People occasionally ask if the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique is a religious practice.
The answer: Over 6 million people have learned the TM technique from all religious faiths, including ministers, priests, and rabbis, and they find no conflict between the practice and their religions. Instead, they find that the TM technique enriches the practice of their own religions.
Over the last 25 years, numerous government programs involving the TM technique have been approved by federal and state agencies implementing or researching the technique in health facilities, schools, universities, research facilities, prisons, and probation programs. Over $20 million in government grants have been provided for these purposes.
The TM technique is a simple, natural procedure that allows the mind to settle to a state of restful alertness, a level which has distinctive physiological correlates, such as increased brainwave coherence and decreased respiration rate — and a wide range of practical benefits including increased learning ability and creativity, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved health.