The results of the initial phase of a long-term, randomized, controlled study of cadets, investigating the effects of TM on psychological distress and resilience were presented by Carole Bandy, Ph.D., Norwich professor of psychology at a national summit on “Resilience, the Brain and Meditation” held in Washington, DC on May 3rd. (See article “VA testing whether meditation can help treat PTSD” in The Washington Post.)
Dr. Bandy’s findings, as well as the experiences of some of the Norwich research participants, are featured below:
Brandon Jennings, Senior, Norwich University Corps of Cadets:
“I started meditating and I started noticing the difference right away. I became more alert and when I meditated, my body became more relaxed. My mind was rejuvenated after every time and that semester I got the highest GPA I’ve ever gotten, with 23 credits, the biggest course load I’ve ever taken.”
Ray Witkowski, Freshman, Norwich University Corps of Cadets:
“I would say the biggest benefit is the energy. In high school I would drink a whole thermos full of coffee and I don’t have to do that anymore. It feels good to not have to rely on things like that and be able to just do it myself.”
Felicia Jones, Senior, Norwich University Corps of Cadets:
“I was a skeptic at first, but now that I’ve learned to meditate, it’s great. I mean I’ve directly seen the benefits. I’m a senior and I’ve never gotten over a 3.0. This semester I’ve had 22 credits, 4 lab sciences and I have a 3.6. I don’t think I just got that much smarter, I think that TM has helped me focus and that way when I study I get more out of it.”
Sam Lieber, Junior, Norwich University Corps of Cadets:
“I love it, it’s amazing, it feels great. I definitely want it to carry with me through the military.”
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Comments by Richard W. Schneider, Ph.D., President, Norwich University:
“I think that TM will provide us with another whole dimension for integrating all of that, improving performance in all of those domains, and I haven’t found anything else that can do that yet….
“ROTC commissions 70% of all the officers of the United States. Could you imagine if by this experiment at the Norwich University, the birthplace of ROTC, if we can provide a very important tool in these young officers’ toolbox that they’ve never had the benefit of before, we could influence 70% of the officer corps in a very short period of time; and we owe it to them to give them the very best tools to win, and I think this is one of those tools.”
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To view the online video of Dr. Carole Bandy presenting the research mentioned above, as well as the entire summit on “Resilence, the Brain and Meditation,” CLICK HERE.
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Norwich University is the birthplace of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and was the first military school in the nation to accept women.
