Transcendental meditation verus muscle relaxation: two-year follow-up of a controlled experiment.
D C Zuroff, J C Schwarz
American Journal of Psychiatry October 1980 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.137.10.1229 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized questionnaire survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 39 |
| Population | Students |
| Interventions | Muscle relaxation training Transcendental meditation |
| Duration | Follow-ups at one year and two and one-half years |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | At one- and two-and-one-half-year follow-ups, students assigned to muscle relaxation training and transcendental meditation showed no differences in practice frequency or satisfaction; fewer than 25% in either group reported more than moderate satisfaction and fewer than 20% practiced at least weekly. Expectancies at nine weeks predicted later satisfaction and practice. The authors conclude transcendental meditation is not universally beneficial, though 15%-20% continued to enjoy and practice it. |
Abstract
In this questionnaire survey the authors measured the outcome among 20 students randomly assigned to muscle relaxation training and 19 assigned to transcendental mediatation at one year (the number of respondents in each group was 13 and 16, respectively) and two and one-half years (the number of respondents was 18 and 17, respectively). At both follow-ups there were no differences between the groups in frequency of practice or satisfaction. In both groups, less than 25% reported more than moderate satisfaction, and less than 20% practices as mush as once per week. Subjects' expectancies at nine weeks predicted their satisfaction and frequency of practice at two and on-half years. The authors conclude that although some subjects (15%-20%) to enjoy and continue to practice transcendental meditation, it is not universally beneficial.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- The cumulative effects of Transcendental Meditation on cognitive function--a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift November 28, 2003
- Self-hypnosis and meditation for stress management: a brief communication. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis October 1989