The effect of the Transcendental Meditation technique on anxiety level.
Two weeks of twice-daily practice of the transcendental Meditation (TM) technique was compared with 2 weeks of twice-daily practice of passive relaxation as a means of reduction of anxiety, as measured by the Trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Thirty-three graduate and undergraduate students were assigned randomly to a relaxation group and a TM group. After a 2-week experimental interval, the relaxation and meditation Ss, as well as between conditions of the relaxation-mediation group; TM was significantly more effective in reducing anxiety level. Thus, the anxiety-reducing effect of the practice of TM cannot be attributed merely to sitting quietly twice daily, although additional research must determine the extent to which S expectations for change contributed to this effect.
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012064:Relaxation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors