Alexander, Langer, et al., 1989
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.
- Year
- 1989
- Journal
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Publication type
- Journal
- Paper type
- Empirical
- Collected Papers
- Vol. 6, pp. 3840–3857
- Section
- Health
Findings (7)
Health—Aging
Increased Longevity (Higher Survival Rate)
Transcendental Meditation · Randomized controlled trial
Improvements in Self-Reported Measures of Behavioral Flexibility and Aging among the Elderly (Greater Ability to Cope with Inconvenience, Reduced Feelings of Being Old)
Transcendental Meditation · Randomized controlled trial
Health—Cardiovascular
Reduction of Systolic Blood Pressure to More Ideal Levels among the Elderly
Transcendental Meditation · Randomized controlled trial
Psychological Health
Improved Mental Health (Improvements on Nurses’ Mental Health Ratings) among the Elderly
Transcendental Meditation · Randomized controlled trial
Cognitive Performance
Increased Cognitive Flexibility (Verbal Task) among the Elderly
Transcendental Meditation · Randomized controlled trial
Learning and Memory
Increased Learning Ability (Paired Associate Learning Task) among the Elderly
Transcendental Meditation · Randomized controlled trial
Health—General
Greater Sense of Well-Being among the Elderly (Feeling Better and More Relaxed After the Transcendental Meditation technique; Feeling Better During the Transcendental Meditation technique; High Interest in the Transcendental Meditation program; and High Ratings of the Value of Transcendental Meditation)
Transcendental Meditation · Randomized controlled trial
Authors
- Ellen J. Langer, PhD
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ronnie I. Newman, Med
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Charles N. Alexander, PhD
Maharishi International University, Fairfield, IA, USA
- Howard M. Chandler, MS
Maharishi International University, Fairfield, IA, USA
- John L. Davies, PhD
University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA