Transcendental meditation and progressive relaxation: Their psychological effects
Journal of Clinical Psychology October 1, 1981 DOI: 10.1002/1097-4679(198110)37:4<776::aid-jclp2270370415>3.0.co;2-# (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 39 |
| Population | Adults who learned either Transcendental Meditation or Progressive Relaxation |
| Interventions | Transcendental Meditation Progressive Relaxation |
| Duration | 15 weeks (retested immediately after training and at 5, 10, and 15 weeks) |
| Measures | Eysenck Personality Inventory, State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory, health and drug usage questionnaires |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Both Transcendental Meditation and Progressive Relaxation groups showed significant decreases in state and trait anxiety after training. The Transcendental Meditation group showed more comprehensive changes, with decreases in neuroticism, extraversion, and drug use, which the authors attribute mainly to greater practice time and differences between the techniques. |
Abstract
Administered the Eysenck Personality Inventory, the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory, and two questionnaires on health and drug usage to 39 Ss before they learned Transcendental Meditation (TM) or Progressive Relaxation (PR). All Ss were tested immediately after the had learned either technique and then retested 5, 10, and 15 weeks later. There were no significant diferences between groups for any of the psychological variables at pretest. However, at posttest the TM group displayed more significant and comprehensive results (decreases in Neuroticism/Stability Extraversion/Introversion, and drug use) than did the PR group. Both groups demonstrated significant decreases in State and Trait Anxiety. The more pronounced results for meditators were explained primarily in terms of the greater amount of time that they spent on their technique, plus the differences between the two techniques themselves.