Evidence that the Transcendental Meditation program prevents or decreases diseases of the nervous system and is specifically beneficial for epilepsy.

Regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique is associated with fewer nervous system problems and decreased symptoms of epilepsy, according to medical care utilization statistics and clinical studies. The EEG patterns during Transcendental Meditation—frequency, amplitude, areas of activation, and effects—are completely different from those seen in epilepsy. There is no evidence that the technique increases glutamate, a neurotransmitter linked to epilepsy. While meditation may increase serotonin, this effect has been associated only with beneficial outcomes, and the relationship of serotonin to epilepsy must be considered in the context of the abnormal brain tissue causing the condition.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Although meditation has been practiced worldwide for centuries, there are no reports that it causes epilepsy or increases the predisposition to it. Medical care utilization statistics and clinical studies indicate that individuals who regularly practice the Transcendental Meditation technique have fewer problems of the nervous system and specifically show decreased symptoms of epilepsy. The frequency, amplitude, areas of activation, and effects of the EEG during the Transcendental Meditation technique are completely different from those of epilepsy. There is no evidence that the Transcendental Meditation technique increases glutamate, which has been associated with epilepsy. With regard to serotonin, the relationship of serotonin to epilepsy has to be viewed in the context of the abnormal brain tissue that causes epilepsy. The serotonin increases that may occur through meditation have been associated with only beneficial effects.