Impact of Transcendental Meditation on Psychotropic Medication Use Among Active Duty Military Service Members With Anxiety and PTSD

Barnes, Vernon A.; Monto, Andrea; Williams, Jennifer J.; Rigg, John L.

doi:10.7205/milmed-d-14-00333

Cited by 21 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…25 The results of this study are similar to those of earlier studies that have evaluated the effects of the TM program on PTSD. [6][7][8][9][10][11] In addition, more than 350 scientific studies published in over 160 peer-reviewed scientific journals have documented the benefits of TM practice for mind, body, and behavior. 20 When considering all of the research on the impact of the TM technique in reducing psychological and physiological stress, the convergence of evidence suggests that TM practice may offer a promising adjunct or alternative method for treating PTSD that may be more acceptable to many of those with PTSD than current approaches.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…10 Barnes et al found a reduction in psychotropic medication use among active duty military soldiers with anxiety disorder and PTSD, which suggests their PTSD symptoms had decreased. 11 The previously published research on the direct impact of TM practice on veterans' PTSD symptoms consists of pilot studies. This study seeks to expand this area of research by evaluating a larger sample of veterans than earlier studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Transcendental Meditation Program’s Impact on the Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of Veterans: An Uncontrolled Pilot Study

Herron¹,

Rees²

2017

Military Medicine

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Results indicated that TM practice reduced PTSD symptoms without re-experiencing trauma. Because of the magnitude of these results and dose-response effect, regression to the mean, spontaneous remission of symptoms, and placebo effects are unlikely explanations for the results. Major limitations were absence of random assignment and lack of a control group. Participants chose to start and continue TM practice and to complete PCL-5 questionnaires. Those who self-selected to enter this study may not be representative of all veterans who have PTSD. Those who did not complete follow-up questionnaires at 90 d may or may not have had the same results as those who responded. The design and sampling method affect the generalizability of the results to wider populations. When taking into account these results and all previous research on the TM technique in reducing psychological and physiological stress, the convergence of evidence suggests that TM practice may offer a promising adjunct or alternative method for treating PTSD. Because of the widely recognized need to identify effective new approaches for treating PTSD, randomized research with control groups is warranted to further investigate the effectiveness of TM practice as a treatment for PTSD.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Transcendental Meditation Program’s Impact on the Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of Veterans: An Uncontrolled Pilot Study

Herron¹,

Rees²

2017

Military Medicine

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“…This behavior may arise due to alterations in self-perception [75]. Healing deep rest, counteracting the stress response, experienced during Transcendental Meditation is being used to treat PTSD in active duty Service Members [76]. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been shown to be effective in treating PTSD by assisting patients in identifying traumatic memories and thoughts, confronting these, and replacing them with more comforting thoughts [77].…”

Section: Ptsd Depression and Deliberate Self-harmmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Default Space Theory of Consciousness: Phenomenological Support from Personal Observations and Clinical Deficits

Jerath¹,

Beveridge²,

Jensen³

2019

WJNS

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Consciousness is the unified, structured, subjective experience that we all share. The Default Space Theory has been proposed as a unified theory of consciousness that includes the brain and body in describing the infrastructure of consciousness. We have presented the theory in journals with a variety of academic specialties; however, the model is continually being developed. Due to the current state of science on the nature of conscious experience lacking hard data, the theory's concepts must thoroughly explain and shoulder phenomenological observations including the phenomenology of deficits of consciousness. According to the theory, the thalamus serves as a central hub which networks the globally distributed, and continuous fast oscillations not only among the brain, but also the eyes, ears, skin, and other sensory organs. These oscillations form the virtual template of external space within the mind in which external sensory information is integrated into this pre-existing, dynamic space. In this article, we explore phenomenological support for our theory of conscious experience in which such experience resides entirely in such a virtual space, termed the default space. In order to provide such support, we discuss simple personal experiments and observations which anyone can partake along with phenomenal symptoms of clinical deficits. We encourage readers to perform the personal experiments we describe in order to gain an understanding of the various concepts of the theory. The neurological deficits we elucidate not only support the theory but clarify obscurities surrounding these conditions. We assert the support we give in our theory here will advance the uphill struggle many paramount theories face in gaining initial acceptance. Further research is needed in order to acquire empirical evidence for the veracity of our theory.

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“…Stress management via meditation has shown to be effective in treating anxiety a post traumatic stress [101][102][103][104][105]. Visits to primary care providers related to stress account for 60-80% of visits, yet few stress-related visits are accompanied by stress management counseling [106].…”

Section: Clinical Applications Arising From Our Understanding Of the mentioning

confidence: 99%

Meditation Experiences, Self, and Boundaries of Consciousness

Jerath¹,

Cearley²,

Barnes³

et al. 2016

IJCAM

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Our experiences with the external world are possible mainly through vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell providing us a sense of reality. How the brain is able to seamlessly integrate stimuli from our external and internal world into our sense of reality has yet to be adequately explained in the literature. We have previously proposed a three-dimensional unified model of consciousness that partly explains the dynamic mechanism. Here we further expand our model and include illustrations to provide a better conception of the ill-defined space within the self, providing insight into a unified mind-body concept. In this article, we propose that our senses "super-impose" on an existing dynamic space within us after a slight, imperceptible delay. The existing space includes the entire intrapersonal space and can also be called the "the body's internal 3D default space". We provide examples from meditation experiences to help explain how the sense of 'self ' can be experienced through meditation practice associated with underlying physiological processes that take place through cardio-respiratory synchronization and coherence that is developed among areas of the brain. Meditation practice can help keep the body in a parasympathetic dominant state during meditation, allowing an experience of inner 'self '. Understanding this physical and functional space could help unlock the mysteries of the function of memory and cognition, allowing clinicians to better recognize and treat disorders of the mind by recommending proven techniques to reduce stress as an adjunct to medication treatment. allows us to experience an internal representation of the external environment. In the following sections we discuss the purpose of brain oscillations in consciousness, and further explain the formation of our previously proposed 3D default space theory, see [11]. Brain oscillations and the 3d default spaceWe consider brain oscillations dynamic because sensory and cortical information is organized around the thalamus which allows us to experience the external world. Alpha, gamma, retinogeniculo-cortical, and corticothalamic oscillations are essential in forming the 3D default space because they allow constant and continuous communication between the brain and the body-without them, we do not think that consciousness can emerge.Alpha oscillations vibrate at 8-14 Hz, strongly influencing brain activity [12,13] It is through these fast alpha and gamma oscillations that we suggest an 'internal' neural space is formed, providing an infrastructure for visual consciousness. Neuronal synchronization with the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) through oscillations at 60-120 Hz is indicated by oscillatory activity in the retina, LGN, and cortex [21,22], which allows the brain and retina to receive and process visual stimuli as one organ. These retinogeniculocortical oscillations assist in the formation of the dynamic template that reduces external space into our internal world space we call the 3D default space. These fast oscillations an...

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Impact of Transcendental Meditation on Psychotropic Medication Use Among Active Duty Military Service Members With Anxiety and PTSD

Cited by 21 publications

References 25 publications

The Transcendental Meditation Program’s Impact on the Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of Veterans: An Uncontrolled Pilot Study

The Transcendental Meditation Program’s Impact on the Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of Veterans: An Uncontrolled Pilot Study

The Default Space Theory of Consciousness: Phenomenological Support from Personal Observations and Clinical Deficits

Meditation Experiences, Self, and Boundaries of Consciousness

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