Recent Research on the TM Technique: Reduced Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress, and Burnout
- An RCT of 203 military veterans with PTSD performed at the VA San Diego Healthcare System found TM to be as or more effective than traditional trauma exposure therapy (prolonged exposure) in reducing PTSD symptoms. 61% of veterans assigned to TM experienced clinically meaningful improvement in PTSD symptoms, compared to 42% with prolonged exposure and 32% with health education. Nidich S, et al. Non-trauma-focused meditation versus exposure therapy in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Psychiatry 2018 5:975-986.
- TM practice decreased PTSD symptoms in war veterans to below clinical levels after one month, with further reductions after three months. The study found those veterans who practiced TM twice a day (recommended schedule) had a 30% greater decline in symptoms of PTSD than veterans who practiced TM only once a day, a dose-response effect that suggests causality. Herron RE and Rees B. The Transcendental Meditation Program's Impact on the Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of Veterans: An Uncontrolled Pilot Study. Military Medicine 2017;1:1-7.
- Active duty military service members with PTSD or anxiety who learned TM showed reduced medication usage and an overall decrease in severity of psychological symptoms. Barnes VA, et al. Transcendental Meditation and psychotropic medication use among active duty military service members with anxiety and PTSD. Military Medicine 2016; 181:56-63.
- An RCT with male prison inmates, a population with one of the highest rates of lifetime trauma of any segment of society, found significant reductions in trauma symptoms after four months of TM. Nidich S, et al. Reduced trauma symptoms and perceived stress in male prison inmates through the Transcendental Meditation program: A randomized controlled trial. The Permanente Journal 2016; 20(4):16-007.
- TM decreased multiple features of post-traumatic stress disorder in US war veterans, with reductions in depression, anxiety, insomnia, severity of delayed stress syndrome, emotional numbness, alcohol consumption, family problems, and difficulty in obtaining employment. Rosenthal JZ, et al. Effects of Transcendental Meditation in veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom with posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study. Military Medicine 2011; 176:626-630.
- A randomized controlled trial found significant reductions in burnout, perceived stress, and depression in teachers working in a high-stress environment after 16 weeks of practicing the TM technique. Elder C, Nidich S, et al, Effect of Transcendental Meditation on Employee Burnout: A randomized controlled study. The Permanente Journal, 2014 Winter; 18(1):19-23.
- A randomized controlled trial on war refugees with severe PTSD demonstrated marked reduction of PTS symptoms after 30 days of TM practice. Rees B, Travis F, Shapiro D, Chant R. Reduction in post traumatic stress symptoms in Congolese refugees practicing Transcendental Meditation. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2013:26(2):295-8.
- Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) found significantly greater effect of TM in reducing trait anxiety than treatment-as-usual and other alternative treatments, including mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) and other meditation and relaxation practices. Orme-Johnson D, Barnes V. (2013) Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on Trait Anxiety: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine; doi:10.1089/acm.2013.0204
- A meta-analysis of three categories of meditation found that the TM technique produced a significantly greater reduction in trait anxiety than Mindfulness or other meditation techniques (30 studies). Sedlmeier, P., Eberth, J., Schwarz, M., Zimmermann, D., & Haarig, F. (2012). The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(6), 1139-1171.
- Meta-analysis found significantly greater effect size for TM compared to other types of meditation on a composite index of beneficial changes in trait anxiety, negative emotion, neuroticism, perception, self-concept, and self-realization. Orme-Johnson DW & Dillbeck MC. Methodological Concerns for Meta-Analyses of Meditation: Comment on Sedlmeier et al. Psychological Bulletin 2014; 140(2):610-16