National Institutes
American Medical Association Research on TM technique reported in AMA journal 
American Psychological Association Conference presentations on the TM technique 
American College of Cardiology Symposium highlights TM research | Hypertension | 8 Apr 2008 |
| The Transcendental Meditation Technique and Hypertension by Dr. Schneider | |
Dr. Robert Schneider, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.B.M.R., is an NIH-funded medical researcher and author of Total Heart Health: How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease with the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health (Basic Health Publications, 2006). Here he answers questions on cardiovascular disease and its risk factors.
Q: Can blood pressure be treated naturally, without side effects?
Dr. Schneider: Blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. While drug treatment can be used to lower blood pressure, all drugs have adverse side effects. However, research has shown that natural treatment of high blood pressure with the Transcendental Meditation technique reduces blood pressure on average as much as anti-hypertensive medication.
A well-designed study that my colleagues and I conducted and published in the American Heart Association journal called Hypertension shows a reductions in blood pressure over three months’ time in individuals with hypertension practicing the Transcendental Meditation program compared with two control groups: individuals practicing a generic relaxation technique and people participating in a conventional health education program. These control groups had little or no change in their blood pressure compared with dramatic and clinically significant reductions in the Transcendental Meditation program participants.”
Q: That’s quite impressive. Are there any other studies on high blood pressure and the Transcendental Meditation technique?
Dr. Schneider: Long-term studies on individuals who practice the Transcendental Meditation technique who have had high blood pressure show that these individuals have been able to lower their blood pressure and reduce their use of anti-hypertensive medications.
A study conducted in West Oakland, CA, and published in the American Journal of Cardiology, shows long-term changes in blood pressure medications over one year time in individuals randomly assigned to the Transcendental Meditation program, as compared to individuals in the two control groups who were practicing conventional health education and participating in a generic relaxation program.
There was a significant reduction in blood pressure medication use, and additional data showed reductions in blood pressure in the Transcendental Meditation group long-term.
