Scientific research on Maharishi Vedic Medicine comprises more than 600 studies conducted at over 200 independent research institutions and universities in 30 countries. These include St. George’s Hospital, London; Harvard University; Yale University; University of Chicago; University of Michigan; University of California at Los Angeles; Ohio State University; Indiana University; University of Kansas; and University of Colorado, USA; Institute of Industrial Health of the Japanese Ministry of Labour; York University, Canada; University of Lund, Sweden; University of Groningen, the Netherlands; University of New South Wales, Australia; and Institute La Rochefoucauld, France.

Papers have been published in many leading scientific journals, including:

• Reduced need for medical care—1. An eleven-year study used data from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, a major American health insurance company, to analyze medical utilization patterns of individuals participating in several components of Maharishi Vedic Medicine, as compared with normative data and matched control groups. The study found significant reductions in medical care utilization in programme participants: overall medical expenditure was 59 percent lower compared to normative data, with 80 percent fewer hospital admissions and 55 percent fewer out-patient visits to the doctor. Those over the age of 45 using Maharishi Vedic Medicine had 88 percent fewer hospital days than controls. Analysis by disease categories showed that hospital admission rates were 92 percent lower for immune, endocrine, and metabolic disorders; 92 percent lower for cardiovascular disease; 92 percent lower for mental health and substance abuse, and 94 percent lower for musculoskeletal disorders. American Journal of Managed Care 1997, 3: 135-144

• Reduced need for medical care—2. A five-year study of 2000 people, also using Blue Cross/Blue Shield data, found decreased outpatient and inpatient utilization in those practicing the Transcendental Meditation programme. Overall reductions were more than 50 percent as compared to norms, based on the health care utilization rates of 600,000 members of the same insurance carrier. In the over-40 age group, the reduction was over 70 percent. Hospital admissions were significantly reduced in all 17 disease categories studied, including 87 percent less for disorders of the heart and blood vessels, 55 percent less for neoplastic diseases, 73 percent less for respiratory problems, 87 percent less for neurological disorders, 49 percent less for gastrointestinal conditions, and 30 percent less for infectious diseases. Psychosomatic Medicine 1987, 49: 493-507

• Reduced health care costs. A recent controlled study of 2836 people enrolled in the Quebec provincial health insurance scheme examined medical expenses over 14 years retrospectively. Monthly data on payments to physicians were adjusted to account for ageing, inflation, and other influences using normative data provided by the Quebec government. Before beginning Transcendental Meditation, the TM group did not differ significantly from the control group in terms of payments to physicians. However, after learning Transcendental Meditation, mean payments declined by 1 to 2 percent each year over six years in the TM group, while the control group’s mean payments increased by nearly 12 percent annually. Thus, the mean annual difference between the two groups of was approximately 13 percent. Cumulatively, after 6 years, payments to physicians were 55 percent lower for subjects practising Transcendental Meditation compared to controls. American Journal of Health Promotion 2000, 14(5): 284-291

These results extend the findings of an earlier study showing reduced medical expenses as a result of Transcendental Meditation in Quebec. American Journal of Health Promotion 1996, 10(3): 208-216

• Comprehensive reduction of risk factors for disease. Reduced requirements for health care are consistent with research showing that Maharishi Vedic Medicine reduces a variety of important risk factors for disease, including coronary heart disease and cancer. These findings, summarized below, include reductions in atherosclerosis (‘hardening of the arteries’), high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels; sustained reduction and cessation of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug abuse; powerful protection against free radicals; more successful weight reduction in obese subjects; decreased physiological and psychological stress levels; reductions in anxiety, depression, and hostility; and improvements in occupational health, job satisfaction, and overall psychological health and well-being. Homeostasis in Health and Disease 1994, 35(4-5): 243-263; Stroke 2000, 31(3): 568-573;

• Reduced atherosclerosis. A randomized, controlled clinical trial found that practice of Transcendental Meditation led to a significant decrease in carotid artery atherosclerosis as compared to a control group who received health education. This finding indicates reversal of the basic pathological process of ‘hardening’ and narrowing of the arteries, which can lead to coronary heart disease and stroke. Stroke 2000, 31(3): 568-573

• Reduction of high blood pressure. Randomized controlled trials have found that Transcendental Meditation is significantly more effective in reducing mild high blood pressure than any of the following: a relaxation technique (progressive muscular relaxation), a pseudo-meditation procedure (which attempted to imitate the Transcendental Meditation technique), or a 'usual care' programme comprising advice on weight loss, salt restriction, exercise, and reduced alcohol intake. Hypertension 1995, 26: 820-827; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1989, 57:950-964

Transcendental Meditation produced reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure comparable to those commonly found with anti-hypertensive medication, but without any adverse side effects. Further analysis showed that Transcendental Meditation produced significant reductions in blood pressure for men and women in both high- and low-risk groups on six measures of hypertension risk: psychosocial stress, obesity, alcohol use, physical inactivity, dietary sodium-potassium ratio, and a composite measure of these risk factors. Hypertension 1996, 28:228-237

In a separate analysis, Transcendental Meditation was found to be at least as, or more, cost-effective in treating mild hypertension than medication. American Journal of Managed Care 1996, 2: 427-437

In Personality, Elevated Blood Pressure, and Essential Hypertension. Johnson EH, et al. (eds) 1992,

• Improvement in angina pectoris. An eight-month controlled study examined effects of Transcendental Meditation on exercise tolerance in patients with angina pectoris due to coronary heart disease (documented either by previous myocardial infarction or positive coronary angiography). Subjects who practised Transcendental Meditation showed significant improvements compared to controls as measured by exercise stress testing, including improvements in exercise tolerance, maximum work load, and onset of ST depression on ECG. These findings suggest improvement in coronary perfusion with practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. American Journal of Cardiology 1996, 77:867-870

Another clinical study found that patients with angina pectoris who took two Maharishi Vedic herbal formulations experienced significant reductions in the frequency of chest pain and need for sub-lingual anti-anginal medication, as well as increased well-being. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 1994, 42(6): 466-467

• Improvement in cardiac syndrome X. A recent British pilot study found significant positive effects of Transcendental Meditation on objective exercise test variables and quality of life in patients with cardiac syndrome X (anginal chest pain, positive response to exercise stress testing, and normal coronary angiogram). Despite a generally good prognosis, cardiac syndrome X is a distressing and disabling condition, often necessitating expensive and invasive investigations and recurrent hospital admissions; drug treatment is frequently unsatisfactory. American Journal of Cardiology 2000, 85: 653-655

• Decreased cholesterol. Research on Maharishi Vedic physiological purification therapies has shown improvements in cardiovascular risk profile, including decreased total cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol (which confers a protective effect); reduced diastolic blood pressure; and decreased free radical activity. Complementary Medicine International 1996, 3: 17-28

An earlier controlled study found that practice of Transcendental Meditation over a one-year period led to significant reductions in cholesterol levels, which were independent of dietary changes. Journal of Human Stress 1979, 5: 24-27; Journal of the Israel Medical Association 1978, 95: 1-2

• Antioxidant effects. Maharishi Vedic herbal formulations have been found to provide exceptionally powerful protection against both free radical and non-radical oxidants, which are considered to play a central role in the ageing process and in many disorders, including coronary heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes mellitus, and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. e.g. Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine 1995, 18: 687-697; Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior 1994, 48(2): 505-510; Biochemical Archives 1994, 10: 25-31; Biochemical Archives 1992, 8: 267-272; Complementary Medicine International 1996, 3: 17-28

In a recent study, individuals practicing Transcendental Meditation were found to have lower levels of lipid peroxide in the blood, indicating reduced oxidative stress. Psychosomatic Medicine 1998, 60: 38-41

• Enhanced resistance to lipid oxidation (LDL). A number of Maharishi Vedic herbal preparations were found to be hundreds or thousands of times more powerful in preventing oxidation of human LDL cholesterol in vitro than either vitamin C, vitamin E, or probucol. A subsequent clinical study on two of these preparations found significantly enhanced resistance of low density lipoproteins to oxidation in human subjects with elevated cholesterol. Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior 1992, 43: 1175-1182; American Journal of Medical Sciences 1997, 314(5): 303-310

• Prevention of platelet aggregation. A Maharishi Vedic herbal supplement was found to be highly effective in preventing aggregation of human platelets in response to the four different stimuli: catecholamines, which are released during stress; collagen, which is exposed when vascular endothelium is injured; arachidonic acid, which is released from injured cell membranes; and ADP, which is released from injured red blood cells and platelets. Platelet aggregation is an important pathological factor in coronary heart disease and stroke. Clinica & Terapia Cardiovascolare 1989, 8(3): 227-230

• Decreased atherosclerosis (animal research). Addition of a Maharishi Vedic herbal supplement to the diet of Watanabe rabbits—a species that is genetically highly susceptible to hyperlipidaemia and atherosclerosis—led to 53 percent reduction in coronary artery atherosclerosis and protection from organ damage. Atherosclerosis protection was independent of cholesterol-lowering diet. Biochemical Archives 1997, 13: 285-296; Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 1996, 2(4): 463-478

• More effective weight reduction in obese subjects. A randomized controlled trial conducted in Germany examined weight changes and psychological health in two groups of markedly overweight subjects who were given the same calorie-controlled diet. Over a four-month period, subjects assigned to learn Transcendental Meditation lost more than twice as much weight as non-meditating controls (7.5 kg versus 3.1 kg). Furthermore, evaluation of mental health showed reduction of anxiety and depression, increased emotional stability and other positive effects in the Transcendental Meditation group. Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programme, Collected Papers, 1989, Vol.3, paper 290.

• Improvement in diabetes. A pilot study of patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) given a Maharishi Vedic herbal supplement showed improved blood glucose control, as measured by decreased levels of HBA1C, and significant decreases in serum cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as reduced symptoms. Overall, 70.7 percent patients studied achieved good or acceptable diabetic control according to criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Complementary Medicine International 1996, 3: 21-23

• Sustained reduction and cessation of smoking, alcohol consumption and drug abuse. A meta-analysis of 19 studies found that the Transcendental Meditation technique produced highly significant reductions in alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use, and was significantly more effective than conventional treatment and prevention programs specifically designed to tackle these problems. Moreover, in contrast to the time course of conventional programs, whose initial success rates drop off precipitously in the first three months following completion of treatment (and continue to decline gradually thereafter), abstinence patterns as a result of Transcendental Meditation were maintained or increased up to 2 years later (the longest study period). Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 1994, 11: 11-84

• Comprehensive improvements in mental health. Examination of a large body of research using the technique of meta-analysis have shown that the Transcendental Meditation technique is markedly more effective in reducing anxiety, improving overall psychological health, and reducing substance abuse than relaxation techniques and other forms of meditation. Journal of Clinical Psychology 1989, 45: 957-974; Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 1991, 6(5): 189-247; Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 1994, 11: 11-84

• Improvements in post-traumatic stress disorder. A random-assignment study on Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder showed that the Transcendental Meditation technique decreased depression, reduced anxiety, decreased insomnia, decreased alcohol consumption, improved family problems, reduced severity of delayed stress syndrome and decreased emotional numbness, as well as leading to greater success in obtaining employment. By contrast, a control group receiving psychotherapy did not improve significantly on any measure. Journal of Counseling and Development 1986, 64: 212-215

• Increased well-being. A study on the Maharishi Vedic physiological purification therapies found improvements in anxiety, depression, fatigue, vigor, well-being, energy, vitality, stamina, digestive patterns, rejuvenation, and previous complaints, compared to control subjects who received a health education programme. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 1990, 5: 1-27

• Enhanced intelligence, moral development, and academic achievement. Several studies have demonstrated development of intelligence (including continuing growth into adult life), enhanced moral reasoning, improved cognitive and perceptual abilities, and increased academic achievement in school, university, and postgraduate students as a result of Transcendental Meditation. British Journal of Educational Psychology 1985, 55: 164-166; Higher

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial found that a Maharishi Ayur-Veda herbal preparation (known as Maharishi Students Rasayana) enhanced IQ growth in school children. Personality and Individual Differences 1993, 15: 599-602

• Improved occupational health: A study on the health of employees in the automotive industry found that subjects who learned Transcendental Meditation showed significantly greater improvement than matched control subjects on a wide variety of measures, including: reduced physiological stress levels; decreases in anxiety, job tension, insomnia and fatigue; reduced consumption of cigarettes and hard liquor; and improved general health. Practice of Transcendental Meditation also led to increased job satisfaction, improved employee effectiveness, and better relationships. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping 1993, 6: 245-262

Reduction of occupational stress is also well documented in a large study conducted by researchers from Japan's National Institute of Industrial Health, a branch of the Japanese Ministry of Labour. Over a five-month period, industrial employees practising Transcendental Meditation showed decreased smoking, reduced insomnia, decreased physical complaints, and comprehensive improvements in mental health compared to a control group. Japanese Journal of Industrial Health 1990, 32: 656; Japanese Journal of Public Health 1990, 37: 729

• Effective rehabilitation of offenders. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that Transcendental Meditation is effective in rehabilitation of offenders, improving mental health and behaviour, and reducing recidivism. Journal of Criminal Justice 1987, 15: 211- 230;

• Increased longevity; improved health and well-being for elderly people. A randomized, controlled study at Harvard University demonstrated enhancement of longevity in elderly nursing home residents (mean age 81 years) who learned the Transcendental Meditation technique. All of the subjects in the Transcendental Meditation group were still alive three years after the programme began, as compared to significantly lower survival rates in three control groups. In addition, the TM group showed significantly greater improvement on measures of mental health, cognitive and behavioral flexibility, blood pressure, and self-assessed well being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1989, 57:950-964

• Younger biological age. Studies on individuals practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique have shown enhanced biological youthfulness as measured by the hormonal ageing marker DHEAS, and by a physiological index of biological age combining blood pressure, near-point vision, and auditory acuity. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 1992, 15: 327-341; International Journal of Neuroscience 1982, 16:53-58

• Changes opposite to aging. Over the past 30 years, research has demonstrated more than 40 physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of Transcendental Meditation that are opposite to the deteriorations associated with the ageing process. For example, memory, blood pressure, cholesterol, arterial health, sleep quality, reaction time, reflex efficiency, learning ability, and perceptual acuity all deteriorate with ageing, but have been found to improve with the Transcendental Meditation technique. Memory and Cognition 1982, 10: 207-

215. Hypertension 1995; 26: 820-827; Journal of Human Stress 1979; 5: 24-27; Stroke 2000, 31(3): Japanese Journal of Public Health 37: 729; 568-573; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1989; 57:950-964; Perceptual and Motor Skills 1980; 50: 1103-1106; Experimental Neurology 1983; 79: 77-86; Perceptual and Motor Skills 1974; 38: 1263-1268.

• Enhanced immune cell functioning. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that Maharishi Vedic herbal supplements enhance the response to foreign antigens of two cell types that are fundamental to the immune system, without affecting their properties when not challenged. T lymphocytes showed enhanced proliferation in response to mitogens, together with increased production of interleukin-2, an important immunomodulator. Macrophages showed increased efficiency in killing tumour cells and enhanced production of nitric oxide, which is involved in the elimination of bacteria and cancer cells. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 1997, 2(1): 35-39; Biochemical Archives 1993, 9:365-374;

• Protection against chemical toxicity. Maharishi Vedic herbal formulations have been found to protect against tissue damage caused by the chemical solvent toluene, which is a potent inducer of free radicals and important industrial health risk. Biochemical Archives 1994, 10:25-31; Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine 1995, 18: 687-697; Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior 1994, 48(2): 505-510

• Protection against cancer (animal research). In studies on laboratory animals, herbal compounds used in Maharishi Vedic Medicine reduced the development, growth, spread, and mortality of cancer. In one series of experiments, a Maharishi Vedic herbal formulation provided up to 88 percent protection against carcinogen-induced breast cancer, with effects during both promotion and initiation phases of carcinogenesis. Also, 60 percent of the control animals that had developed fully-formed cancers showed tumour regression when their diet was subsequently supplemented with the herbal compound. In 50 percent of these animals, the tumours regressed completely. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior 1990, 35:

• Reduction in cancer metastases (animal research). In this study, a Maharishi Vedic herbal supplement significantly reduced the number and size of metastatic nodules in mice with a rapidly-metastasizing form of lung cancer. Nutritional Research 1992, 12: 667-676

• Reversal of malignant process (cell culture). A Maharishi Vedic herbal preparation reversed morphological and biochemical changes associated with malignancy in neuroblastoma cells in culture. Neuropharmacology 1992, 31: 599-607

• Inhibition of malignant transformation (cell culture). Laboratory studies reported by the chemopreventive branch of the National Cancer Institute indicated that a Maharishi Vedic herbal compound inhibits processes of malignant transformation in animal epithelial cells and human lung tumour cells. Proceedings of the American Association of Cancer Research 1991; 32: 128

• Reduced toxic effects of cancer chemotherapy (human study). This controlled prospective study of a Maharishi Vedic herbal supplement was conducted on people receiving combination chemotherapy for various types of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, oral cancer, and osteogenic sarcoma. Chemotherapeutic agents included cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, doxorubicin, prednisone, cisplatinum, adriamycin, and 5-fluorouracil. The study found significant reductions in toxic effects of chemotherapy, including reduced vomiting and diarrhoea, and improvements in sleep, weight, and overall well-being compared to control patients. In addition, patients taking the herbal preparation showed reduced free radical activity and decreased haematological toxicity, as measured by maintenance of higher white blood cell and platelet counts, compared to the control group. Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Cancer Congress 1994, Vol. 1, pp 3099-3102 Bologna, Italy: Monduzzi Editore

• Protection against toxic effect of chemotherapy (laboratory study). A Maharishi Vedic herbal supplement was found to enhance the in vitro activity of the glutathione anti-oxidant system, which provides a vital natural defence against toxins. Further investigation showed that showed that the herbal compound also prevented toxic effects of the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin on this system, enhancing glutathione (gsh) and glutathione-s-transferase (gst) activity in liver and kidney. Proceedings of the XVI International Cancer Congress, 1994, Vol.1, pp 589-592. Bologna, Italy: Monduzzi Editore

• Reduced toxic effects of chemotherapy (animal research). Maharishi Vedic herbal supplements significantly reduced cardiac toxicity and mortality caused by the chemotherapeutic drug adriamycin. Biochemical Archives 1992, 8: 267-272

• Creating coherence and harmony for society, the nation, and family of nations. More than 40 rigorously-controlled studies have shown that the collective practice of Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying improves the collective health of society and the nation as a whole, as measured by reductions in crime, violence, accidents, suicides, social turbulence, civil and international conflict, and improvements in economic prosperity, national integration, and international harmony. In the scientific literature this effect of coherence at the collective level of society is called the Maharishi Effect. These findings are of vital importance for our health services, given the well-established relationship between individual health and the collective health of society as a whole. Social Indicators Research 1999, 47: 153-201; Psychology, Crime, and Law 1996, 2(3): 165-174; Psychological Reports 1995, 76: 1171-1193; Journal of Conflict Resolution 1990, 34(4): 756-768; Social Indicators Research 1990, 22: 399-418; Journal of Conflict Resolution 1988, 32(4): 776-812; The Journal of Mind and Behavior 1988, 9(4): 457-486; Social Science Perspectives Journal 1988, 2(4): 80-94; The Journal of Mind and Behavior 1987, 8: 67-104