2. Meta-Analysis of Trait Anxiety
Selection
Criteria:
• Journals/
dissertations
• Random
assignment
• Authors neutral
or negative
toward TM.
• 143 studies in all
Effect sizes are treatments compared to non-treated controls, means and standard errors.
Reference: Eppley K, Abrams A, Shear J. Differential effects of relaxation techniques on trait
anxiety: a meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology 1989 45(6):957-974
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Progressive
Relaxation
All Relaxation Transcendental
Meditation
Other Meditation
StandardDifferenceinMeans(d)
3. Effects of TM on Trait Anxiety
High Anxiety
Patients
Moderate
Anxiety Patients
AnxietyGreaterthanthis
%ofGeneralPopulation
40%
Before TM
After TM
Orme-Johnson D, Barnes V. (2013) Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on
Trait Anxiety: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine; doi:10.1089/acm.2013.0204
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
4. Reduced Rates of Death, Heart Attack and
Stroke
with Transcendental Meditation
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Schneider RH, Grim CE, Rainforth MA, Kotchen TA, et al. Stress reduction in the secondary
prevention of cardiovascular disease: Randomized controlled trial of Transcendental Meditation and
health education in Blacks. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 5(6):750-8, 2012.
RiskofEvents(ExpectedNumberofEvents
perYearper1000Event-freePersons)
Health Education Transcendental Meditation
48% lower rate
in Transcendental
Meditation practitioners
over 5 years follow-up
(p =.025)
5. Effect of Transcendental
Meditation
on Carotid Atherosclerosis
INTIMA-MEDIAL
THICKNESS
Adjusted mean
changes in millimeters
- 0.1
+ 0.1
+ 0.05
- 0.05
TM
Health
Education
p < .038
0
This 8-month randomized controlled trial showed that the Transcendental Meditation program
significantly reduced carotid artery atherosclerosis in high risk subjects. Castillo-Richmond AB,
Schneider RH,et al. Effects of Stress Reduction on Carotid Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive
African Americans. Stroke, 2000: 31; 568-573.
6. Decreased Insulin Resistance
through Transcendental Meditation
This randomized controlled clinical trial among individuals with stable coronary heart disease found
that 16 weeks of practice of the Transcendental Meditation Program, in contrast to participation in a
health education program, led to a significant reduction in insulin resistance based on a ratio of
glucose to insulin. Reference: Archives of Internal Medicine 166: 1218-1224, 2006.
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
Homeostasismodelassessment
ofinsulineresistance
Transcendental
Meditation
Health
Education
p=.01
7. Effects of Mindfulness, TM and
Other Meditation on Trait Anxiety
A meta-analysis of three categories of meditation found that the TM technique produced a
greater reduction in trait anxiety than Mindfulness or other meditation techniques (30 studies).
Sedlmeier, P., Eberth, J., Schwarz, M., Zimmermann, D., & Haarig, F. (2012). The
psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(6), 1139-
1171.
-0.6
-0.5
-0.4
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
Mindfulness Other TM
EffectSize(r,95%CI)
8. Comparison of Three Types of Meditation on
Psychological Variables
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
Mindfulness Other TM
CompositeIndex:EffectSize(r)
Comparison of TM with other types of meditation on a composite index of beneficial
changes in trait anxiety, negative emotion, neuroticism, perception, self-concept, and
self-realization: a meta-analysis.
Orme-Johnson DW & Dillbeck MC. Methodological Concerns for Meta-Analyses
of Meditation: Comment on Sedlmeier et al. Psychological Bulletin 2014;
140(2):610-16.
9. Transcendental Meditation and PTSD
Decreased PTSD through TM in Congolese Refugees : a randomized
controlled trial
War refugees with severe PTSD demonstrated marked reduction of PTS symptoms after 30 days
of TM practice. Rees B, Travis F, Shapiro D, Chant R. Reduction in post traumatic stress
symptoms in Congolese refugees practicing Transcendental Meditation. Journal of Traumatic
Stress. 2013:26(2):295-8.
17
21
25
29
33
37
41
45
49
53
57
61
65
69
73
77
81
85
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
PTSDSymptoms(PCL-C)
Days
TM Controls
10. Reduced Symptoms of PTSD
Transcendental Meditation
-9
-8
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
Brooks,
1985
Rosenthal,
2011 Rees, 2014 Rees, 2013
EffectSize(d)
Mindfulness Meditation
-9
-8
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
Kearney,
2013
Bremmer,
2011
Kearney,
2012 King, 2013
EffectSize(d)
Brooks, 1985. Journal of Counseling and Development 64: 212-15. Rosenthal, 2011. Military Medicine 176, no. 6 : 626. Rees, 2014. Journal
of Traumatic Stress 27, no. 1: 112-15. Rees, 2013. Journal of Traumatic Stress 26: 295-98. Kearney, 2013. Journal of Clinical Psychology
69, no. 1 : 14-27. Bremmer, 2011. American Psychosomatic Society Conference, San Antonio, Texas. Kearney, 2012. Journal of Clinical
Psychology 68, no. 1: 212-15. King, 2013. Depression and Anxiety 30, no. 7 : 638-45. Orme-Johnson, 2014. Meta-analysis of meditation and
PTSD, manuscript.
11. Reduced Symptoms of PTSD
-3.5
-3
-2.5
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
Mindfulness TM
StandardizedDifferenceinMeans(d) Meta-Analysis of Eight Studies
p = .0004
Orme-Johnson DW. The effects of Transcendental Meditation and Mindfulness on
PTSD: A meta-analysis. 2014.
12. “…the Transcendental
Meditation technique is the only
meditation practice that has
been shown to lower blood
pressure… all other meditation
techniques, including MBSR
(Mindfulness Based Stress
Reduction), received a 'Class
III, no benefit, Level of
Evidence C' recommendation
and are not recommended in
clinical practice to lower blood
pressure at this time.”
Brook, R. D., Appel, L. J., Rubenfire,
M., et al (2013). Beyond medications
and diet: Alternative approaches to
lowering blood pressure : A scientific
statement from the American Heart
Association. Hypertension: Journal of
the American Heart Association(61)
American
Heart
Association®
Learn and Live
13. Lower blood pressure through
Transcendental Meditation
practice is also associated
with substantially reduced rates of
death, heart attack and stroke.
American
Heart
Association®
Learn and Live
Brook et al., Beyond Medications and Diet:
Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure.
A Scientific Statement from the American Heart
Association. Hypertension, 61: 1360-1383, 2013.
14. Recommended Reference:
Transcendence: Healing and
Transformation through Transcendental
Meditation
by Norman Rosenthal, MD
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Tarcher Penguin Books (2012)
A New York Times bestselling book
