Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans showed a 50% reduction in post-traumatic stress disorder after eight weeks of TM

Tm Helps Post Traumatic Stress Disorder — After four weeks of practicing TM twice a day, war veterans with PTSD experienced dramatic reductions in symptoms

There has been an accumulation of evidence that Transcendental Meditation (TM) helps alleviate anxiety, high blood pressure, drug and alcohol misuse, crime rehabilitation and stress generally. This body of research has inspired researchers to study the effect of the daily practise of TM on people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As anticipated, the conclusive evidence from these studies is that TM helps post traumatic stress disorder.

Iran Iraq war veterans helped by TM

In the latest study the researchers evaluated five war veterans, aged from 25 to 40 years-old. All of these people had served in either Iraq or Afghanistan or even both theatres of war. As a result suffered from PTSD or combat stress. The subjects had served a minimum of 10 months and up to two years in action involving moderate or heavy moderate combat.

Using the ‘Clinician Administered PTSD Scale’ (CAPS) to measure the effectiveness of TM practice on PTSD symptoms, the researchers found that TM produced:

Significant reductions in stress and depression.
Marked improvements in relationships.
An improvement in the overall quality of life.

An important consideration for ease of use is that the technique was well accepted by the veterans and they found it easy to perform.

The paper’s senior researcher, Norman Rosenthal, M.D., is clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School and director of research at Capital Clinical Research Associates in Rockville, Maryland. Dr. Rosenthal was the first to describe seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and pioneered the use of light therapy as a treatment.

Rosenthal is quoted as saying:

“Even though the number of veterans in this study was small, the results were very impressive. These young men were in extreme distress as a direct result of trauma suffered during combat, and the simple and effortless Transcendental Meditation technique literally transformed their lives …. Transcendental Meditation quiets down the nervous system, and slows down the ‘fight-or-flight’ response.”

Research title

Effects of Transcendental Meditation in Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom With Post traumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study

Research authors:

Rosenthal, Joshua Z; Grosswald, Sarina; Ross, Richard; Rosenthal, Norman

Norman Rosenthal is the author of a new book, “Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation,” released by Tarcher Penguin.

Research publication:

Military Medicine, Volume 176, Number 6, June 2011 , pp. 626-630(5)

TM helped Vietnam veterans with PTSD

In an earlier study, researchers worked with 28 sufferers of PTSD who had served in the US forces during the Vietnam war. The control group undertook psychotherapy and the experimental group learned and practised Transcendental Meditation (TM) during the study period.

The TM group displayed a range of valuable benefits including:

Decreased emotional numbness,
Decreased anxiety,
Decreased depression,
Decreased use of alcohol,
Decreased insomnia.

As a result of these psychological benefits the TM subjects generally recorded improved employment status and decreased family problems.

Significantly, the control group undertaking psychotherapy showed little improvement over the same period. On the other hand, most of the TM group required no further treatment other than their daily meditation practice.

Research study title

Transcendental Meditation in the treatment of post-Vietnam adjustment

Participating research institutes

Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Medical Centre, Denver, Colorado; Denver Veterans Administration, Vietnam Veterans Outreach Program, Denver, Colorado

Publication

Journal of Counselling and Development, 1985

TM helps post traumatic stress — Decreased Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress (RTC)

Do you want to learn to meditate?

If you live in one of the major English-speaking countries, you can find out more about TM and where to learn by clicking on the ‘What is Transcendental Meditation?’ page. Then scroll down the right-hand margin and click on your national flag to go to your country’s TM website.

Go on, give it a go.

You will benefit directly from experiencing the daily inner silence of the TM technique.

TM helps post traumatic stress not just in the individual but in society as a whole

TM helps blood pressure — Transcendental Meditation for Inner Peace

But, in addition, every time you meditate you radiate blessings to your family, your community and your whole nation. This is because you are contributing to the amazing 1% effect. You see, It is true that TM helps post traumatic stress disorder in war veterans. However the research shows that TM also has a powerful influence on societal stress as well.

In effect, if as little as 1% of a population meditate, then stress in that society reduces to the extent that people generally start thinking more clearly and interacting with each other more harmoniously. The net result of this 1% effect is that negative trends decline and positive ones grow. For instance, crime in the area spontaneously reduces. Meanwhile business activity and employment in the affected area tend to improve. Read about the 1% effect or ‘Maharishi effect’.

Later on, once you are well-established with your meditation, and if you want to take the technique further you are able to train up to become a TM-Sidha. At which point you may join one of the Super Radiance groups around the world dedicated to creating peace on earth.