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Transcendental medication and progressive relaxation: their physiological effects.

D A Throll

Journal of Clinical Psychology July 1982 DOI: 10.1002/1097-4679(198207)38:3<522::aid-jclp2270380309>3.0.co;2-6 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Controlled comparison (non-randomized, two-group longitudinal study) Peer reviewed
Sample size 39
Population Adults who learned Transcendental Meditation (n=21) or Jacobson's Progressive Relaxation (n=18)
Interventions Transcendental Meditation Jacobson's Progressive Relaxation
Duration Testing before training, immediately after learning, and at 5, 10, and 15 weeks later
Measures oxygen consumption, tidal volume, respiration rate, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Key findings Both Transcendental Meditation and Progressive Relaxation lowered metabolic rate during practice, but the meditation group showed more significant decreases across physiological measures during meditation and activity than the relaxation group. The authors attribute this mainly to the meditation group spending more time on their technique and to differences between the two techniques.

Abstract

Measured oxygen consumption, tidal volume, respiration rate, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure before the Ss (N = 39) learned Transcendental Meditation (TM: N = 21) or Jacobson's Progressive Relaxation (PR: N = 18). Ss were tested immediately after learning either technique and again 5, 10, and 15 weeks later. While there were no significant differences between groups for any of the physiological variables at pretest, the TM group displayed more significant decreases during meditation and during activity than did the PR group. Both groups displayed significantly lowered metabolic rates during TM or PR. The generally more significant and comprehensive results for mediators were explained primarily in terms of the greater amount of time the TM group spent on their technique, plus the differences in the two techniques themselves. Several avenues for future research are discussed.

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