b'MEDITATION: AWAKENING THE FULL FUNCTIONING OF THE BRAIN MEDITATION: ADDRESSING THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF HEART DISEASER esearch shows that Transcendental Meditation produces a unique styleINCREASED BRAIN WAVE COHERENCE heTranscendentalMeditationtech- The National Institutes of Health have granted more than $26 of EEG coherence both during and after practice. In addition there isT nique offers a clinically proven natu- million to study the effects of the Transcendental Meditation an increase in blood flow to the brain and unused areas of the brain begin to be activated. EEG coherence demonstrates integration of the brainral approach to reduce hypertensionprogram on cardiovascular disease. The following are some functioning which is associated with decreased state (temporary) and traitand heart disease. Health care costs contin- findings of the published research:(long-standing)anxietyandincreasedcreativity,academicperformance,ue to spiral upward, in large part due to the concept learning, and moral reasoning. increasing prevalence of chronic diseases,Decreased Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke and Death (American Heart Associations Circulation, November, 2012) During TM neurons in the brain begin to fire synchronously in a coordinatednotably cardiovascular disease the num-manner. This coherence is associated with a wide range of positive outcomesCognitive Processing,Vol 11, 2010 Brain and Cognition,139, 2020 ber one cause of premature death and seri- Reduced Blood Pressure and Use of Hypertensive Medication (American Journal such as higher IQ, increased creativity, emotional stability, self-awareness.ous disability in manydeveloped nations around the world. of Hypertension, January 2005) In addition to increased Alpha EEG, researchers found the energy output fromINCREASED BLOOD FLOW ACTIVATION Reduced Atherosclerosis(American Journal of Cardiology, April 2002)the different parts of the brain become equalized. Lateral coherence suggestsConventional drug therapies do not address the causes of cardiovascular disease, which are often rooted in unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. Furthermore, conventionalImproved Quality of Life for Congestive Heart Failure Patients (Ethnicity and Dis-analyticandsyntheticintegration.Frontandbackcoherencesuggestsim- pharmacological and surgical therapies for cardiovascular disease often lead to se- ease, March 2007)proved coordination between thought and action. rious adverse effects, including adverse drug effects, impairments in quality of life,Stress Reduction in the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease (Ameri- The state of restful alertness during TM practice is characterized by significantand increased mortality. can Heart Association Journal, November 2012) blood flow increases to front executive areas of the brain and significantly de- Basic and clinical research indicates that practice of the Transcendental Meditation creases to brain stem activation areas. technique ameliorates hypertension and cardiovascular disease by reducing stress. This in turn reduces the chronic activation of physiological stress response systems,Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, November 2012, a journal of HOW IS TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION UNIQUE? Brain and Cognition,123, 2018 Brain and Cognition,125, 2018 especially ones that affect the cardiovascular system. the American Heart Association: 5-year randomized controlled study on patients with established coronary heart disease reported a 48% reduction in death, heart Meditation techniques and their impact on the brain As the chronic effects of stress on mind and body are reduced by regular practice ofattack, and stroke in subjects in the TM group compared to controls.AstudypublishedinthejournalConsciousnessandthe Transcendental Meditation technique, risk factors for coronary heart disease areHypertension, June 2013: a scientific statement from the American Heart Associ-Cognition identified the following three meditation cat- reduced. These include: (1) cardiovascular reactivity; (2) anxiety; (3) hypertension;ation concluded that the TM technique is the only meditation practice that has egories, based on measured brain wave differences:(4) insulin resistance; (5) smoking; (6) alcohol abuse; and (7) surrogate and interme- been shown to lower blood pressure.diate endpoints for CHD such as (a) myocardial ischemia [11], (b) carotid artery wall. Concentration or focus: Zen, Vipassana, etc. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, October 2013: Meta-analysisOpen monitoring: Mindfulness, Kriya Yoga, etc. of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) found significantly greater effect of TM inSelf-transcending: Transcendental Meditation reducing trait anxiety than treatment-as-usual and other alternative treatments, including mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) and other meditation and relaxation OthermeditationspracticesinvolvespecificmentalPeer-reviewed research studies on the TM technique have been published in overpractices.processesandsoactivateonlylocalizedbrainareas.160 scientific journals. These studies were conducted at many US and internationalJournal of Clinical Psychology: In a meta-analysis of 146 independent studies, The Transcendental Meditation technique leads to tran- universities and research centres, including Harvard Medical School, Stanford Med- published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology the TM technique was found to be Measuring EEG during TM scendingwhichactivatesgloballongrangebraincir- ical School, Yale Medical School, and UCLA Medical School. twice as effective as other techniques for stress and anxiety.cuits, supporting the experience of inner wakefulness.18 19'