The effects of the transcendental meditation and TM-Sidhi program on the aging process.
R K Wallace, Michael C. Dillbeck, E Jacobe, B Harrington
The International journal of neuroscience February 1982 DOI: 10.3109/00207458209147602 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | Adults with a mean age of 53 years, including controls and practitioners of Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program |
| Measures | auditory threshold, near point vision, systolic blood pressure |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Long-term TM and TM-Sidhi practitioners showed a mean biological age 12.0 years younger than the general population, compared with 2.2 years younger for controls, with a significant correlation between practice duration and biological age (r = -0.46). |
Abstract
To evaluate the effects of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi program on the aging process, a standardized test of biological aging, utilizing auditory threshold, near point vision, and systolic blood pressure, was given to a cross-sectional group (N = 84) with a mean age of 53 years. There were 11 controls, 33 short-term TM and TM-Sidhi participants, and 40 long-term participants. The mean biological age of the controls was 2.2 years younger than for the general population; of the short-term TM subjects, 5.0 years younger; of the long-term TM subjects, 12.0 years younger. The difference between the groups was significant covarying for a diet factor. Also, there was a significant correlation between length of time practicing the TM program and biological age (r = -0.46). Together with numerous physiological and psychological studies conducted on the TM and TM-Sidhi program, this study suggests that the TM program may affect certain neural mechanisms which in turn influence age correlated physiological variables.