Does Transcendental Meditation Work?
The Transcendental Meditation Technique or TM is the purest, simplest, and most effective form of meditation the world has ever known. It is the technique of automatic transcendence to bring our mind to the most powerful and simplest state of consciousness, free from any mind control or thought process.
Transcendental meditation is a universal practice, which comes from the oral tradition for millennia and whose founder was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
What is transcendental meditation?
Compared to other meditation techniques, which require concentration or control of the mind, TM is effortless and is practiced twice a day, for 20 minutes, comfortably seated in a chair with your eyes closed.
It can be done on the train, the plane, in a car. .. (as long as you are not the one driving). There is no philosophy associated with TM and it is not linked to other beliefs of a religious nature. In addition, it does not lead to changes in our lifestyle.
How does it work
To understand how it works, we will use the analogy of the ocean . Imagine that you are in a small boat in the middle of the ocean and suddenly you find yourself in front of a swell, with waves of more than 20 meters high.
However, if we were to make a cross section, we would see that the ocean remains absolutely calm and quiet at its deepest. That is, active on the surface and calm in the depth. Well, this is how our mind works.
If we just stay on the surface of that ocean, we get stuck in the ” I have to … ” in our mind. But by including transcendental meditation in our lives, we establish the calm that innately dwells within us, thus experiencing the unified or transcendent field of pure consciousness that exists in every human being.
The effect of transcendental meditation
Research findings show that, during transcendental meditation, the mind reaches a level of rest and relaxation that in many cases is deeper than when sleeping and allows us to eliminate tension and anxiety so that it dissolves.
Research shows a greater impact on the amygdala, frontal lobe, and both hemispheres of the brain. There is a strengthening of the connection of the frontal lobe and the back of the brain, improving decision-making, planning, judgment, reasoning …
Thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain connections that are stimulated during meditation last all day. And thus, the brain evolves from chaos towards coherence, integrating the events of the day with much more clarity, seeing in its practice an increase in alpha waves, which intervene in “the state of calm on alert . “
Benefits of meditating
At the hormonal level, cortisol is secreted by the adrenal gland when we are under states of anxiety, entering a vertex that is continually self-reinforcing. However, cortisol levels are reduced by up to 30% when we meditate, while levels of serotonin and prolactin tend to increase, both hormones that influence our sense of well-being.
On a physical level, its habitual practice has an impact on a significant decrease in hypertension, cholesterol, the risk of stroke, arteriosclerosis, heart attack …, as well as a wide range of associated disorders.
What is a mantra and how do I use it in meditation?
To calm the mind’s attention effortlessly, a mantra is used in transcendental meditation, which is personal and confidential. A mantra is a sound or word that is used silently, has no meaning, and always has a positive frequency.
This mantra is provided to you by a teacher trained in transcendental meditation. The technique is taught on four consecutive days and during the first interview, the teacher will provide you with the mantra that will serve as your vehicle from now on.
How do I transcend
The calm state of mind already exists within us innately, so we do not have to create it, since the mind tends to get carried away towards what is most satisfying.
Let’s take as an example that you are at a party and you are part of a conversation that does not interest you at all, however not far from you you hear some people talking about your great passion, where do you think your attention will be focused? This phenomenon occurs spontaneously, in the same way that our mind relaxes when we meditate.
Well, during transcendental meditation we allow the mind to flow naturally towards us, with which automatically the mind also goes to calm, affecting not only psychic but physical rest.
