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Students’ Intelligence and
Creativity Improved By Transcendental Meditation Technique Maharishi
University of Management Office of Public
Affairs ● Fairfield, Iowa 52557 ● Ph.
641-472-7000 ● www.mum.edu For Immediate
Release:
Contact: John
Revolinski, --- PRESS RELEASE --- Students’ Intelligence and
Creativity Improved By Transcendental Meditation
Technique Findings from Three Randomized
Experiments Reported in the Leading Journal on
Intelligence At a time when
U.S. schools make you think of metal detectors, falling test scores and
attention deficit disorder, imagine students closing their eyes to meditate for
15 minutes twice daily, and then, as a result, showing more intelligence and
creativity, less anxiety, and increased alertness and ability to focus. An article in
the September/October issue of Intelligence
reports on three randomized studies that found these results in students who
learned the Transcendental Meditation technique, an age-old practice for
developing mental potential. “We found
increases in creativity and intelligence that you don’t typically expect to
see,” said principal investigator and coauthor So Kam Tim of Hong Kong, who
conducted the experiments to earn his doctoral degree in psychology at Maharishi
University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. “Many researchers feel that
it’s not possible to significantly improve basic cognitive ability once a
person reaches adolescence, but our findings challenge that theory.” Dr. So’s
research was designed to determine whether different meditation procedures and
rest could affect several types of cognitive processes. “We compared the
Transcendental Meditation technique, contemplative meditation and napping, which
some believe produce similar effects,” said Dr. So. “Our findings showed
that these three have significantly different effects on cognitive function.” Significant improvement on seven
measures of cognitive function Dr. So used
seven standardized tests to measure a wide range of cognitive, emotional and
perceptual functions of 362 students participating in the three studies at
schools in Taiwan. In one study, conducted at a private high school, 154 seniors
(78 boys, 76 girls) from four classes were randomly assigned to the TM program
or to a napping group. In the second study at a national junior high school, 87
girls were randomized by class to either a TM group or a no-treatment control
group, and were also compared to 41 girls in a third class who learned
contemplative meditation from the Chinese tradition. The third study consisted
of 99 boys in two classes at a vocational training school who were randomly
assigned by class to either a TM group or no-treatment control. The results of
the three studies, which ranged from six months to one year, showed that taken
together the TM groups had significant improvement on all seven measurements
compared to the no-treatment and napping control groups. Contemplative
meditation showed a significant result in two categories, and napping had no
effect. —MORE— Page 2,
Students’ Cognitive Abilities Improved by Transcendental Meditation Technique
Whole-brain
functioning “The
TM technique had the unique effect of simultaneously improving all measures,
indicating that it integrates many different brain functions,” said Dr. So. The
greatest improvement in the TM groups was seen on a creativity measure called
Test for Creative Thinking–Drawing Production. According to its developers,
the test measures “whole brain creativity,” which requires a balanced use of
intellect and feelings. Improvements
in the TM groups were also found in practical intelligence (Constructive
Thinking Inventory), indicating increased nonintellectual abilities, such as
optimism and the ability to work with others. Whereas IQ tests predict only
academic success, the practical intelligence test predicts success in work,
love, and social relationships. However, IQ also increased, as measured by the
ability to reason in novel situations, called “fluid intelligence” (Culture
Fair Intelligence Test). Increased IQ was also indicated by a purely cognitive
measure called Inspection Time. “The Inspection Time result indicates
improvement in basic aspects of intelligence, such as alertness and ability to
focus, which are essential for learning,” explained Dr. So. Improvements
were also found in “field independence,” indicating growth in perceptual
ability as well as inner-directedness, flexibility in seeing others’
perspectives, and resistance to peer pressure (Group Embedded Figures Test). Participants
in the TM groups were also significantly less anxious as measured by the
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, whereas the contemplation meditation group tended
to show an increase on this measurement. Dr. So explained that an anxious mind
is typically one that isn’t capable of thinking clearly, so researchers on
cognition consider it an important variable to study. Results
expand on studies on brain physiology
“These
effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on cognitive processes expand
on earlier studies which show how it affects brain physiology,” said coauthor
Dr. David Orme-Johnson, former chair of the psychology department at Maharishi
University of Management, who was Dr. So’s thesis advisor. “Research has
found that the TM practice increases blood flow and EEG coherence in the frontal
brain areas. This part of the brain integrates intentions, goals and emotions,
as well as perceptual, motor and intellectual resources into focused thought and
action. So, to see all these abilities increasing in a holistic way now in these
studies in Taiwan is a very significant finding.” According
to Dr. So, research has found that the Transcendental Meditation technique
produces a “wakeful hypometabolic state”—where the body is resting deeply
but the mind remains alert. “Scientists report that this is a unique state of
mind and body, a fourth major state of consciousness, that’s different from
sleeping, dreaming or being awake. It’s a fascinating new area of
psychology,” said Dr. So. Reference:
Intelligence (September/October 2001),
Vol. 29/5, pp. 419-440. |
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