Meditation is the practice of quieting the mind and focusing inwardly for a set period of time. It is an ancient practice that has gained modern credibility as a powerful way to reduce stress, promote relaxation and boost memory, concentration, and mood, but can it actually help you live a longer life?

Scientific evidence suggests regular meditation can improve psychological conditions like anxiety and depression, which in turn can affect mortality. Meditation has been proven to bolster the immune system and reduce levels of cortisol, known as the stress hormone. Elevated levels of cortisol are linked to higher mortality through heart-related conditions, such as atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome.

Other research suggests that regular meditation may result in fewer visits to the doctor and shorter hospital stays. Even dangerous abdominal fat may be reduced with regular meditation, according to a 2011 study published in the Journal of Obesity.

Research
A review of two randomized controlled trials was published in 2005 in The American Journal of Cardiology, aimed at examining the effects of meditation specifically on mortality. The first group included participants with mild hypertension (high blood pressure) who lived in an elderly residence with an average age of 81 years; the second group included community-dwelling older adults with an average age of 67 years.

Participants were split into groups and given instruction in either Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness meditation, mental relaxation or progressive muscle relaxation techniques. The control group participants were offered general health education classes.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is described as a simple technique that involves sitting comfortably with the eyes closed for 15 to 20 minutes per session, twice a day, to achieve a state of “restful alertness.” Mindfulness meditation training focuses on breathing and observing thoughts dispassionately as they arise in the mind. Study subjects using mental relaxation techniques were encouraged to repeat a phrase or verse to themselves during each session. Finally, subjects using progressive muscle relaxation were coached to gradually let go of tension in each major muscle group to promote an overall state of calm.

Participants were evaluated after three months. The Transcendental Meditation groups from both trials reported significantly lower blood pressure than the other meditation and control groups, but it’s the long-term data that is most fascinating: After an average of 7.6 years (up to a maximum of almost 19 years), the subjects practicing TM were 23 percent less likely to die of any cause during that period and 30 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease during the same period. Subjects were also 49 percent less likely to die of cancer during the follow-up period.

Longevity
The authors of the review suggest that the benefits of meditation are almost as good as those resulting from drug therapy for hypertension, without the side effects, though they do not recommend using meditation instead of medication proved to lower high blood pressure.

According to the authors, this is the first long-term analysis of the effect of non-drug therapies on the mortality rate for people with elevated blood pressure. Two important questions remain: Will meditation improve longevity for people with normal blood pressure? and Which type of relaxation or meditation technique provides the greatest longevity benefit?

Though future research might answer these questions with greater certainty, many are happily satisfied with the boosts of energy and well-being that meditation offers in the short-term.
 

Transcendental meditation, also known as TM for short, is a simple and effective form of meditation that is shown by research to be quite effective at minimizing anxiety, helping people manage stress, and even lowering blood pressure and carrying other benefits.
You can learn this form of meditation in a few days from a certified TPM instructor of any Maharishi institute available around the world. Those who practice transcendental meditation may experience a decrease in stress and anxiety within minutes. As with other forms of meditation, long-term practice can lead to even more positive changes, including resilience to stress, lower overall anxiety, and even greater life satisfaction. 

What Is Transcendental Meditation?
The Transcendental Meditation technique is a form of silent mantra meditation, developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Unlike mindfulness-based meditations that focus on clearing the mind of thoughts and gently bringing the attention back to the present moment when you notice that your mind has wandered (as it will), TM is based around focusing on a single mantra, repeated silently. This mantra can be different for every person, and those who complete training programs are generally assigned mantras based on their personal characteristics and are expected to be a good fit. (In fact, some practitioners say that it is "dangerous" to have the wrong mantra.)

How Does Transcendental Meditation Work?
For this practice, it is recommended to practice 15 to 20 minutes twice a day. This involves getting into a comfortable position, breathing through the diaphragm in a relaxed way, and letting go of thoughts of the rest of the day, as with most meditation practices. Then the mantra—usually a single word or sound, such as the near-cliche of "om," while focusing on the sensations that arise. That's the basic practice, which is quite simple. Often, the people who find it to be most difficult to make the time to practice are those who live stressful lives, which makes them good candidates for a simple and accessible stress management technique in the first place.

How Transcendental Meditation Compares to Other Forms of Meditation
There have been hundreds of studies conducted on this form of meditation that have shown it to be effective in stress management and anxiety reduction, as well as other beneficial areas of physical and mental health. Some of these studies are better conducted than others, however, as noted by researcher Adam Holt, who examined 55 studies on TM and another form of widely researched meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). There is even more evidence showing strong benefits with this technique.

The main concern with the studies conducted on TM was that there may have been selection bias—some of the studies may have selected participants who were more cut out for the practice and would show a positive response. There were, however, many studies in which participants did show improvements with subjects assigned randomly to the TM group or a control, showing a real link between the practice and the beneficial outcomes.

MBSR was found to be more beneficial by the body of studies examined, however. It was associated with greater cell longevity and immunity as well as immune system recovery after stress and lower inflammatory response. There is also more research supporting it as a tool for reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and even insomnia.

However, many people find MBSR to be more challenging to practice, and the typical MBSR training program lasts eight weeks as opposed to a four-day training program for TM. This may make transcendental meditation the more attractive, more accessible option to many people. Given the amount of research conducted on TM, it shows great promise, but more research should be conducted, according to many psychologists, so that we can know even more about this potentially useful and effective technique.

There are other simple meditation techniques such as sitting quietly with aromatherapy and focusing on the scent sensations—a form of mindfulness-based meditation—or sitting quietly in a bath and focusing on the physical sensations—also mindfulness-based—but these types of meditation are less widely studied, so it's more difficult to compare them to the more popular techniques of TM and basic MBSR. However, many people find them to be useful, and many of the general benefits of meditation can be assumed to apply, so if TM doesn't appeal, there are several other ways to meditate that should be tried before you give up on the idea of meditation altogether.

Research on the Benefits of Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental meditation has been associated with a great many benefits for mental and physical well-being. Some of the top benefits are related to brain functioning, heart health, and, of course, stress management and the relief of anxiety. Additionally, it has been found to be helpful for depression, insomnia, addiction treatment, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and even Alzheimer’s.

One study in 2017 reviewed 8 meta-analysis studies, meaning it was a study that reviewed several studies that reviewed other groups of studies—in all, this was an analysis of dozens of studies and thousands of participants.

Another meta-analysis in 2014 studied 14 research papers that examined 16 studies and 1295 participants. Compared with control groups who received their regular treatment for anxiety, this study found that TM was effective in minimizing trait anxiety. Trait anxiety is the type that doesn’t simply come as a passing mood, but rather as more of a regular experience. Results also showed that subjects showed substantial reductions in anxiety over the first two weeks of practice, but that these reductions could still be sustained three years later. Interestingly, those who experienced the highest levels of trait anxiety at the beginning of the study—those in the 80th to 100th percentile range, like veterans with PTSD and prison inmates—experienced the greatest decrease in anxiety, generally reducing their anxiety levels down to the 53rd to 62nd percentile range.

Another interesting 2015 study examined the effects of TM on high school students and found that it worked well for not only their stress levels, but their academic work as well. More specifically, a group of ninth graders who participated in a TM program called “Quiet Time,” where they practiced TM for fifteen minutes twice a day. After several months in the program, the teens scored higher on resilience and lower on anxiety. Those who spent more time in this kind of meditation experienced greater decreases in anxiety. Overall, this group said that they experienced better sleep, greater happiness, and more self-confidence as well.