Physiological anxiety responses in transcendental meditators and nonmeditators.
A G Lintel
Perceptual and Motor Skills February 1980 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1980.50.1.295 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 14 |
| Population | Transcendental Meditators and nonmeditators |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation |
| Measures | spontaneous GSR |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Key findings | No significant differences in spontaneous GSR emerged between Transcendental Meditators and nonmeditators, although the shock-avoidance task did produce anxiety. The authors conclude that Transcendental Meditation is not an effective means of reducing autonomic responses to stress under these testing conditions. |
Abstract
In Exp. I, the spontaneous GSR of seven Transcendental Meditators and seven nonmeditators was measured in a sequence of five conditions: stress (shock avoidance)--rest--meditation (meditators) or rest/eyes closed (nonmeditators)--stress (shock avoidance)--rest. In Exp. II, the spontaneous GSR of a similar group of subjects was measured in a sequence of three conditions: rest--meditation or rest/eyes closed--rest. Analysis of variance did not yield significant differences between meditators and nonmeditators although analysis did verify that the shock-avoidance task effectively produced anxiety. It was concluded that Transcendental Meditation is not an effective means of reducing autonomic responses to stress under the present testing conditions.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... | 2013 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group | n = 37 |
| Being present in the face of existential threat: The role of trait mindfulness in reducing defensive responses to mortality salience. | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience | 2013 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 15 |
| Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience Community adults | 2009 | Quasi-experimental and longitudinal | n = 69 |
| Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment Volunteers | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 11 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Effect of Meditation on Galvanic Skin Response International Journal of Health Sciences and Research February 20, 2026
- Effects of expectancy on physiological responsivity in novice meditators. Biological Psychology September 1, 1985
- Physiological responses during meditation and rest. Biofeedback and self-regulation June 1, 1984