Transcendental Meditation and Hypertension

[Harry Hirsute]

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2007) − People with high blood pressure may find relief from Transcendental Meditation, according to a definitive new meta-analysis of 107 published studies on stress reduction programs and high blood pressure, which will be published in the December issue of Current Hypertension Reports.

The Transcendental Meditation technique produces a statistically significant reduction in high blood pressure that is not found with other forms of relaxation, meditation, biofeedback or stress management.

The new meta-analysis reviewed randomized, controlled trials of all stress reduction and relaxation methods in participants with high blood pressure that have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Blood pressure changes for the Transcendental Meditation technique included average reductions of 5.0 points on systolic blood pressure and 2.8 on diastolic blood pressure, which were statistically significant, according to the review. The other stress reduction programs did not show significant changes in blood pressure.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/uok-tme120407.php

 

[Harry Hirsute]

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Mar. 14, 2008) − Transcendental Meditation is an effective treatment for controlling high blood pressure with the added benefit of bypassing possible side effects and hazards of anti-hypertension drugs, according to a new meta-analysis conducted at the University of Kentucky. The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Hypertension.

The meta-analysis evaluated nine randomized, controlled trials using Transcendental Meditation as a primary intervention for hypertensive patients. The practice of Transcendental Meditation was associated with approximate reductions of 4.7 mm systolic blood pressure and 3.2 mm diastolic blood pressure.

The study's lead author, Dr. James W. Anderson, professor of medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, said that blood pressure reductions of this magnitude would be expected to be accompanied by significant reductions in risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease—without drug side effects. Anderson's most recent findings reinforce an earlier study that found Transcendental Meditation produces a statistically significant reduction in high blood pressure that was not found with other forms of relaxation, meditation, biofeedback or stress management.

"Adding Transcendental Medication is about equivalent to adding a second antihypertension agent to one's current regimen only safer and less troublesome," Anderson said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 out of 3 American adults have high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure increases one's chances of developing heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and kidney disease.

https://news.uky.edu/news/display_article.php?artid=3275

 

[Arrowwind09]

I learned TM back in the early '70's. It cost $100 to be trained. Today they charged $2500.
Sheesssh!

I was at a seminar about a month ago and I got to talking with a man at my table. He was a chaplain for a Hospice agency, had been a chaplain in the military and was also a certified counselor, if I remember right. He was a Mormon with a strong Buddhist leaning in perspective and had had a lot of training in Vendanta and meditation practices, yet still Mormon, which I found fascinating.

He is a meditator and one of his goals is to bring meditation to the Mormon church. In this endeavor he wrote this paper geared to the Mormon psyche and belief system yet clearly gives a meditation technique.
https://www.sunstoneonline.com/magazine/issues/141/141-20-31.pdf

When I read the paper I was pleasantly surprised to find that the technique that he teaches is identical to Transcendental Meditation. In fact, one of the suggested mantras is very similar to the one I received many years ago.

So, if anyone wants to learn TM here it is, free of charge. It is recommended that once a mantra has been selected that you keep it for a lifetime.