Introductory Lecture
Welcome
The
Transcendental Meditation Program
For Full Development of Life
®
© 2008 Global Country of World Peace
TM, Transcendental Meditation, and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks registered by Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and used under sublicense
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Founder of the Transcendental Meditation program
Benefits for:
• Mind
• Body
• Behavior/relationships
• Environment
Developing Full Mental Potential
Transcendental Meditation
in the classroom:
“One of the Year’s
Best ideas.”
—New York Times Magazine
Know
Thyself.
—Oracle at Delphi
Go back into yourself,
for truth dwells
deep within you.
—St. Augustine
What lies behind us
and what lies before us
are small matters compared to
what lies within us.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
The self
is a “kosmos,”
beyond the
“boundaries.”
—Walt Whitman
TM: How it works…
Conscious Mind
O
O
O
O
10% Mental Potential
Unconscious Mind
O
O
O
Source of Thought
Benefits for the Mind
Scientific Research Findings:
• Increased creativity
The Journal of Creative Behavior
• Improved memory
Memory & Cognition
• Increased IQ
Personality and Individual Differences
• Improved perception
Memory & Cognition
• Faster reaction time
Personality and Individual Differences
• Increased intelligence
Higher Education Research and Development
• Increased field independence
Perceptual and Motor Skills
Reference: The Journal of Creative Behavior 13: 169–180, 1979.
Reference: Personality and Individual Differences 12: 1105–1116, 1991.
Reference: Intelligence 29: 419–440, 2001
Conscious Mind
O
O
O
O
10% Mental Potential
Unconscious Mind
O
O
O
Source of Thought
Conscious Mind
O
O
O
O
15% Mental Potential
Unconscious Mind
O
O
O
Source of Thought
Conscious Mind
O
O
O
O
50% Mental Potential
Unconscious Mind
O
O
O
Source of Thought
Conscious Mind
O
75% Mental Potential
O
O
O
O
O
Unconscious Mind
O
Source of Thought
Conscious Mind
O
100% Mental Potential
O
O
O
O
O
O
Pure Consciousness — “Unbounded” Awareness
Enlightenment
Described throughout the ages in similar,
universal terms:
• An uninterupted state of heightened wellbeing
• Freedom from suffering
• An abundance of intelligence and
creativity so immense that problems
cannot overshadow life
• Living in perfect harmony with one’s
surroundings—a deep, intimate unity with
the cosmos
“The individual is cosmic.”
Independent Research Conducted
at Medical Schools Nationwide
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Harvard Medical School
Stanford Medical School
Yale Medical School
UCLA Medical School
University of Virginia Medical Center
University of California, Irvine
Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles
University of California at San Francisco Medical School
University of Chicago Medical School
University of Southern California Medical School
University of Michigan Medical School
University of Hawaii
Howard University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
University of Iowa
The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Hospital Admission Rates
Benefits for the body
Scientific Research Findings:
• Reduction of Atherosclerosis
Stroke
• Increased longevity
International Journal of Neuroscience
• Quicker recovery from stress
Psychosomatic Medicine
• Reduction of high cholesterol
Journal of Human Stress
• Improvements in bronchial asthma
Clinical Research
• Decreased insomnia
Journal of Counseling and Development
Benefits for the body
Scientific Research Findings:
• Improved heart function
The American Journal of Cardiology
• Improved neuromuscular function
Perceptual and Motor Skills
• Reduced blood pressure
Hypertension Archives of Internal Medicine
• Calmer style of physiological functioning
American Psychologist
• More stability of autonomic nervous system
Psychosomatic Medicine
Improved Social Behavior
Scientific Research Findings:
• Reduced hostility
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation
• Improved relationships
Anxiety, Stress and Coping
• Improved self-esteem
British Journal of Psychology
• Healthier response to stress
American Psychologist
• Decreased neurosis
Japanese Journal of Industrial Health
• Decreased depression
Journal of Counseling and Development
Improved Social Behavior
Scientific Research Findings:
• Decreased alcohol use
Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly
• Increased job satisfaction
Academy of Management Journal
• Improved job performance
Academy of Management Journal
• Increased leadership behavior
Career Development International
• Decreased use of drugs
International Journal of the Addictions
• Greater appreciation of others
Perceptual and Motor Skills
= unit of world
peace
Collective Consciousness
Gamma
Problem solving,
concentration
Beta
Busy, active mind
Alpha
Reflective, restful
Theta
Drowsiness
Delta
Sleep, dreaming
Typical EEG Tracings
A typical EEG tracing is a rapidly changing composite or combination of different frequencies—waves moving up
and down at different rates—some slow, some fast. During ordinary waking consciousness, EEG patterns are
complex, scattered and disorderly.
Increased EEG Coherence
EEG coherence during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique: brainwaves rise up and down together—
maintaining a stable phase relationship—indicating that the whole brain is highly correlated. This integrated state of brain
function corresponds to the subjective experience of heightened wakefulness or restful alertness. Research shows that the TM
technique cultures the brain to behave more coherently and efficiently overtime, as seen in a person’s improved response to
stimuli—with better performance on spatial and memory tasks, creativity scores, and reaction time tests. Such findings are not
reported from other meditation practices. References: International Journal of Psychophysiology, 116, 1519-38 (2006);
Biological Psychology, 61, 293-319 (2002)
Alpha Coherence Maps
Front
Middle
Eyes Open
Eyes Closed
TM Practice
References: International Journal of Psychophysiology, 116, 1519-38 (2006); Biological Psychology, 61, 293-319
(2002); Consciousness and Cognition, 8(3), 302-18 (1999); Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 35
(1973); International Journal of Neuroscience 14: 147–151, 1981.
Increased Harmony
in World Consciousness
The global influence on terrorism of three large
coherence-creating assemblies was studied
retrospectively through an analysis of data compiled by
the Rand Corporation. The data revealed a 72%
reduction in worldwide terrorism during the three
assemblies taken together, as compared to all other
weeks during a two-year period. Each assembly had
approached or exceeded the participation threshold
(8,000) predicted to create a global influence of peace.
The study ruled out the possibility that this reduction in
terrorism was due to cycles, trends, or drifts in the
measures used, or to seasonal changes (Journal of
Offender Rehabilitation 36 (1-4): 283-302, 2003).
“The efficacy of group TM
practice to reduce crime and
war has been more extensively
studied and rigorously
established than any
phenomenon in the history of
social science.
It is a scientific fact.”
—Dr. John Hagelin
“Life is here to enjoy. Tell everyone —
nobody has to suffer anymore.”
— Maharishi
The First Seven Steps
TM
P R O G R A M
Step 1: Introductory Lecture
A vision of all possibilities through the Transcendental
Meditation program (1 hour)
Step 2: Preparatory Lecture
The mechanics and origin of the TM technique (1 hour)
Step 3: Personal Interview
Interview with a certified teacher of the TM program,
following the Preparatory Lecture (10-15 minutes)
The First Seven Steps
Four Days of Instruction
over four consecutive days:
Step 4: Personal Instruction
TM
P R O G R A M
Learning the TM technique (1-2 hours)
Step 5: First Day of Checking
Verifying the correctness of the practice, further instruction
(1-2 hours)
Step 6: Second Day of Checking
Understanding the mechanics of the TM technique based
on personal experiences (1-2 hours)
Step 7: Third Day of Checking
Understanding the growth of higher states of
consciousness (1-2 hours)