Frequently Asked Questions
about Transcendental Meditation

new meditators at Houghton TM CentreQ. Will Transcendental Meditation help me reduce my stress?

A.  The short answer is yes. I spent 10 years at the University of Cape Town proving this point for myself. Read more here.

Q.  And how about my anxiety levels?

A.  Anxiety has been studied possibly more than any other disorder. The research on anxiety using Transcendental Meditation suggests that TM delivers broader and deeper benefits than other meditation techniques.

Q. Does Transcendental Meditation work for everybody?

A. This is a frequently asked question. Yes, but the results are different from person to person. For example, one person may have insomnia and benefit immediately by being able to fall asleep easily. For another this may not be an issue. So there are different benefits for different people at different stages. Nobody I know does it but does not get benefits. Taking another tack-the benefits creep up on you. You can do it for weeks and not notice anything and then – wow- you have a breakthrough. So, yes, it works for everybody.

Q. Why 20 minutes twice a day?
A. Because 20 minutes is about right for optimum benefits. If you do it once a week you will feel better after the meditation, but you will not get as much value as you will if you do it regularly. This is one of our most frequently asked questions!

Q. Where will I find the time to do Transcendental Meditation?
A. You’ve heard the expression “there is never enough time to do a thing properly, but always enough time to do it again? What happens is the mind is so much clearer after meditation, so you save time. You wake up fresh and rested, so its easy to wake up a bit earlier. And you spend so much less time regretting and undoing. You end up feeling there is more time and so there is less stress.

Q. What is the difference between TM and other forms of meditation?
A. There are many differences and this is brought out by comparative research. Mainly, Transcendental Meditation is noted for being easier to master and for leading to more profound benefits with regular practice. For instance, Ken Eppley at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in California found that TM outcomes were deeper than other meditation techniques for anxiety reduction – even when studies done by researchers thought to be biased in favour of TM were excluded from consideration.

Q. What are the differences between prayer and this meditation?
A. It’s a different process. People from every religion meditate, as do atheists. TM is transcendental – it allows the conscious mind to transcend thought. So it nourishes prayer as well as everything else. Maharishi said “You water the root and enjoy the fruit.” Recently, South African-born, internationally respected psychiatrist and NIMH senior researcher Norman Rosenthal has become a best-selling author with his book “Transcendence” which is devoted to understanding this important distinction.

Q. Is there a link to Buddhism?
A. No. But lots of Buddhists do TM, as do lots of Jews, Christians, Hindus,  Muslims … and Atheists and Agnostics.

Q. What is the difference between Transcendental Meditation and Mindfulness Meditation?
A. The answer is in the names. TM is transcendental, or beyond thought, while mindfulness involves active thinking. They are two totally different but complementary techniques. Read more on differences HERE.

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