Myth #2: Meditation and relaxation practices are all the same and produce the same effects

The scientific literature on meditation shows that not all meditation practices produce the same effects. Different types of meditation practices engage the mind in different ways and employ a variety of methods for different results. 

For example, numerous independent scientific studies have found consistent distinctions between the Transcendental Meditation technique and other practices on

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Myth #11: When learning Transcendental Meditation you undergo a religious ceremony

When you are instructed in the Transcendental Meditation technique, you indeed witness a short, traditional Vedic ceremony performed by the teacher — a preparation for teaching. It is not a religious ceremony because no one is being worshiped. It is a way of honoring the ancient tradition of meditation teachers who passed this knowledge down through the ages.

The Sanskrit word "puja" means honor

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Myth #7: Yikes! It's a cult!

Dr. Sandeep Chaudhary, Medical Director of Endocrinology, Scripps Memorial Hospital:

"If anyone is concerned that the TM program might be some kind of religious sect or cult, then just ask yourself: How many so-called cults have had their program researched by teams of scientists who've received $26 million in U.S. government research grants from the NIH (National Institutes of Health), or

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Myth #9: Meditation can have bad side effects and make you go crazy!

The deep, coherent rest gained during TM practice has been found by medical and health researchers to have only positive benefits.

More than 20,000 TM-practicing subjects have been studied by scientists over the past 40 years, and no legitimate peer-reviewed studies on the TM technique have ever found the practice to be unpleasant or harmful in any way — all such studies show positive

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Myth #10: Transcendental Meditation organization is a $3.5 billion empire

It’s a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) educational organization. The money from TM course tuition goes entirely to support teaching activities — including the subsidizing of meditation courses in inner cities, on Native American reservations, for impoverished students in developing nations, and meditation programs for the homeless — all of whom can learn the TM technique free of charge.

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Myth #6: Scientific reviews show that Transcendental Meditation produces no health benefits

Scientists sometimes do a broad survey of existing research in a particular area to assess the quality of the studies and the general findings — to determine what conclusions may be drawn from that larger body of research. About a dozen such "meta-analyses" or reviews have been done involving the Transcendental Meditation technique, comparing it to other practices.

One such independent

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Myth #5: The research was conducted only by “TM scientists” and is not objective

Research studies on the Transcendental Meditation technique have been conducted by 360 scientists in 33 countries — at over 250 medical schools and universities. The majority of the studies were conducted by scientists unaffiliated with the TM teaching organization or Maharishi University of Management (www.mum.edu). Typically, studies in which MUM faculty participated were collaborations

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Myth #4: There’s no solid scientific evidence showing meditation works

After four decades of scientific investigation of the Transcendental Meditation technique, more than 600 scientific papers, research studies and reviews have substantiated holistic, beneficial effects for mind, body, behavior and society. These research studies were conducted at over 250 independent universities and research institutions in 33 countries — including independent research at

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Myth #3: Simple relaxation will give the same benefits as TM

Decades of peer-reviewed scientific research has shown that the physiological state commonly experienced during the Transcendental Meditation technique is a much deeper, more coherent state of relaxation than the rest gained during ordinary eyes-closed rest (or the so-called “relaxation response”) — with the TM technique producing significantly greater decreases in oxygen consumption,

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Myth #1: Meditation is difficult and it takes a long time to get results.

The Transcendental Meditation technique is easy to learn and practice — in fact, effortlessness is the key to its effectiveness — and most people report benefits right from the start.
The simple form of meditation known today as the TM technique had been long lost to society, even in India. The technique was revived by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who established its practical benefits on the

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What about conflicting info about Transcendental Meditation on the Internet?

Sure, conflicting definitions of just about everything can be found online. The Web is the Wild West — lots of diverse stuff going on, not all of it guided by the light of reason.
 


(Watch a scientific introduction
to the Transcendental Meditation technique)

A few folks on the Internet have attempted to deconstruct the TM technique, presenting what they claim are its components (not that

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