Twenty males with a strong right hand preference underwent 120 simple reaction time trials to a 500 hz auditory stimulus presented to right, left and both ears. Ten Transcendental Meditators served as their own controls in twenty minute meditation and relaxation conditions and were also compared to a ten Non-Meditator control group who relaxed only in two 20-minute conditions. The reaction time...
I proposed that the study of mental exercises, such as meditation, may lead to a radically different theory of consciousness than has been previously held in Western thought. The use of a mantra as a concentrative device that may undergo habituation is discussed as a possible vehicle for gaining a new understanding of mind.