve creativity as measured by figural flexibility and originality, and verbal fluency.

  • Cognitive Performance: Increased Creativity—Figural Verbal Fluency
  • Cognitive Performance: Increased Creativity—Figural Flexibility
  • Cognitive Performance: Increased Creativity—Figural Originality
• 1989· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 4
  Alexander, C. N.; Kurth, S. C.; Travis, F.; Warner, T.; and Alexander, V. K. Cognitive stage development in children practicing the Transcendental Meditation Program: Acquisition and consolidation of conservation. Department of Psychology and Social Relations, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Psychology and Department of Management and Public Affairs, Maharishi International University, Fairfield, Iowa, USA; and Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1979.

  A preparatory program before children are old enough to learn the Transcendental Meditation program was found to enhance cognitive development.

  • Cognitive Performance: Enhanced Cognitive Development in Children
• 1989· International Journal of Neuroscience· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 5
  Gaylord, C.; Orme-Johnson, D.; and Travis, F. The effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique and progressive muscle relaxation on EEG coherence, stress reactivity, and mental health in black adults. International Journal of Neuroscience 46: 77–86, 1989.

  Participants in the Transcendental Meditation program increased in EEG coherence during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Meditators also decreased in neuroticism and anxiety, and increased in mental health over the one-year study period.

  • Psychological Health: Improved Mental Health
  • Psychological Health: Decreased Anxiety
  • Psychological Health: Decreased Neuroticism
  • + 2 more findings
• 1989· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 5
  Gaylord, C.; Orme-Johnson, D. W.; Willbanks, M.; Travis, F.; Rainforth, M.; and Reynolds, B. The effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program on self-concept and EEG coherence in black college students. Findings presented at the annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science, Storm Lake, Iowa, USA, April 1989. Findings also published in abstract insert in The Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 96(1), A31–A32, 1989.

  Subjects who learned the Transcendental Meditation program increased significantly on self-concept, mental health, and EEG coherence.

  • Self Development: Improved Self-Concept: Increased Self-Satisfaction
  • Self Development: Improved Self-Concept: Increased Moral-Ethical Self
  • Self Development: Improved Self-Concept: Improved Personal Self
  • + 4 more findings
• 1989· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 5
  Travis, F.; and Orme-Johnson, D. W. EEG coherence and power during Yogic Flying. Abstract of a portion of the first author’s doctoral dissertation, Department of Psychology, Maharishi International University, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, 1988. Refer also to Dissertation Abstracts International 49(8): 3493B, 1989.

  EEG coherence and relative power increased immediately preceding performance of the TM-Sidhi technique of Yogic Flying.

  • During the Practice—Brain Activity: Increased EEG Coherence at the Moment of Performance of TM-Sidhi Yogic Flying
• 1990· International Journal of Neuroscience· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Travis, F. T.; and Orme-Johnson, D. W. EEG coherence and power during Yogic Flying. International Journal of Neuroscience 54: 1–12, 1990.

  Individuals practicing the Yogic Flying aspect of the Transcendental Meditation Sidhi program, in contrast to controls who approximated the physical movements of the practice, showed increased broad- band EEG coherence and increased 30–32 Hz power, during the period immediately before the body lifted from the ground.

  • During the Practice—Brain Activity: Increased EEG Coherence and Power Immediately before the Body Lifted up during TM-Sidhi program Yogic Flying
• 1990· Modern Science and Vedic Science· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Travis, F. T. An empirical test of Maharishi’s junction point model of states of consciousness. Modern Science and Vedic Science 4, 43–56, 1990.

  EEG changes characteristic of Transcendental Consciousness—increased slow alpha power in frontal brain areas—which extend throughout the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, are found briefly in the transition from waking to sleeping, supporting Maharishi’s description of Transcendental Consciousness as a field underlying waking, dreaming, and sleeping, and experienced in the transition between these changing states.

  • Electroencephalographic: EEG Alpha Activity in the Frontal Cortex at the Transition between Waking and Sleeping
  • During the Practice—Brain Activity: Increased Duration of Frontal Alpha Activity During the Transcendental Meditation technique
• 1991· Psychophysiology· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Travis, F. Eyes open and TM EEG patterns after one and eight years of TM practice. Paper presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Chicago, Illinois, USA, October 1991. Psychophysiology 28 (Suppl. 3A): S58, 1991 (Abstract).

  This study comparing the EEG activity of short- and long-term participants in the Transcendental Meditation program found that both groups displayed increased frontal alpha EEG activity and periodic theta-alpha bursts during the practice of Transcendental Meditation, while the long-term participants showed higher levels of frontal-central EEG coherence with eyes open, indicating the stabilization of EEG coherence outside of the practice of Transcendental Meditation.

  • Electroencephalographic: Higher Eyes-Open Frontal-Central EEG Coherence in Long-Term Participants in the Transcendental Meditation program
  • During the Practice—Brain Activity: Increased Frontal Alpha EEG Activity and Periodic Theta-Alpha Bursts During the Practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique for both Short-Term and Long-Term Participants
• 1994· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Travis, F. and Miskov, S. p300 latency and amplitude during eyes-closed rest and Transcendental Meditation practice. Summary of a paper presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, October 1994. (Also refer to Psychophysiology 31 (Suppl.): S98 (Abstract), 1994.)

  This study found significantly shorter latency of auditory evoked potentials after practice of the Transcendental Meditation program, in comparison to after-eyes-closed rest among the same subjects, indicating greater efficiency of information transfer in the brain.

  • Electroencephalographic: Shorter Latencies of Auditory Evoked Potentials (P300) Following the Transcendental Meditation technique in Contrast to Eyes-Closed Rest
• 1994· Dreaming· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Travis, F. The junction point model: A field model of waking, sleeping, and dreaming, relating dream witnessing, the waking/sleeping transition, and Transcendental Meditation in terms of a common psychophysiologic state. Dreaming 4: 91-104, 1994.

  Participants in the Transcendental Meditation program showed high theta/alpha EEG power, which is characteristic of the experience of Transcendental Consciousness, during night sleep in the transition periods between waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.

  • Electroencephalographic: Indication of Pure Consciousness at the Transition Between Waking, Sleeping, and Dreaming—Increased EEG Theta/Alpha Power
• 1996· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 6
  Mason, L.; Alexander, C. N.; Travis, F. T.; Orme-Johnson, D. W.; Gackenbach, J.; Marsh, G.; Walton, K.; and Rainforth, M. Electrophysiological correlates of higher states of consciousness during sleep. Summary of findings of doctoral dissertation by the first author, Department of Psychology, Maharishi International University, 1995. (Findings also published in Dissertation Abstracts International 56(10): 5797B, 1996.)

  This study found that the experience of pure consciousness during sleep, among participants in the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program, was associated with increased EEG theta/­alpha power during deep sleep, decreased EMG activity during deep sleep, increased REM density during REM sleep, and more frequent reports of higher states of consciousness.

  • Electroencephalographic: Increased EEG Theta/Alpha Power During Deep Sleep
  • Electroencephalographic: Decreased EMG Activity During Deep Sleep
  • Electroencephalographic: Increased REM Density During REM Sleep
  • + 1 more findings
• 1997· Psychophysiology· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Travis, F.; and Wallace, R. K. Autonomic patterns during respiratory suspensions: possible markers of Transcendental Consciousness. Psychophysiology 34: 39–46, 1997.

  The first experiment reported in this paper evaluated changes in the functioning of the autonomic ­nervous system associated with the experience of Transcendental Consciousness by subjects practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique. Experiences of Transcendental Consciousness were associated with respiratory suspension or marked reduction in breath volume (indicating physiological rest or quiescence), together with skin conductance changes and heart rate deceleration at the onset of respiratory changes (indicating increased alertness). A second experiment found that this pattern of autonomic changes does not occur during periods of intentional holding of the breath.

  • During the Practice—Respiratory/Metabolic: Experiences of Transcendental Consciousness Associated with Respiratory Suspension or Marked Reduction in Breath Volume (This Pattern Not Found During Periods of Forced Breath Holding)
  • During the Practice—Electrophysiological: Experiences of Transcendental Consciousness Associated with Reduced Skin Conductance Responses (This Pattern Not Found During Periods of Forced Breath Holding)
  • During the Practice—Cardiovascular: Experiences of Transcendental Consciousness Associated with Heart Rate Deceleration (This Pattern Not Found During Periods of Forced Breath Holding)
• 1997· Psychophysiology· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Travis, Frederick. CNV rebound and distraction effects before and after a TM session Psychophysiology 34: S89, 1997. [abstract]

  Following the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, subjects showed absence of the distraction effects in EEG that usually occur due to another task intervening between a stimulus and the required response.

  • Electroencephalographic: Decreased Distraction Effects in EEG
• 1997· Sleep· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Mason, L. I.; Alexander, C. N.; Travis, F. T.; Marsh, G.; Orme-Johnson, D. W.; Gackenbach, J.; Mason, D. C.; Rainforth, M.; and Walton, K. G. Electrophysiological correlates of higher states of consciousness during sleep in long-term practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation program. Sleep 20: 102–110, 1997.

  Participants in the Transcendental Meditation program who reported the experience of higher states of consciousness during sleep displayed EEG and EMG activity suggesting the integration of physiological characteristics of Transcendental Consciousness together with physiological characteristics of deep sleep, in contrast to two control groups.

  • Self Development: Experience of Pure Consciousness During Sleep Associated with More Frequent Reports of Higher States of Consciousness
• 1999· Consciousness and Cognition· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Travis, F. T.; and Wallace, R. K. Autonomic and EEG patterns during eyes-closed rest and Transcendental Meditation (TM) Practice: The basis for a neural model of TM practice. Consciousness and Cognition 8: 302–318, 1999.

  During practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, individuals showed lower breath rate, lower skin conductance, higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia (associated with physiological adaptability), and higher anterior-posterior and frontal EEG coherence, in contrast to eyes-closed rest periods. These effects began during the first minute of practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique and continued throughout. The authors suggest neural processes that may mediate these autonomic and EEG changes characteristic of a restfully alert state.

  • During the Practice—Respiratory/Metabolic: Lower Respiration Rate
  • During the Practice—Electrophysiological: Lower Skin Conductance Level
  • During the Practice—Respiratory/Metabolic: Higher Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia
  • + 2 more findings
• 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
• 2000· International Journal of Neuroscience· Theoretical/Review· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Travis, Frederick; and Pearson, Craig. Pure consciousness: Distinct phenomenological and physiological correlates of “consciousness itself”. International Journal of Neuroscience 100: 77–89, 2000.

  The authors analyze the common characteristics of subjective reports of the experience of pure consciousness during the Transcendental Meditation technique in relation to the existing research on the physiological correlates of this experience of pure consciousness.

  • Review Paper—Physiology: Theoretical and Review Paper—Subjective and Physiological Correlates of the Experience of Transcendental Consciousness
• 2001· International Journal of Psychophysiology· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Travis, F. Autonomic and EEG patterns distinguish transcending from other experiences during Transcendental Meditation practice. International Journal of Psychophysiology 42: 1–9, 2001.

  Subjective experiences of transcending during practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, in comparison to other experiences, were associated with significantly lower breath rate, higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia amplitude (associated with physiological adaptability), higher EEG alpha amplitude, and higher EEG coherence.

  • During the Practice—Respiratory/Metabolic: Lower Respiration Rate during Experiences of Transcending in Transcendental Meditation
  • During the Practice—Respiratory/Metabolic: Higher Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Amplitudes during Experiences of Transcending in Transcendental Meditation
  • During the Practice—Brain Activity: Higher EEG Alpha Amplitude during Experiences of Transcending in Transcendental Meditation
  • + 1 more findings
• 2002· Psychophysiology· Empirical· Collected Papers Vol. 7
  Travis, F. Development along an Integration Scale: Longitudinal transformation in brain dynamics with regular Transcendental Meditation practice. Psychophysiology 39: S81, 2002. [abstract]

  Individuals who learned the Transcendental Meditation technique, in contrast to matched controls, displayed after six months increased scores on a brain integration scale indicating increased global alpha EEG power, increased frontal coherence, and unique patterns of preparatory brain responses to simple and choice reaction trials.

  • Electroencephalographic: Experience of Pure Consciousness During Sleep Associated with Decreased EMG Activity During Deep Sleep
  • Electroencephalographic: Experience of Pure Consciousness During Sleep Associated with Increased REM Density During REM Sleep
  • Electroencephalographic: Longitudinal Improvement on a Brain Integration Scale Comprising Global Alpha EEG Power, Frontal EEG Coherence, and Contingent Negative Variation Responses
  • + 2 more findings
• 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