International Journal of Neuroscience
January 1, 1981
Michael C. Dillbeck, Edward C. Bronson
111 citations
EEG alpha coherence and slow alpha power were recorded from frontal and occipital derivations during relaxation or the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique in fifteen subjects. Subjects were tested before and after a two-week baseline period in which half practiced twice daily relaxation and half did not change their schedule. All subjects were then instructed in the TM technique and retested after a two-week period of twice daily practice of the technique. During the first two-week period there were no group differences or group by session interactions, but there was a significant effect of repeated measurement, indicating a decrease in occipital power independent of group.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
October 1, 1977
Michael C. Dillbeck
48 citations
Practicing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique twice daily for two weeks reduces anxiety more effectively than twice-daily passive relaxation. Thirty-three graduate and undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either a TM group or a relaxation group. After two weeks, TM was significantly more effective at lowering anxiety, as measured by the Trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. This indicates that the anxiety-reducing effect of TM cannot be attributed solely to sitting quietly twice daily, though further research is needed to determine how much participants' expectations for change contributed to the outcome.
Frontiers in Public Health
January 1, 2024
Robert H Schneider, Michael C. Dillbeck, Gunvant Yeola et al.
3 citations
During global armed conflicts like the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia wars, innovative public health strategies are needed for peacebuilding. Evidence-based meditation from Ayurveda and Yoga, particularly the Transcendental Meditation program, may reduce collective stress and prevent collective violence and war. Empirical studies with cross-cultural replications indicate these practices can lower collective stress and war activity while improving quality of life. The mechanisms involve public health models, cognitive neuroscience, population neuroscience, quantum physics, and systems medicine, addressing brain-based factors underlying collective stress and violence. This perspective suggests Transcendental Meditation and the advanced TM-Sidhi program, as components of Traditional Medicine, could enhance societal well-being and peace.
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
January 18, 2023
Michael C. Dillbeck, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh
A prospective social experiment using segmented-trend regression analysis of monthly CDC data from 2002 to 2016 found that when a group of theoretically predicted size (the square root of 1% of the U.S. population) practiced the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program, the trend in U.S. drug-related fatality rates decreased by an estimated 35.5% relative to the baseline mean during a five-year demonstration period. During a subsequent five-year follow-up period when the group fell below the required size, the fatality rate trend increased by 11.8% and then 47.4% relative to the demonstration-period mean. The authors suggest this Consciousness-Based approach, which aims to mitigate social stress, warrants implementation and further evaluation in public health initiatives.
Psychological Reports
June 1, 2020
Carole L Bandy, Michael C. Dillbeck, Vincent Sezibera et al.
College students in South Africa with posttraumatic stress disorder who practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique twice daily showed significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and depression compared to a control group of students who did not meditate. The benefits were linked to how regularly students practiced. The findings suggest Transcendental Meditation may serve as an alternative educational intervention for PTSD in higher education settings.
Sage Open
January 1, 2017
Michael C. Dillbeck, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh
A group practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program was associated with reductions in infant mortality and drug-related fatalities in the larger population. From 2007 through 2010, infant mortality declined by an average of 3.12% per year and drug-related fatalities by 7.61% per year, beyond preexisting trends. The analysis controlled for seasonality and autocorrelation, and diagnostic tests suggest the results are not due to spurious regression. The authors propose that collective practice of this procedure reduces societal stress, though alternative explanations are considered.
Sage Open
September 28, 2016
Michael C. Dillbeck, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh
A large group practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs is associated with reduced rates of homicide and violent crime in the United States. Monthly homicide rates and violent crime rates from 206 cities were analyzed using interrupted time series analysis. A statistically and practically significant downward shift in both crime measures began when the largest U.S. TM-Sidhi group reached a sufficient size. Statistical assumptions were satisfied, and alternative explanations were considered. The results suggest a macro-level social behavioral change without direct micro-level interaction.
Psychological Reports
August 1, 2015
Mitsunobu Yoshimura, Etsuko Kurokawa, Takayuki Noda et al.
People living in areas directly affected by the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami who learned the Transcendental Meditation technique reported a large decrease in stress symptoms (effect size = -1.09) compared to a no-treatment control group. The study compared 171 disaster-area residents with 326 non-disaster Tokyo participants who had previously learned the technique and a control group of 68 people. Symptom reductions were also seen on a measure of symptom intensity. The results suggest the technique may help relieve trauma after a disaster.
Psychological Bulletin
March 1, 2014
David W. Orme-Johnson, Michael C. Dillbeck
Reanalysis of a prior meta-analysis on meditation found that the global index used to compare meditation types was confounded because it aggregated different sets of variables for each group. When composite indices were limited to variables for which each group had at least three studies, effect sizes for the Transcendental Meditation technique were significantly larger than those for mindfulness meditation or other meditations. Quantitative tests did not indicate publication bias for any meditation type, and effect sizes did not differ between studies from researchers affiliated with a TM organization and those from other universities. The reanalysis also identified 35 missed studies on TM and several unreviewed studies on job performance, substance abuse, and prison recidivism.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
June 1, 1986
Michael C. Dillbeck, Panayotis D. Assimakis, Dennis Raimondi et al.
College students who practiced the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program showed significant increases in cognitive ability and cognitive style over a 3- to 5-year period, as measured by the Culture Fair Intelligence Test and Group Embedded Figures Test. The findings suggest that these practices contribute to improved cognitive effectiveness, consistent with prior research in educational settings.