Physiology and Health (B.A.)
Summary of Research
Over 600 scientific research studies have been conducted on various approaches of Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care at more than 200 independent universities and research institutes in 30 countries including Harvard Medical School, Ohio State University Department of Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California at Los Angeles Medical School, and University of Kansas Medical Center. The research has been published in such major scientific journals as Science, American Journal of Cardiology, Hypertension, American Journal of Physiology, Lancet, Scientific American, Journal of Counseling Psychology, International Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of the Canadian Medical Association, Psychosomatic Medicine, and Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior.
Topics
Cardiovascular Disease
Herbal Food Supplements
General Physical and Mental Health
Improvements in Chronic Diseases
Aging and Longevity
Cancer, including Decreased Toxicity of Chemotherapy
Collective Health
Cardiovascular Disease
Reduction of high blood pressure. A randomized controlled trial on hypertension published in 1995 and 1996 found that one component of Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care, the Transcendental Meditation technique, was twice as effective as a relaxation technique (progressive muscular relaxation) in reducing blood pressure. The Transcendental Meditation technique produced reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure comparable to those commonly found with antihypertensive medication, but without any side effects. A control group who received a ‘usual care’ program of advice on weight loss, salt restriction, exercise, and reduced alcohol intake showed no significant change in blood pressure (Hypertension, 1995, 26: 820–827).
Note: The National Institutes of Health has awarded three major grants totaling about $5 million to follow up the original blood pressure study and examine the long-term effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Improvement in angina pectoris. Research published in the American Journal of Cardiology examined the effect of the Transcendental Meditation technique on exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in patients with documented ischemic heart disease (either by previous myocardial infarction or positive coronary angiography). Over an eight-month period, subjects who practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique showed significant improvements in ischemic heart disease as measured by exercise stress testing, including improvements in exercise tolerance, maximum work load, and onset of ST depression (on ECG) compared to controls. The reductions in myocardial ischemia in coronary heart disease patients suggests improvements in coronary perfusion with the Transcendental Meditation technique which may be due to regression of coronary atherosclerosis and/or enhancement of coronary artery vasomotion resulting in improved blood supply to the heart. Thus, along with improving/modifying the major risk factors for coronary heart disease (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, psychological stress, and smoking), practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique appears to directly modify the ischemic process (American Journal of Cardiology. 1996, 77:867–870).
Decreased cardiovascular mortality. Two long-term follow-up studies on randomized controlled trials of the Transcendental Meditation program compared to other behavioral interventions have showed decreased cardiovascular mortality in the Transcendental Meditation group (>50 percent). These data confirm the long-term benefits of the Transcendental Meditation program for prevention of coronary heart disease.
Herbal Food Supplements
Potent antioxidants. Formulations of herbal supplements used in Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care were found to be more than a thousandfold more powerful in preventing oxidation of human LDL in vitro than either vitamin C, vitamin E, or probucol (a synthetic drug used to prevent oxidation of lipids). (Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior. 1992, 43: 1175–1182).
Increased resistance to lipid (LDL) oxidation. A recent clinical study of subjects with high cholesterol using an herbal supplement used in Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care found significantly enhanced resistance of LDL to oxidation. (Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology Journal. 1995, 9(3): 141).
Prevention of platelet aggregation. Another study found that an herbal supplement used Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care was found to be highly effective in preventing aggregation of human platelets in response to catecholamines, which are released during stress; collagen, which is exposed when vascular endothelium is injured; arachidonic acid, which is released from injured cell membranes; and ADP, which is released from injured red blood cells and platelets (Clinica & Terapia Cardiovascolare. 1989; 8(3): 227–230).
Reduction in atherosclerosis. Research demonstrated a 53 percent reduction in atherosclerosis in atherosclerosis-prone rabbits given a Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care herbal supplement. These rabbits are bred to have high levels of blood lipids. The protection against atherosclerosis was independent of cholesterol-lowering diet (Journal of the Federation of Societies of Experimental Biology. 1995; 9(3): A141).
General Physical and Mental Health
Reduced medical care for specific disorders. An eleven-year study of several components of Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care showed, using Blue Cross/Blue Shield data, that hospital admissions for controls were 11.4 times higher for cardiovascular disease, 3.3 times higher for cancer, 6.7 times higher for mental and health substance abuse. Program participants over 45 years had 88 percent fewer patient days than controls. Total medical expenditures were reduced by over 60% (Orme-Johnson, D. American Journal of Managed Care. 1997; 3:135–144).
Decreased health care utilization. A five-year study using Blue Cross/Blue Shield data of 2000 people found decreased outpatient and inpatient utilization in those practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique. Overall reductions were more than 50 percent as compared to norms (based on the health care utilization rates of 600,000 members of the same insurance carrier). In the over-40 age group, the difference was over 70 percent. Hospital admissions were markedly reduced in all 17 disease categories studied (Psychosomatic Medicine. 1987, 49: 493–507), including:
87% less for disorders of the heart and blood vessels, 55% less for neoplastic diseases, 73% less for respiratory problems, 87% less for neurological disorders, 49% less for gastrointestinal conditions, and 30% less for infectious diseases.
Improvements in overall health. The physiological purification component of Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care was found to improve anxiety, depression, fatigue, vigor, well-being, energy, vitality, stamina, digestive patterns, rejuvenation, and previous complaints compared to control subjects (Journal of Social Behavior and Personality. 1990; 5:1–27). Other studies showed: improvements in cardiovascular-related factors including decreased total cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol; reduced diastolic blood pressure; reduced free radical activity.
Enhanced immune cell functioning. In vitro research on Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care herbal food supplements showed increased T-cell proliferation, increased macrophage functioning including mediated tumor cell killing (Biochemical Archives. 1993; 9: 365–374.)
Comprehensive improvements in mental health. Studies employing the technique of meta-analysis — the preferred statistical method for comparing data from a wide variety of sources — have shown that the Transcendental Meditation program is markedly more effective in reducing anxiety, improving overall psychological health, and reducing substance abuse than relaxation techniques and other forms of meditation (Journal of Clinical Psychology. 1989, 45 (1989): 957–974; Journal of Social Behavior and Personality. 1991, 6(5): 189–247; Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. 11(1–2): 13–87).
Post-traumatic stress disorder. A random-assignment study using the Transcendental Meditation technique in Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder showed decreased depression, reduced anxiety, less insomnia, decreased alcohol consumption, improvement in family problems, reduced severity of delayed stress syndrome and less emotional numbness, as well as greater success in obtaining employment. By contrast, a control group receiving psychotherapy did not improve significantly on any measure (Journal of Counseling and Development. 64: 212–215).
Decreased cigarette smoking. 81 percent of 925 smokers who learned and regularly practice the Transcendental Meditation program were found to have quit or decreased smoking. Another study on 1,080 individuals practicing the Transcendental Meditation program also found significant decreases in cigarette smoking. (Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. 1994; 11: 11–84).
Reduced alcohol, cigarette and drug abuse. A meta-analysis of studies on reducing alcohol, nicotine, and drug consumption found that the Transcendental Meditation technique produced a significantly larger effect on stopping consumption than conventional treatment and prevention programs specifically designed to motivate people to quit. Moreover, in contrast to the time course of conventional programs, whose initial success rates drop off precipitously in the first three months following completion of treatment (and continue to decline gradually thereafter), the time course for the Transcendental Meditation technique showed that abstinence patterns were maintained or increased up to 2 years later (the longest period studied). (Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. 1994; 11: 11–84).
Protection against chemical toxicity. An herbal preparation used in Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care reduced excess oxidation from exposure to a chemical solvent (toluene) (Biochemical Archives. 1994; 10: 25–31).
Improved health of managers and employees. Reduction of occupational stress is also well documented in a large study conducted by researchers from Japan’s National Institute of Industrial Health, a branch of the Japanese Ministry of Labor. Over a five-month period, industrial employees practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique showed decreased smoking, reduced insomnia, decreased physical complaints, and comprehensive improvements in mental health compared to a control group (Japanese Journal of Industrial Health. 1990, 32: 656; Japanese Journal of Public Health. 1990, 37: 729).
Improvements in Chronic Diseases
Improvement in common chronic disorders. In cooperation with a health insurance company, a study on the effect of a comprehensive program for chronic diseases, in which subjects served as their own controls, led to clear improvement in 79% of 126 subjects with one of ten common chronic disorders (asthma, chronic bronchitis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic constipation, eczema, psoriasis, hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, chronic sinusitis and chronic headaches). These patients had suffered from their disorders for an average of 17 years prior to the study and had not gained relief from other forms of treatment. (Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Integrale Geneeskunde. 5(35): 586–594).
Improvements in diabetes. A study on an herbal supplement known as MA-471, on patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) showed that good and acceptable diabetes control, according to criteria of the American Diabetes Association, was achieved in 70.7 percent of the cases studied. Use of MA-471 significantly decreased levels of HBA1C, which is elevated in uncontrolled diabetics and also brought a significant decrease in serum cholesterol and triglycerides. (Complementary Medicine International. 1996; 3: 21–23).
Aging and Longevity
Hormonal changes opposite to aging. Levels of the hormone DHEAS (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) in subjects practicing the Transcendental Meditation program were found to be significantly higher than in controls, and were characteristic of younger people. DHEAS is one of the most reliable biochemical markers of aging. Subjects over 45 years showed the most pronounced effect, where DHEAS levels were 23 percent higher for men and 47 percent higher for women. This effect was found to be independent of diet, exercise, obesity, or use of alcohol. Low levels of DHEAS in women have been correlated with higher incidence of breast cancer, and DHEAS administration to animals has positively affected obesity, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune processes (Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 1992; 15: 327–341).
Increased life span. At Harvard University, a controlled, randomized study evaluated the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program and two other programs on residents of eight homes for the elderly (mean age of 81 years). Only in the Transcendental Meditation group were 100 percent of subjects still alive 3 years after the program began. The survival rates for the other two treatment groups and controls were 87.5 percent, 65.0 percent, and 77.3 percent respectively, while the remaining population in the homes had a 62.5 percent survival rate. Investigators also found that the subjects practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique showed significant improvement on three measures of cognitive flexibility compared with controls and subjects in other treatment groups, and had significantly lower systolic blood pressure. (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1989; 57: 950–964).
Changes opposite to aging. In 25 years of scientific study, many of the physiological, biochemical, and psychological changes in practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation technique have been found to be opposite to those commonly seen with the aging process. For example, memory, blood pressure, cholesterol, reaction time, and perceptual acuity all decline with age but are improved with practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.
Younger biological age. As a group, individuals practicing the Transcendental Meditation program for more than 5 years were physiologically 12 years younger than their chronological age, as measured by reduction of blood pressure, near-point vision, and auditory discrimination. Short-term meditators were physiologically 5 years younger than their chronological age. The study statistically controlled for the effects of diet and exercise. (International Journal of Neuroscience. 1982; 16: 53–58).
Cancer, including Decreased Toxicity of Chemotherapy
Protection against cancer. In a series of animal experiments, a Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care herbal supplement provided up to 88 percent protection against carcinogen-induced breast cancer, with effects during both promotion and initiation phases of carcinogenesis. Also, 60 percent of the control animals that had developed fully-formed tumors showed tumor regression when their diet was subsequently supplemented with the herbal compound. In 50 percent of these rats, the tumor regressed completely (Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. 1990; 35: 767–773.)
Reduction in cancer metastases. Significant reduction in number and size of metastatic nodules in mice with metastasizing lung cancer using an herbal supplement used in Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care. (Nutritional Research. 1992; 12: 667–676).
Reversal of malignant process. Studies showed an herbal supplement used in Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care reversed malignant changes in cell culture on neuroblastoma cells. (Neuropharmacology. 1992; 31: 599–607).
Inhibition of malignant transformation. Laboratory studies reported by the chemopreventive branch of the National Cancer Institute indicate a Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care herbal supplement inhibits processes of malignant transformation in animal epithelial cells and human lung tumor cells (Proceedings of the American Association of Cancer Research. 1991; 32:128).
Reduced toxic side effects of chemotherapy. This controlled prospective human study using an herbal supplement used in Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care was conducted on people with various types of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, oral cancer, and osteogenic sarcoma. All patients were receiving combination chemotherapy; the chemotherapeutic agents included cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, doxorubicin, prednisone, cisplatinum, adriamycin, and 5-fluorouracil (Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Cancer Congress. Bologna, Italy: Monduzzi Editore, 1994, pp 3099–3102).
Reversing the toxic effect of cancer chemotherapy. A study of a Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care herbal supplement showed reversal of effects of cisplatin on liver and kidney glutathione (GSH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity which indicates its potential role in protection against cisplatin-induced kidney toxicity (Proceedings of the XVI International Cancer Congress, Vol. 1. Bologna, Italy: Monduzzi Editore, 1994, pp 589–592).
Reduced toxic side effects of chemotherapy. An herbal supplement used in Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care significantly reduced mortality from cardiotoxicity of the cancer chemotherapeutic drug Adriamycin in a study on mice. The authors suggest that mechanism of action is through protection against free radicals. (Biochemical Archives. 1992; 8: 267–272).
Collective Health
Improved collective health. More than 40 rigorously controlled and designed studies on the Maharishi Effect have shown that the collective practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs improves the collective health of society at the community, state, national, and international levels as measured by reductions in notifiable infectious diseases, crime, violence, accidents, suicides, social turbulence, civil and international conflict, and improvements in economic prosperity, and quality of life (The Journal of Mind and Behavior. 1987, 8: 67–104; The Journal of Mind and Behavior. 1988, 9(4): 457–486; Journal of Conflict Resolution. 1988, 32(4): 776–812; Journal of Conflict Resolution. 1990, 34(4): 756–868; Psychology, Crime, and Law. 2(3): 165–174).
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