Renin, Cortisol, and Aldosterone During Transcendental Meditation
Psychosomatic Medicine February 1, 1979 Ruth R. Michaels, Juan Parra, Daisy S. McCann et al. 54 citations
Transcendental meditation (TM) did not produce a unique physiological state of reduced stress or sympathetic activity. During TM, plasma renin activity increased slightly (14%), while cortisol decreased progressively in both meditators and controls. Aldosterone and lactate did not change. Meditators showed no increase in cortisol between initial samples, unlike controls, suggesting they may be less responsive to acute stress. The findings do not support the idea that TM induces a special relaxation state.