Transcendental meditation verus muscle relaxation: two-year follow-up of a controlled experiment

In this questionnaire survey the authors measured the outcome among 20 students randomly assigned to muscle relaxation training and 19 assigned to transcendental mediatation at one year (the number of respondents in each group was 13 and 16, respectively) and two and one-half years (the number of respondents was 18 and 17, respectively). At both follow-ups there were no differences between the groups in frequency of practice or satisfaction. In both groups, less than 25% reported more than moderate satisfaction, and less than 20% practices as mush as once per week. Subjects' expectancies at nine weeks predicted their satisfaction and frequency of practice at two and on-half years. The authors conclude that although some subjects (15%-20%) to enjoy and continue to practice transcendental meditation, it is not universally beneficial.