Health

Summary of Scientific Research Relevant to Health

The Transcendental Meditation Program and Maharishi’s Vedic Approach to HealthSelected from more than 600 research studies documenting holistic development of life through the Transcendental Meditation program and its advanced techniques, including Yogic Flying

Over 600 scientific studies verify the benefits of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program for mental potential, health, social behavior, and the environment.1 This research has been conducted at more than 300 universities and research institutions in more than 30 countries. The conclusion of this research document is that this program promotes balance in all aspects of physiological functioning, including a reversal of the detrimental effects of the ageing process, while also increasing balance in mind, behavior, and society.

The Transcendental Meditation Program is a central element of Maharishi’s Vedic Approach to Health, which makes use of the knowledge and program of all forty areas of the Vedic Literature to maintain good health and promote a disease-free society. This includes knowledge of the influence of the near and far environment on the individual’s health; and how to promote health by creating balance in the individual’s relationship with the environment, including the design and construction of homes and buildings to be most healthy, developing the collective health of society, and bringing support to health from the cosmic influences that effect human life. Maharishi’s Vedic Approach to Health also includes knowledge of how to diagnose, in the pulse, the degree of balance in the relationship of consciousness and its expression, the physiology. It also contains knowledge of how balance is promoted or restored through proper daily and seasonal routines, proper diet, exercise, physiological purification, and herbal preparations.

Most importantly, Maharishi’s Vedic Approach to Health includes knowledge of the field of intelligence—Transcendental Consciousness—the Unified Field of Natural Law, which is the basis of the human physiology. Professor Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., has discovered that the Laws of Nature which structure the universe, and are available in Transcendental Consciousness, are also the inner intelligence that gives rise to the structure and functions of human physiology.2 By enlivening this fundamental intelligence, the Transcendental Meditation Program produces a profoundly integrating effect on body and mind.

This section contains the following:

(1) an overview of major health-related research findings on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation, with numbered references to the original scientific papers listed at the end of this document;

(2) a more detailed description of several important research studies;

(3) a consideration of the uniqueness of Transcendental Meditation;

(4) findings of research on promotion of health through some of the other procedures of Maharishi’s Vedic Approach to Health; and

(5) scientific research references cited in the text.

1. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FINDINGS—TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

Some of the research findings on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Program significant for health include the following:

Improved General Health

• Lower Health Insurance Utilization Rates: Significantly Fewer Hospital Inpatient Days, and Outpatient Visits in All Age Categories; Fewer Inpatient Admissions for All Major Categories of Disease (1, 2)

• Lower Health Insurance Utilization Rates: Less Hospital Expenditures in All Age Categories (2)

• Longitudinal Reduction in Health Care Costs (3, 4)

• Improved Self-Health Rating (5–9)

• Improvements in Physical and Mental Well-Being in Individuals under Medical Care (10)

• Improvements in Patients with Chronic Headaches (10)

• Improvements in Patients with Migraine (11)

• Decreased Need for Analgesics (5)

• Benefits for the Elderly (6):

—Increased Cognitive Flexibility and Behavioral Flexibility

—Improved Mental Health

—More Ideal Levels of Blood Pressure

• Benefits for the Elderly: Increased Longevity (6, 12)

• Younger Biological Age Compared to Population Norms and Control Subjects (13)

Improved Health of the Cardiovascular System

• Decreased Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Subjects (14–17)

• Reduction of Blood Pressure to More Ideal Levels in Normotensive Subjects (6, 18, 19)

• Decreased Serum Cholesterol Levels in Normal and Hypercholesterolemic Patients (18, 20, 21)

• Improvements in Patients with Angina Pectoris (22):

—Improved Exercise Tolerance and Increased Maximum Workload

—Delayed Appearance of Electrocardiographic Abnormalities during Exercise: Delayed Onset of ST Segment Depression

—Decreased Double Product

• Reduction of Angina Episodes and Improved Exercise Tolerance among Patients with Cardiovascular Syndrome X (162)

• Reduction of Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis (163)

• Lower Baseline Levels of Heart Rate (23, 24)

• Improved Cardiovascular Efficiency (22)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Diseases of the Heart or Blood Vessels (1, 2)

Improved Health of the Respiratory System

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Nose, Throat, and Lung Diseases (1)

• Improvements in Patients with Bronchial Asthma:

—Reduced Severity of Symptoms (25–28)

—Reduced Airway Resistance (25–27)

• Decreased Use of Cigarettes (7, 9, 29–33)

Improved Health of the Nervous System

• Increased Integration of Brain Functioning (34–42)

• Increased Blood Flow to the Brain (43–46)

• Increased Neurological Efficiency:

—Increased Efficiency of Information Transfer in the Brain (47–53)

—Improved Spinal Reflex Activity (54–55)

—Improvements in Reaction-Time Measures that are Correlated with Intelligence (56)

• Mobilization of Hidden Reserves of the Brain: Wider Distribution of Cortical Response to Somatosensory Stimuli (57)

• Increased Cognitive Flexibility, Increased Learning Ability in the Elderly (6)

• Faster Processing of Cognitively Complex Information in the Elderly as Measured by Event-Related Potentials (50, 52)

Improved Health of the Autonomic Nervous System

• Increased Autonomic Stability (58)

• Lower Baseline Levels of Spontaneous Skin Resistance Responses, Respiration Rate, Heart Rate, and Plasma Lactate (23)

• Increased Autonomic Stability during Task Performance (7)

• Improved Stress Reactivity: Lower Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Sensitivity; Lower Blood Pressure Reactivity to Stress; More Normal Resting Blood Pressure; Lower Resting Epinephrine Level (59)

Improved Perceptual Ability

• Increased Perceptual Flexibility (60)

• Increased Vigilance and Improved Capacity for Selective Attention (6)

• Increased Field Independence: Growth of a Stable Internal Frame of Reference (61–63)

Improved Mind-Body Coordination

• Faster Reactions (24, 56, 64, 65)

• Increased Psychomotor Speed (66)

Beneficial Effects in Disorders of the Nervous System

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Diseases of the Nervous System (1)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Diseases of Nerves, Eyes, or Ears (2)

• Improvements in Patients with Epilepsy (21):

—Reduced Frequency and Severity of Seizures

—Reduction of Abnormal EEG Features

—Normalization of Neurotransmitter Metabolite Levels

Improved Health of the Endocrine-Reproductive System

• Increased Stability and Sensitivity of Control of Hormone Levels (67, 68)

• Increased Endrocrinological Efficiency: Lower Baseline Levels of Pituitary Hormones (TSH, Growth Hormone, and Prolactin) with Maintenance of Adrenal, Thyroid Hormone, and Insulin Levels in Long-Term Practitioners of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Technique (67, 68)

• Increased Plasma Level of Arginine Vasopressin, Associated with Body Fluid Balance and with Learning and Memory (69)

• Improved Glucose Tolerance (70)

• Normal Neuroendocrine Reactivity: Healthy Neuroendocrine Pattern in Type A Subjects Practicing Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Technique (71)

• Hormone Levels Indicating Younger Biological Age (72)

• Improved Stress Reactivity: Lower Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Sensitivity (59, 73, 74); Lower Resting Epinephrine Level (59)

• Lower Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Levels Indicating Less Serious Illness and Slower Ageing (75)

• Lower Melatonin Turnover; Lower Levels of Melatonin Turnover Associated with Lower Stress (76)

• More Adaptive Biochemical Response to Stress: Decreased Baseline Cortisol and Decreased Overall Cortisol During Stress Session; Enhanced Cortisol Response During Stressful Challenge with Rapid Return to Baseline; Decreased TSH Response to Stress; Increased GH Response to Stress; Increased Testosterone Response to Stress. Decreased Plasma Serotonin Relative to Controls for Baseline, Average, and Response to Stress. (In contrast to whole body serotonin metabolism, low plasma serotonin indicates decreased stress and decreased risk of high blood pressure. Low baseline cortisol and enhanced cortisol response to stress is a more stable and adaptive physiological profile.) (77)

• Endocrine Pattern Associated with Lower Stress: Lower Excretion of Cortisol and Aldosterone; Higher Excretion of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate and Serotinin Metabolite 5-HIAA; Lower Excretion of Sodium, Calcium, Zinc, and Sodium/Potassium Ratio; Lower Anxiety; Less Mood Disturbance (78)

• Biochemical Indications of Decreased Stress (Lower Morning Levels of ACTH and Beta-endorphins) (79)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Irregularities of Metabolism (1)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Disorders of the Glands, Metabolism, or the Immune System (2)

• Shorter Stay in the Hospital for Child Delivery (1)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Genital and Urinary Diseases (1, 2)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Birth Defects (1, 2)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Perinatal Disorders (2)

Improved Health of the Haematologic-Immunologic System

• Decreased Hospital Admission Rate for Infectious Diseases (1)

• Lower Hospital Admission Rate for Virus or Bacterial Infections (2)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Disorders of the Glands, Metabolism, or the Immune System (2)

• Benefits for Individuals with Allergies (5)

• Fewer Infections (5)

• Reduced Inflammation of the Gums (80)

• Lower Hospital Admission Rate for Blood Disorders (1)

• Lower Hospital Admissions Rate for Disorders of the Blood or Spleen (2)

Improved Health of the Musculo-Skeletal System

• Fewer Hospital Admissions for Bone and Muscle Diseases (1)

• Lower Hospital Admission Rate for Disorders of the Bones, Muscles, or Ligaments (2)

• Reduced musculo-skeletal complaints (81)

• Reduction of craniomandibular stress (82)

Improved Health of the Digestive System

• Fewer Hospital Admissions for Intestinal Disorders and Irregularities of Metabolism (1)

• Lower Hospital Admission Rate for Digestive Disorders (2)

• Improved Periodontal Health (80)

Improved health of the dermatologic system

• Lower Hospital Admission Rate for Skin Disorders (1)

• Lower Hospital Admission Rate for Disorders of the Skin, Nails, or Hair (2)

Better Health for Mother and Child during Pregnancy and Childbirth

• Fewer Medical Complaints during Pregnancy (83)

• Less Anxiety during Pregnancy and Childbirth (83)

• Less Pain during Pregnancy and Childbirth (83)

• Shorter Duration of Labour (83)

• Lower Frequency of Vacuum or Forceps Delivery and Other Operative Interventions during Labor (83)

• Shorter Stay in the Hospital for Child Delivery (1)

• Increased Quiet Alertness in Newborns of Mothers Practicing Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program (84)

Improved Health Habits

• Decreased Use of Cigarettes (7, 9, 29–33)

• Decreased Use of Alcohol (7, 29–32, 85–87)

• Decreased Drug Abuse (29–32, 88, 89)

Improved Mental Health

• Increased Psychological Health (6, 7, 40, 41, 90–101)

• Increased Self-Actualization: Increased Integration, Unity, and Wholeness of Personality (90–92)

• Enhanced Inner Well-Being (6)

• Decreased Anxiety (93, 94)

• Increased Emotional Stability (8, 81, 86, 89)

• Increased Enthusiasm for Work (7)

Benefits in Psychiatry

• Lower Health Insurance Utilization for All Mental Disorders (1)

• Lower Hospital Admission Rate for Mental Health Problems and Substance Abuse (2)

• Improvements in Anxiety Neurosis (102)

• Improvements in Psychosomatic Disorders (28)

• Improvements in Addictive Disorders, Including Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (32, 87)

• More Effective Rehabilitation of Patients following Discharge from a Vocational Rehabilitation Unit (87):

—Greater Ability to Maintain Employment

—More Often Maintained on Out-Patient Care Alone

• Improvements in Aggressive Psychiatric Patients:

—Decreased Frequency and Severity of Attacks of Aggressive Behavior (21)

—Normalization of Neurotransmitter Metabolite and Plasma Cortisol Levels (21)

• Improvements in Autism: Decreased Echolalic Behavior (103)

• Benefits for Mentally Retarded Subjects:

—Improved Social Behavior (104)

—Improved Cognitive Functioning (21, 104)

—Increased Intelligence (21, 104)

—Improved Physical Health (104)

—Normalization of Neurotransmitter Metabolite and Plasma Cortisol Levels (21)

• Improvements in Post-Traumatic Adjustment Problems (86):

—Decreased Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

—Decreased Anxiety

—Decreased Depression

—Decreased Alcohol Consumption

—Decreased Insomnia

—Improved Employment Status

—Decreased Family Problems

Improved Health of Society

The following research findings demonstrate that one percent of a population practicing Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation or the square root of one percent collectively practicing Maharishi’s TM-Sidhi Program radiate a powerful influence of coherence and harmony in collective consciousness, neutralizing negative tendencies and promoting positive trends in society as a whole. This effect, known as the Maharishi Effect in the scientific research literature, has been measured at the city, state, national, and international levels during specific periods, as indicated by the published research studies cited below:

• Improved Quality of National Life as Measured by a Weekly Index of Motor Vehicle Fatalities, Homicide, and Suicide (USA, 1979–1985; Canada, 1983–1985) (105, 106, 107)

• Improved Quality of National Life as Measured by Reductions of Weekly Fatalities Due to Accidents Other than Motor Vehicle Fatalities (Canada, 1983–1985) (106)

• Improved Quality of National Life as Measured by Improvements on a Monthly Index Including Violent Fatalities (Motor Vehicle Fatalities, Homicide, and Suicide), Cigarette Consumption, and Worker-Days Lost in Strikes (Canada, 1972–1986) (106, 107)

• Improved Quality of National Life as Measured by Improvement on a Monthly Index Including Motor Vehicle Fatalities, Homicide, Suicide, Deaths Due to Accidents (other than Motor Vehicle), Notifiable Diseases, Alcohol Consumption, and Cigarette Consumption, Controlling for Economic Changes (United States, 1970–1986) (108)

• Improved Quality of National Life as Measured by Improvement on a Monthly Index Including Motor Vehicle Fatalities, Homicide, Suicide, and Cigarette Consumption, Controlling for Economic Changes (Canada, 1972–1986) (108)

• Improved Quality of National Life as Measured by an Index Comprising Data on: Crime, the National Stock Market, and National Mood (Israel, 1983) (109)

• Improved Quality of Life in a State as Measured by an Index Including: Mortality Rate, Cigarette Consumption Rate, Beer Consumption Rate, Motor Vehicle Fatality Rate, Auto Accident Rate, Pollution, Unemployment Rate, and Total Crime Rate (Rhode Island, USA, 1978) (109)

• Improved Quality of Provincial and National Life as Measured by an Index Including: Fetal Deaths, Other Deaths, and Crime (Metro Manila Region and Philippines, 1979–1981) (109)

• Improved Quality of Life in a State: Decreased Crime Rate; Reduced Unemployment Rate; Decreased Traffic Fatality Rate (Iowa, USA, 1979–1986) (110)

• Improved Quality of City Life as Measured by an Index Comprising Data on: Fires, Automobile Accidents, and Crime (Jerusalem, Israel, 1983) (111)

• Decreased Crime (Cities, USA, 1973–1978; Cities and Metropolitan Areas, USA, 1973–1979; Delhi, India, 1980–1981; Washington, D.C., USA, 1981–1983; Jerusalem and Israel, 1983; Puerto Rico, USA, 1984; Metro Manila, Philippines 1984–1985; Iowa, USA, 1979–1986; Merseyside, England 1988–1991) (109–114)

• Decreased Suicide Rate (115)

• Increased Progress towards Peaceful Resolution of Conflict (Major Trouble-Spot Countries, 1978; USA, 1985–1987; Lebanon, 1983–1985; USA–Soviet Union, 1979–1986; Worldwide, 1983–1984; Worldwide, 1983–1985) (116–121)

• More Positive, Evolutionary Statements and Actions of Heads of State and Greater National Support for Their Policies and Leadership (Worldwide, 1983–1984; USA, 1985–1987) (117, 120)

• Increased Harmony in International Affairs (Worldwide, 1978; Worldwide, 1983–1984; USA, 1985–1987; USA–Soviet Union, 1979–1986; Worldwide, 1983–1985) (116, 117, 119–121)

• Improved International Relations: Reduced Conflict Globally, Reduced Terrorism, and Increase in World Index of Stock Prices, during Three Large Assemblies of Participants in Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program (Worldwide, 1983–1985) (121)

• Improved Economy as Measured by a Monthly Index of Inflation and Unemployment, Controlling for Changes in Major Economic Variables (USA and Canada, 1979–1988; USA, 1979–1988) (122–125)

2. DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STUDIES

The following sample studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation Technique and its comprehensive health benefits.

• Less need for hospitalization and outpatient care; decreased incidence of disease. A five-year study of medical care utilization statistics on 2000 people throughout the United States who regularly practiced Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program found that their overall rate of hospitalization was 56% lower than that of norms. The group practicing Transcendental Meditation had fewer hospital admissions in all disease categories compared to the norm—including 87% less hospitalization for cardiovascular disease, 55% less for cancer, 87% less for diseases of the nervous system, and 73% less for nose, throat, and lung problems. They were not different than the norms on non-disease related use of the hospital (for childbirth). The group of participants in the Transcendental Meditation Program also displayed significantly lower levels of hospitalization and outpatient medical visits—less than half the use of norms. (1) These findings were replicated and found to be even stronger in a second study of participants in the Transcendental Meditation Program who also participated in other procedures of Maharishi’s Vedic Approach to Health. (2)

• Reduced health care costs. A longitudinal study in Quebec, Canada, assessed the medical expenditures of 599 individuals for three years before and up to three years after beginning the Transcendental Meditation Program, in comparison to normative data controlling for age, gender, inflation, and year-specific variation. After learning Transcendental Meditation, medical expenditures decreased by an average of 12.4% per year in comparison to the normative data; for those over age 50, the average decrease in medical expenditures was 19% per year. (3)

• Improved cardiovascular health. A well-controlled clinical trial study of 128 elderly African American participants with documented hypertension assessed changes in blood pressure before and after a three-month period in which participants were randomly assigned to three treatments: the Transcendental Meditation Program, a control technique, or usual care. Medication was controlled and blood pressure was measured several times and under several conditions at pretest and posttest. The group who learned Transcendental Meditation showed a significantly greater decline in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure than either of the other two groups. (16, 17)

• Improved health of the work force. A study of physical and mental health of 798 workers at Sumitomo Heavy Industries was conducted by the Institute of Industrial Health of the Japanese Ministry of Labour. A group of 477 workers who learned Transcendental Meditation were compared to 321 controls. Those who learned Transcendental Meditation reported fewer health complaints, reduced emotional instability, reduced anxiety, and reduced neurotic tendency over a five-month period in comparison to controls. The Transcendental Meditation group also showed improvement in sleep quality and reduction of smoking. (8, 9)

• Reduction of the detrimental effects of aging, and increased health among the elderly. A study conducted at Harvard University randomly assigned 78 elderly participants (average age 81 years) from retirement homes in the Boston area to four groups: Transcendental Meditation, two control techniques, and a no-treatment control group. Each of the three treatment groups participated for a comparable amount of time each day in their respective treatment over a 3-month period. The Transcendental Meditation group displayed significant improvement compared to other groups on systolic blood pressure, on three measures of cognitive flexibility, on word fluency, on self-report measures of behavioral flexibility, and on nurses’ rating of mental health. Most striking was the fact that the Transcendental Meditation group displayed increased longevity: all members of the Transcendental Meditation group were alive after three years, in contrast to a 62.5 percent survival rate for other participants in the retirement homes and slightly higher rates for the other treatment groups in the study. (6) A follow-up study after a number of years also found a 40 per cent increase in longevity among the group that learned the Transcendental Meditation Program in contrast to the control groups. (12)

• Improvements in health-related behavior: Reduction of drug, alcohol, and cigarette consumption. A quantitative meta-analysis of all 19 research studies on this topic was used to determine the overall size of effect of the Transcendental Meditation Program in reducing consumption of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. In case, the effect of the Transcendental Meditation Program was highly statistically significant, and was also significantly greater than the effect of other techniques, other preventive programs, or other treatment programs for which quantitative data were available. (32)

3. DESCRIPTION OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION WITH REFERENCE TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FINDINGS

Over the last four decades, Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation has been learned by more than four million people worldwide, of all ages, nationalities, and religions. It is a simple, natural, effortless technique that settles the mind to increasingly silent and orderly levels of awareness, allowing one to naturally experience the most silent, expanded state of one’s own consciousness, Transcendental Consciousness, the full creative potential of the mind.

As the mind becomes more settled and wide awake during this technique, the body correspondingly gains a unique physiological state of restful alertness, which releases accumulated stress and increases the stability and flexibility of the nervous system (126). This unique state, combining deep rest with a heightened, yet quiet, state of awareness produces a broad range of benefits as one continues to practice the technique. These benefits are reflected in the increasing ability of the individuals to express their full creative potential, and to achieve success in whatever they undertake without damaging the interests of others.

Unique Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation Program

The most powerful and rigorous method for drawing conclusions from a large body of scientific research is the statistical procedure of meta-analysis. Four such meta-analyses have been conducted on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program in comparison to other forms of relaxation or meditation. The results are as follows:

(1) A meta-analysis published in American Psychologist reviewed 31 studies, and found that Transcendental Meditation produces more than twice the level of physiological rest than is produced by simply sitting with eyes closed. (23)

(2) A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology reviewed over 100 research findings, and found Transcendental Meditation to produce more than twice the reduction in trait anxiety (i.e., chronic stress) than produced by other techniques. (94)

(3) A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Social Behavior and Personality showed Transcendental Meditation to increase self-actualization by three times as large an effect as that of other techniques. (22)

(4) Another meta-analysis, published in Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, showed the practice of Transcendental Meditation to result in a greater degree of reduction and more lasting reduction in consumption of alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes than other techniques or preventive education programs. (32)

4. OTHER ASPECTS OF MAHARISHI’S VEDIC APPROACH TO HEALTH

Maharishi’s Vedic Approach to Health makes use of the 40 aspects of Natural Law—the inner intelligence of the physiology—is the most ancient and scientific system of natural medicine, which uses a variety of approaches that influence all levels of life—consciousness, physiology, behavior, and environment—to prevent sickness and promote health. In addition to making use of the Transcendental Meditation Program to create a profound influence of balance on all these four levels, Maharishi’s Vedic Approach to Health also offers physiological purification program and herbal food supplements to promote balance in the physiology as the basis for good health.

Effects of the Vedic Physiological Purification Program

• Reduced Serum Lipid Peroxide Levels (Levels reduced by up to 10% as measured three months after treatment. Lipid peroxides, which are fat molecules that have been damaged by free radicals, are felt to be important in atherosclerosis. Lipid peroxide levels in the blood are often used as a measure of free radical activity.) (127)

• Increased Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) (Increase of 80% three months after treatment; this finding is significant because VIP is responsible for dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow to the heart.) (127)

• Increased HDL Cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) (Increase of 7.5% three months after treatment among subjects with originally low values of HDL. HDL protects against atherosclerosis and is associated with decreased incidence of heart disease.) (127)

• Normalization of Diastolic Blood Pressure (127)

• Reduction of Total Cholesterol Level (128)

• Physiological Purification, as Indicated by Normalization of Urea and Uric Acid (108)

• Improved Energy, Vitality, Strength, and Stamina (129)

• Improved Appetite and Digestion (129)

• Increased Well-Being and Sense of Youthfulness (129)

• Improved State of Mind and Emotions (129)

• Improved Short-Term and Long-Term Memory (130)

• Increased Alertness and Intelligence (130)

• Decreased Anxiety (127, 129)

• Decreased Depression, Decreased Fatigue, and Decreased Confusion (129)

• Reduction of Previous Health Complaints (128, 129)

• Increased Emotional Stability, Relaxation, and Self-Control (128)

• Increased Extroversion, Sociability, and Competitiveness (128)

Effects of Maharishi Vedic Herbal Food Compounds

1. Maharishi Amrit Kalash Vedic Herbal Food Compound

• Enhanced Immune Response (lymphoproliferation and macrophage producion) (131–134)

• Effective Scavenging of Free Radicals (1000 times more effective than vitamin C, vitamin E, or the drug Probucol) (135–137)

• Antioxidant Protection of Brain Tissue (138)

• Antioxidant Protection Against Chemical Toxicity (139)

• Reduced Cardiovascular Risk Factors:

—Reduction of Platelet Aggregation (140)

—Reduced Oxidation of Human Low-Density Lipoprotein (141, 142)

—Reduced Frequency of Angina Pectoris (143)

—Reduction of Atherosclerosis (144, 145)

• Cancer Prevention and Treatment

—Prevention of Breast Cancer and Regression of Existing Tumours in Laboratory Animals (146, 147)

—Prevention of Metastasis of Lewis Lung Carcinoma in Animals (148)

—Reversion of Neuroblastoma Tumour Cells to Normal Cell Functioning in Tissue Culture Experiments (149)

—Inhibition of Malignant Transformation In Vitro (150)

• Reduced Toxicity of Chemotherapeutic Drugs (137, 151, 152)

• Improvement in Age-Related Cognitive Measures in Adults (153)

2. Other Maharishi Vedic Herbal Food Compounds

• Antioxidant Effect; Scavenging of Free Radicals (154–158)

• Improvement in Diabetes (159)

• Protection Against Kidney and Liver Damage (160)

• Increased Intelligence (161)

5. REFERENCES

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(2) Orme-Johnson, D. W.; and Herron, R. E. An innovative approach to reducing medical care utilization and expenditures. The American Journal of Managed Care 3: 135–144, 1997.

(3) Herron, R. E. The impact of Transcendental Meditation practice on medical expenditures. Dissertation Abstracts International 53(12): 4219A, 1993.

(4) Herron, R. E.; Hillis, S. L.; Mandarino, J. V.; Orme-Johnson, D. W.; and Walton, K. G. The impact of the Transcendental Meditation program on government payments to physicians in Quebec. American Journal of Health Promotion 10: 208–216, 1996.

(5) Farinelli, L. Possibilità di applicazioni della tecnologia della coscienza in aspetti di medicina preventiva: Una ricerca pilota. Doctoral thesis, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Padova at Verona, Verona, Italy, 1981.

(6) Alexander, C. N.; Langer, E.; Newman, R. I.; Chandler, H. M.; and Davies, J. L. Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and longevity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 57: 950–964, 1989.

(7) Alexander, C. N.; Swanson, G. C.; Rainforth, M. V.; Carlisle, T. W.; Todd, C. C.; and Oates, R. M. Effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on stress reduction, health, and employee development: A prospective study in two occupational settings. Anxiety, Stress and Coping: An International Journal 6: 245–262, 1993.

(8) Haratani, T.; and Hemmi, T. Effects of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on the mental health of industrial workers. Japanese Journal of Industrial Health 32: 656, 1990.

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(11) Lovell-Smith, H. D. Transcendental Meditation and three cases of migraine. New Zealand Medical Journal 98: 443–445, 1985.

(12) Alexander, C.; Schneider, R.; Langer, E.; Newman, R.; Chandler, H.; Davies, J.; Barnes, V.; and Rainforth, M. A randomized controlled trial of stress reduction on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality: A 15-year follow-up on the effects of Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation. Circulation 93: 19 (Abstract), 1996.

(13) Wallace, R. K.; Dillbeck, M.; Jacobe, E.; and Harrington, B. The effects of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program on the aging process. International Journal of Neuroscience 16: 53–58, 1982.

(14) Wallace, R. K.; et al. Decreased blood pressure in hypertensive subjects who practiced meditation. Circulation 45–46 (Suppl. 11): 516 (Abstract), 1972.

(15) Blackwell, B.; Hanenson, I. B.; Bloomfield, S. S.; Magenheim, H. G.; Nidich, S. I.; and Gartside, P. Effects of Transcendental Meditation on blood pressure: A controlled pilot experiment. Psychosomatic Medicine 37: 86 (Abstract), 1975.

(16) Schneider, R. H.; Staggers, F.; Alexander, C. N.; Sheppard, W.; Rainforth, M.; Kondwani, K.; Smith, S.; and King, C. G. A randomized controlled trial of stress reduction for hypertension in older African Americans. Hypertension 26: 820–827, 1995.

(17) Alexander, C. N.; Schneider, R. H.; Staggers, F; Sheppard, W.; Clayborne, B. M.; Rainforth, M.; Salerno, J.; Kondwani, K.; Smith, S.; Walton, K. G.; and Egan, B. Trial of stress reduction for hypertension in older African Americans: II. Sex and risk subgroup analysis. Hypertension 28: 228–237, 1996.

(18) Cooper, M. J., and Aygen, M. M. Effect of Transcendental Meditation on serum cholesterol and blood pressure. Harefuah (the Journal of the Israel Medical Association) 95: 1–2, 1978.

(19) Wallace, R. K.; Silver, J.; Mills, P. J.; Dillbeck, M. C.; and Wagoner, D. E. Systolic blood pressure and long-term practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program: Effects of TM on systolic blood pressure. Psychosomatic Medicine 45: 41–46, 1983.

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(146) Sharma, H. M.; Dwivedi, C.; Satter, B. C.; Gudehithlu, K. P.; Abou-Issa, H.; Malarkey, W.; and Tejwani, G. A. (1990) Antineoplastic properties of Maharishi-4 against DMBA-induced mammary tumors in rats. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 35: 767-773, 1990.

(147) Sharma, H, M.; Krieger, J.; and Dwivedi, C. (1990) Antineoplastic properties of dietary Maharishi-4 and Maharishi-5 Ayurvedic food supplements. European Journal of Pharmacology 183: 193, 1990.

(148) Patel, V. K.; Wang, J.; Shen, R. N.; Sharma, H. M.; and Brahmi, Z. (1992) Reduction of metastases of Lewis Lung Carcinoma by an Ayurvedic food supplement in mice. Nutrition Research 12: 51-61, 1992.

(149) Prasad, K. N.; Edwards-Prasad, J.; Kentroti, S.; Brodie, C.; and Vernadakis, A. Ayurvedic (science of life) agents induce differentiation in murine neuroblastoma cells in culture. Neuropharmacology 31: 599-607,1992.

(150) Arnold, J. T.; Wilkinson, B. P.; Korytynski, E. A.; and Steele, V. E. Chemopreventive activity of Maharishi Amrit Kalash and related agents in rat tracheal epithelial and human tumor cells. Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research 21: 128 (Abstract), 1991.

(151) Misra, N. C.; Sharma, H. M.; Chaturvedi, A.; Ramakant; Srivastav, S.; Devi, V.; Kakkar, P.; Vishwanathan; Natu, S. M.; and Bogra, J. Anti-oxidant adjuvant therapy using a natural herbal mixture (MAK) during intensive chemotherapy: Reduction in toxicity. A prospective study of 62 patients. In Proceedings of the XVI International Cancer Congress, vol. 1, eds. R.S. Rao, M.G. Deo, and L.D. Sanghvi (Bologna, Italy: Monduzzi Editore ): 3099–3102, 1994.

(152) Sharma, H. M.; Guenther, J.; Abu-Ghazaleh, A.; and Dwivedi, C. (1994). Effects of Ayur-Vedic food supplement M-4 on cisplatin-induced changes in glutathione and glutathione-S-transferase activity. In Proceedings of the XVI International Cancer Congress, vol. 1, eds. R.S. Rao, M.G. Deo, and L.D. Sanghvi (Bologna, Italy: Monduzzi Editore ): 589–592, 1994.

(153) Gelderloos, P.; Ahlström, H. H. B.; Orme-Johnson, D. W.; Robinson, D. K.; Wallace, R. K.; and Glaser, J. L. Influence of a Maharishi Ayur-Vedic herbal preparation on age-related visual discrimination. International Journal of Psychosomatics 37: 25-29, 1990.

(154) Hanna, A. N.; Sharma, H. M.; Kauffman, E. M.; and Newman, H. A. I. In vitro and in vivo inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation by MA-631. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 48: 505–510, 1994.

(155) Sharma, H. M.; Hanna, A.; Kauffman, E. M.; and Newman, H.A.I. In vitro inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation by MA-631, Student and Ladies Rasayana (SR & LR) and Maharishi Coffee Substitute (MCS). Pharmacologist 34: 184 (Abstract), 1992.

(156) Hanna, A. N.; Sharma, H. M.; Lubow, G. P.; Titterington, L. C.; and Stephens, R. E. Possible mechanism of action of Student Rasayana (SR) for improving brain functioning. Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology Journal 8(5): A658 (Abstract), 1994.

(157) Kauffman, E. M.; Hanna, A. N.; Newman, H. A. I.; and Sharma, H. M. In vitro and in vivo free radical scavenging effects of the Maharishi Ayur-Veda herbal compound Student Rasayana (SR). Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology Journal 7(3): A347 (Abstract), 1993.

(158) Sharma, H. M.; Hanna, A. N.; Kauffman, E. M.; and Newman, H. A. I. Effect of herbal mixture Student Rasayana on lipoxygenase activity and lipid peroxidation. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 18: 687–697, 1995.

(159) Sircar, A. R.; Ahuja, R. C.; Natu, S. M.; Roy, B.; and Sharma, H. M. Hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and general beneficial effects of an herbal preparation MA-471. Alternative Therapies in Clinical Practice 3(5): 26–31, 1996.

(160) Nader, T.; Buehe, D.; and Newberne, P. Ayurvedic rasayana protects against kidney and liver damage in rats fed a by low-lipotrope, high-fat diet. Federation Proceedings 46: 3 (Abstract), 1987.

(161) Nidich, S. I.; Moorhead, P.; Nidich, R. J.; Sands, D.; Sharma, H. The effect of the Maharishi Student Rasayana food supplement on non-verbal intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences 15: 599–602, 1993.

(162) Cunningham, C.H.; Brown, S.; and Kaski, J.C. Effects of Transcendental Meditation on symptoms and electrocardiographic changes in patients with cardiac syndrome. American Journal of Cardiology 85(5): 653-655, 2000.

(163) Castillo-Richmond, A.; Schneider, R. H.; Alexander, C. N.; Cook, R.; Myers, H.; Nidich, S.; Haney, C.; Rainforth, M.; and Salerno, J. Effects of stress reduction on carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive African Americans. Stroke 31: 568–573, 2000.

1 Refer to Scientific Research on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program: Collected Papers, Volumes 1–6 (Vlodrop, Netherlands: Maharishi Vedic University Press).

2 Refer to Professor Nader’s book, Human physiology: Expression of Veda and the Vedic Literature, Fifth edition (Vlodrop, Netherlands: Maharishi Vedic University Press): 1999. For the discoveries contained in this research Professor Nader was awarded his weight in gold in February 1998.