Scientific Proof that the Program Works
Dr. James Krag is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, president of the Virginia Association of Community Psychiatrists, and medical director of the Valley Community Services Board in Staunton, Virginia. He is one of the thousands of medical doctors who promote Consciousness-based Education. He comments on the research on Transcendental Meditation, a key constituent of Consciousness-based Education, with the following words:
"Just as there are many kinds of medication, there are also many approaches that are termed 'meditation.' The vast majority of the research on meditation has been on Transcendental Meditation—and the findings clearly indicate that TM works better than other researched mental techniques to promote health.
If research shows that a specific medication helps treat a disorder, it would be irresponsible and illogical to conclude that all medications help treat that disorder. In the same way, research on TM should not be generalized to include other techniques also called ‘meditation.’
We should intelligently choose what works and what is supported by research. Therefore I strongly support the introduction specifically of Transcendental Meditation into our nation’s schools and health care systems."
—James Krag, M.D.
35 Years of Scientific Investigation
Student practising TM during EEG test
Over 600 scientific studies have been conducted on the benefits of the Transcendental Meditation program at more than 200 independent universities and research institutions worldwide in the past 35 years. This is an overwhelming body of proof that this program works.
In the past decade, the National Institutes of Health of the United States, has awarded over $20 million to research the prevention-oriented health benefits of the Transcendental Meditation program.
Findings have been published in leading, peer-reviewed scientific journals, including The American Journal of Cardiology and the American Heart Association’s Hypertension and Stroke.
Consciousness-based Education draws on the scientific recognition that the Transcendental Meditation program is a simple, natural, non-religious, non-pharmaceutical, and effective approach to transforming life and unleasing the full potential of the mind and body. In a recent press release the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), relates the effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in helping our physiology modulate it's response to stress. The reported study specially focused on all the (stress related) risk factors that contribute to coronary heart disease.
Published research on the Transcendental Meditation program in educational settings has shown a wide range of practical benefits for both students and teachers. A summary of the research findings and the new paradigm it represents for Education everywhere is available here for download.
Recent Research Findings Related to Education
- Reduced High Blood Pressure among High School Students, Vernon A. Barnes, Ph.D., research scientist, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta. Published in the American Journal of Hypertension, April 2004. This study found reduced blood pressure among 100 high school students practicing the Transcendental Meditation program compared with little or no change in the control group at the conclusion of the 8-month study. The study demonstrates the potential beneficial impact of the TM technique upon cardiovascular functioning in youth.
- Reduced Stress, Increased Happiness among Middle School Students, Rita Benn, Ph.D., director of education, Complementary & Alternative Medicine Research Center, University of Michigan. Presented to the International Center for Integration of Health and Spirituality at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Two studies found evidence that the practice of the Transcendental Meditation program positively affects emotional development in early adolescent African American children in a school setting where its practice is supported by the administration.
Education advances as we advance in knowledge and enlightenment. It regresses as we regress in knowledge and enlightenment. Transcendental Meditation has been overwhelmingly documented by scientific research over the past 35 years. It develops the full potential of mind and body. The time to teach it to our children is now.