Evidence that the Transcendental Meditation program prevents or decreases diseases of the nervous system and is specifically beneficial for epilepsy.
Medical Hypotheses 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.03.034 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation technique |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | There is no evidence that the Transcendental Meditation technique causes epilepsy or increases predisposition to it; instead, it is associated with decreased symptoms of epilepsy and fewer nervous system problems. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- EEG dynamics of experienced Zen meditation practitioners probed by complexity index and spectral measure Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology 2009
- Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review Autism Research and Treatment 2012
- Effects of Single-Session Group Mantra-meditation on Salivary Immunoglobulin A and Affective State: A Psychoneuroimmunology Viewpoint. Explore 2018
- Can hyper-synchrony in meditation lead to seizures? Similarities in meditative and epileptic brain states. Medical Hypotheses October 2014
- Diaphragmatic breathing reduces exercise-induced oxidative stress. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011
and 5 more in the library
Cites 8
- Psychiatric Problems Precipitated by Transcendental Meditation Psychological Reports October 1, 1976
- Transcendental Meditation and general meditation are associated with enhanced complex partial epileptic-like signs: evidence for "cognitive" kindling? Perceptual and Motor Skills February 1, 1993
- Medial profrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in the generation of alpha activity induced by transcendental meditation: a magnetoencephalographic study. Acta medica Okayama February 1, 2006
- Meditation potentially capable of increasing susceptibility to epilepsy - a follow-up hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses 2006
- Patterns of EEG coherence, power, and contingent negative variation characterize the integration of transcendental and waking states. Biological Psychology November 2002
and 3 more in the library