NCJ Number
59175
Date Published
1971
Length
7 pages
Annotation
TWELVE PRISONERS FROM THE NARCOTICS REHABILITATION ACT PROGRAM WERE STUDIED TO SEE IF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION (TM) WOULD INCREASE THEIR PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STABILITY.
Abstract
THE 12 SUBJECTS WERE TESTED BEFORE THEY BEGAN TM AND AGAIN 2 MONTHS LATER. THE MEDITATING SUBJECTS WERE COMPARED WITH A CONTROL GROUP OF SEVEN NONMEDITATING PRISONERS MEASURED AT THE SAME TIME. SUBJECTS WHO MEDITATED AT LEAST HALF OF THE PRESCRIBED TIMES, IRREGULAR MEDITATORS, AND CONTROL SUBJECTS WERE THEN COMPARED. THE PERCENTAGE OF DECREASE IN SPONTANEOUS SKIN RESISTANCE RESPONSES WAS FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER FOR REGULAR MEDITATORS THAN FOR IRREGULAR MEDITATORS OR FOR CONTROL SUBJECTS. THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF MEDITATIONS DURING THE 2 MONTH PERIOD AND THE PERCENTAGE OF DECREASE IN SPONTANEOUS SKIN RESISTANCE RESPONSES WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT. ON THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI), REGULAR MEDITATORS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN CONTROLS ON SCALE 7 (PSYCHASTHENIA) AND ON SCALE 10 (SOCIAL INTROVERSION). REGULAR MEDITATORS ALSO DECREASED MORE THAN IRREGULAR MEDITATORS ON SCALE 7. THERE WAS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE DECREASE IN SPONTANEOUS SKIN RESISTANCE RESPONSES AND THE DECREASE ON SCALE 7, WHICH MEASURES OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVENESS. THE MORE REGULARLY A PERSON MEDITATED, THE MORE HE GAINED IN PHYSIOLOGICAL STABILITY AND BEHAVIORAL FLEXIBILITY (REDUCED COMPULSIVENESS) ACCOMPANIED BY INCREASED SOCIAL INTERACTIONS. MOREOVER, IN THE 4 YEARS SINCE THIS PILOT PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED (1971), ABOUT 100 SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ON THE TM PROGRAM; THESE SHOWING THAT TM DEVELOPS LIFE IN A HOLISTIC WAY BY INCREASING THE STABILITY, ADAPTABILITY, INTEGRATION, PURIFICATION, AND GROWTH IN PHYSIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY, AND ECOLOGY. REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MJW)