Transcendental Meditation
What does
Transcendental
Meditation mean?
Transcendental Meditation is a simple and natural mental technique designed to improve every aspect of life. It is easily learned and practiced for 20 minutes twice a day, sitting comfortably with eyes closed.
The name describes what happens during the practice: the mind spontaneously settles and reaches subtler levels of thought, eventually transcending mental activity itself to experience the source of thought—a state in which the mind is awake yet relaxed.
What are the effects?
Scientific studies define the state reached through Transcendental Meditation as “hypometabolic restful alertness”: metabolism decreases, the mind remains awake and calm, and the body and mind function with extreme efficiency.
This state represents a fourth level of consciousness, called “transcendental consciousness,” which is distinct from the three ordinary states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.
Why is it important?
Just as sleep regenerates the body and mind, the fourth state of consciousness allows the nervous system to “reset,” activating the natural mechanisms that enhance its functioning.
This special state of restful alertness:
- reduces stress and fatigue,
- improves brain integration,
- promotes creativity and intelligence,
- supports general health and relationships with others.
What does science say?
More than 600 scientific studies conducted at over 250 independent universities and medical schools have confirmed the benefits of the technique, published in leading scientific journals.
What are the origins of Transcendental Meditation?
The technique comes from the Vedic tradition of India, the oldest human knowledge, which for millennia has passed down methods to fully develop human potential.
Thanks to the scrupulous preservation of these teachings, Transcendental Meditation has reached us in its most effective form. Today, it can be learned through a simple and systematic course, introduced over 50 years ago by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, one of the leading experts on consciousness and a scholar of Vedic Science. Maharishi founded the Maharishi University of Management (USA) and the Maharishi Institutes of Management, and is the author of the “Maharishi Absolute Theory of Management.”
Although ancient, Transcendental Meditation is extremely relevant today, as science has shown that it helps successfully manage the stress of the modern world, improving both professional and personal life.
Are all meditations the same?
Not all meditations produce the same effects.
Researcher Fred Travis has shown that different techniques have very different neurophysiological characteristics.
- Tibetan Meditation generates gamma brain waves (about 40 Hz), indicating a very active brain.
- Mindfulness shows high activity in the left frontal cortex, associated with judgment and evaluation.
- Transcendental Meditation, on the other hand, produces global and coherent alpha waves, linked to pure awareness—a state of wakefulness full of rest.
During the practice of Transcendental Meditation:
- the brain’s attentional system is awake,
- the mental experience is directed inward,
- the thalamus, the gateway to sensory experience, is less active.
In other words, the mind is completely alert and relaxed.
This technique is effortless because it follows the mind’s natural tendency to turn toward silence and stillness. Furthermore, neurological benefits appear after just two months of regular practice.
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