Transcendence and psychological health: studies with long-term participants of the transcendental meditation and TM-Sidhi program.
P Gelderloos, H J Hermans, H H Ahlscröm, R Jacoby
The Journal of Psychology March 1, 1990 DOI: 10.1080/00223980.1990.10543215 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional and longitudinal group comparison study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants with varying levels of experience in transcendental meditation and the TM-Sidhi program, plus control and contrast groups |
| Interventions | Transcendental meditation TM-Sidhi program |
| Measures | general measure of psychological health, self-investigation method of Hermans (1976) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Longitudinal studies Follow-up studies Cross-sectional studies Adaptation, psychological Arousal Personality tests Adult Female Relaxation therapy |
| Key findings | Greater experience with transcendental meditation and the TM-Sidhi program was positively related to a general measure of psychological health cross-sectionally (p = .002), and meditating groups improved more than controls longitudinally (p less than .03). A second comparison found only a trend toward higher psychological health among long-term participants with positive physiological indicators of transcendental consciousness (p = .092), which the authors suggest may indicate psychological health can be developed through these practices. |
Abstract
We investigated the nature of the relationship between experiences of transcendental consciousness and psychological health. In Study 1, three groups with different levels of experience in transcendental meditation (TM) and in the TM-Sidhi program (techniques that have been shown to produce experiences of transcendental consciousness) were studied, using the self-investigation method of Hermans (1976). We employed blind interviewers and raters with various attitudes toward TM to minimize the possible impact of a variety of artifacts. Cross-sectionally, experience with TM and the TM-Sidhi program was positively related to a general measure of psychological health (p = .002); longitudinally, the meditating groups improved more than the control group on the psychological health measure (p less than .03). In Study 2, two contrast groups of long-term participants were similar on several confounding variables but differed on physiological indicators of experiences of transcendental consciousness. The groups with the positive physiological indicators showed a trend toward higher scores on the psychological health factor (p = .092), indicating that psychological health may be developed through the systematic cultivation of transcendental meditation and the TM-Sidhi program.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial: The Effect of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Program on Mood and Symptoms of Stress in Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine September 1, 2000
- Blood Pressure Response to Transcendental Meditation: A Meta-analysis American Journal of Hypertension February 29, 2008
- A Systematic Review of Transcendent States Across Meditation and Contemplative Traditions. Explore 2018
- Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation Program in Preventing and Treating Substance Misuse: A Review International Journal of the Addictions 1991
- Change in Sense of Nondual Awareness and Spiritual Awakening in Response to a Multidimensional Well-Being Program. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine April 1, 2018
and 5 more in the library
Cites 13
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- Breath Suspension During the Transcendental Meditation Technique Psychosomatic Medicine May 1, 1982
- Electrophysiologic Characteristics of Respiratory Suspension Periods Occurring During the Practice of the Transcendental Meditation Program Psychosomatic Medicine May 1, 1984
- Peak Experiences: Some Empirical Tests Journal of Humanistic Psychology July 1, 1978
- Transcendental Meditation and Psychological Health Perceptual and Motor Skills October 1, 1974
and 8 more in the library