Does Transcendental Meditation Work?
Transcendental meditation, or TM, is the purest, simplest, and most effective form of meditation in the world. It is a technique of automatic transcendence used to bring the mind into the simplest and most effective state of consciousness, free from all spiritual control as well as thought processes. Transcendental meditation is a universal form of practice that has been advanced for millennia through oral tradition. The founder of this form of training was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
What is transcendental meditation?
Compared to other meditation techniques that require mind concentration or control, TM is effortless and is practiced twice a day for 20 minutes, sitting comfortably in a chair with your eyes closed. It can be done on a train, plane or car (as long as you don’t drive yourself). It does not involve any kind of philosophy or religious beliefs, nor does it require changes in your lifestyle.
To understand how it works, we use the ocean analogy. Imagine you are in a small boat in the middle of the ocean and suddenly you see a tidal wave that is over 200 meters high. If you made a cross section, you would see that the sea is still completely calm and quiet in its deepest parts. In other words, active on the surface and calm in the depths. The mind works the same way.
If you only stayed on the surface of the sea, you would constantly think only of the things you need to do. But when you incorporate Transcendental Meditation into your life, calmness comes naturally. It lives within you, and brings you to the United or superior world of pure consciousness, one that already exists in every human being.
The effect of transcendental meditation
Studies show that during Transcendental Meditation, the mind reaches such a level of rest and relaxation that in many cases it is even deeper than while sleeping, and it allows you to get rid of tension and anxiety.
Studies also show a greater effect on the tonsil nucleus, anterior lobe, and both hemispheres of the brain. It strengthens the connections between the anterior lobe and the posterior parts of the brain, which in turn improve decision-making, planning, judgment, and reasoning.
Thanks to neuroplasticity, neural connections stimulated by meditation last all day. As such, the brain evolves from chaos to cohesion by integrating the day’s successes much more clearly. The alpha waves involved in the states of calm and vigilance show growth. This allows the mind to go deeper into itself. Deeper than thoughts, to the quietest and most peaceful part of consciousness, to the deepest self.
The benefits of meditation
At the hormonal level, cortisol is excreted through the adrenal gland when we find ourselves in an anxious state, progressing to the reuptake loop. However, levels of this hormone decrease to as much as 30 percent when we meditate, while serotonin and prolactin levels rise. Both of these affect our sense of well-being.
On a physical level, continuous exercise shows a significant reduction in blood pressure, cholesterol, stroke, atherosclerosis and heart attack, as well as a variety of other diseases.
What is a mantra and how is it used in meditation?
In order for the mind to calm down effortlessly, a mantra that is personal and private is used in transcendental meditation.
A mantra is a voice or word that is uttered quietly that is irrelevant and always has a positive frequency. The mantra is given by the teacher of Transcendental Meditation. The technique will be taught for four consecutive days, and during the first meeting, the instructor will give you a mantra that will serve as your tool from then on.
How to transcend
A calm state of mind naturally already exists in all of us, so you don’t have to create it. The mind tends to strive to move towards what is most satisfying. Take, for example, a situation where you are at a party and involved in a conversation that you are not interested in at all. Near you, you hear a few people discussing your greatest passion. What does your mind focus on? This phenomenon occurs spontaneously in the same way when our minds relax as we meditate.
Thus, during transcendental meditation, the mind is allowed to flow inward naturally, which means that it is automatically directed towards serenity. As a result, you will relax both mentally and physically.
