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.