Secondary prevention of drug dependence through the transcendental meditation program in metropolitan Philadelphia.
The International journal of the addictions September 1977 DOI: 10.3109/10826087709024122 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational survey using mailed questionnaires Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | A random sample of Transcendental Meditation practitioners and matched control subjects |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation |
| Topics | Addiction Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditators reported lower usage levels and lower percentages of users than matched controls for almost all legal and illegal drugs, and former users of alcohol, cigarettes, or illegal drugs reported long abstinence. Decreases were positively correlated with degree of participation in the program and length of time meditating. |
Abstract
Using mailed questionnaires, the Transcendental Meditation program was investigated as an approach to the secondary prevention of substance dependence. Significant differences were found between a random sample of meditators and matched control subjects in usage levels and percentage of users for almost all legal and illegal drugs. Meditators had used more prescribed psychoactive medications before learning meditation, but usage levels returned to normal soon after starting. Former users of alcohol, cigarettes, or illegal drugs achieved remarkable abstinence records. For most substances the amount of decrease was positively correlated with degree of participation in the program and the length of time meditating.