EEG alpha coherence and slow alpha power were recorded from frontal and occipital derivations during relaxation or the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique in fifteen subjects. Subjects were tested before and after a two-week baseline period in which half practiced twice daily relaxation and half did not change their schedule. All subjects were then instructed in the TM technique and retested after a two-week period of twice daily practice of the technique. During the first two-week period there were no group differences or group by session interactions, but there was a significant effect of repeated measurement, indicating a decrease in occipital power independent of group.
Practicing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique twice daily for two weeks reduces anxiety more effectively than twice-daily passive relaxation. Thirty-three graduate and undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either a TM group or a relaxation group. After two weeks, TM was significantly more effective at lowering anxiety, as measured by the Trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. This indicates that the anxiety-reducing effect of TM cannot be attributed solely to sitting quietly twice daily, though further research is needed to determine how much participants' expectations for change contributed to the outcome.