In a clinical experiment with elderly
African Americans (mean age 66) dwelling in an inner-city community, Transcendental
Meditation was compared with the most widely used method of producing physiological
relaxation. Subjects who had moderately elevated blood pressure levels
were randomly assigned Transcendental Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation
(PMR), or usual care. Over a 3-month interval, systolic and diastolic blood
pressure dropped by 10.6 and 5.9 mm Hg, respectively, in the Transcendental
Meditation group, and 4.0 and 2.1. mm Hg in the PMR group, with virtually
no change in the usual care group. A second random assignment study with
the elderly conducted at Harvard found similar blood pressure changes produced
by Transcendental Meditation over 3 months (11 mm Hg for systolic blood
pressure).
Reference I: In search of
an optimal behavioral treatment for hypertension: A review and focus on Transcendental Meditation,
chapter in Personality, Elevated Blood Pressure, and Essential Hypertension (Washington, D.C.,
Hemisphere Publishing, 1992). Reference II: Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and longevity:
An experimental study with the elderly, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 57(6):
950–964, 1989.
