Psychological Determinants of Mental and Physical Wellbeing in Participants of Personal Development Groups
Joanna Wanta
Journal of Maharishi Vedic Research Institute April 25, 2026 DOI: 10.66743/ykzl6638 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 399 |
| Population | Adults from Europe, America, and other countries engaged in personal development practices |
| Interventions | Buddhist meditation Transcendental Meditation mindfulness Zen Buddhist meditation |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Transcendental meditation Personal development Palpitations Life satisfaction Transcendental number Mental health Clinical psychology Developmental psychology Personal life Well-being |
| Key findings | Practitioners of Transcendental Meditation had the highest levels of wellbeing, life satisfaction, and self-esteem, and showed advantages in reducing several physical symptoms. |
Abstract
International studies conducted around the world have considered important human traits such as wellbeing and self-esteem. The present study seeks to add further insight to that body of understanding. The research group consisted of 399 people—187 Europeans, 138 Americans, and 74 people from other countries. Participants were assigned to five personal development study groups, engaged in one or other of the following practices or programs: Buddhist meditation, Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, Zen Buddhist meditation, or neuro-linguistic programing (NLP). The purpose of the present study was to examine the level of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and mental, physical and emotional wellbeing according to the type of personal development training they received and practised. Findings suggest practitioners of Transcendental Meditation had the highest levels of wellbeing, life satisfaction and self-esteem. Statistically significant inter-group differences in favour of Transcendental Meditation were also observed for measures such as recurring headaches, pain and tension, chest and heart pain, breathlessness, heart palpitations and fatigue.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Zen priests and disciples of Zen sects of Buddhism | 1966 | Observational study | n = 48 |
| “Thinking about Not-Thinking”: Neural Correlates of Conceptual Processing during Zen Meditation Regular Zen practitioners and matched control subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation Healthy adults who had not previously practiced any form of meditation | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion 20 Zen meditation experts and 20 healthy matched non-meditators | 2016 | Observational cohort | n = 40 |
| EEG dynamics of experienced Zen meditation practitioners probed by complexity index and spectral measure Experienced Zen meditation practitioners and matched controls | 2009 | Observational cohort | n = 46 |