Transcendental Meditation not only improves various aspects of physical health, but also mental health, according to the latest research.

Since the 1970s, when research into Transcendental Meditation began, it has been shown that the TM technique has beneficial effects to one’s mental health. 


Given there are over 700 scientific studies supporting Transcendental Meditation’s positive effects on physiological responses, it’s therefore not surprising that the practice improves psychological responses as well. 

A 2008 before-after clinical trial showed that a three month practice of Transcendental Meditation improved the somatisation and anxiety subclass scores of participants. Somatisation refers to the manifestation of physical symptoms due to mental distress. 

The clinical trial involved 80 participants and used the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to measure mental distress. 

Aside from the improvement in subclass scores of the GHQ-28, there was also significant improvement in the overall score of the GHQ-28. 

The participants’ mean overall score before the Transcendental Meditation course was higher than 22. 

According to the trial researchers’ interpretation of GHQ-28, this is an indication of mental distress and the high potential to have clinically-observable mental health problems. 


After learning the Transcendental Meditation technique, the participants’ mean overall score was lower than 22. Therefore, the practice can be seen to have a large positive effect on levels of mental distress, specifically in the areas of somatisation and anxiety. 

“Transcendental Meditation may improve mental health of the young adult population especially in the areas of somatisation and anxiety, and this effect seems to be independent of age, sex and marital status,” the research concludes.

More research in this area have also indicated the positive effects of Transcendental Meditation on young adults in reducing mental health problems. 

A 2011 randomised controlled trial showed that three-month Transcendental Meditation practice improved the mean total psychological distress; the mean anxiety, depression, and anger/hostility subscales; and the mean coping ability of 93 participants. 

Psychological distress and subscales were measured using the Profile of Mood States total mood disturbance main scale and corresponding subscales. 

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The “constructive and destructive thinking patterns underlying coping ability” (Nidich et al., 2011) were measured using the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI) global constructive thinking main scale.

The results of the 2011 trial support the findings of the 2008 trial, further proving that Transcendental Meditation can help reduce distress and anxiety. Additionally, a 2017 randomised controlled study indicated the potential of Transcendental Meditation in reducing trauma. 

While the study had a much smaller sample (only 10 participants in the Transcendental Meditation group) than that of the previous trials, the researchers found significant (medium to large effect sizes) reductions in total trauma symptoms as well as in the intrusions and hyperarousal subscales of the TM group compared to the control group. 

According to the study researchers, the instructions sub scale of the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian version (PLC-C) assesses “repeated disturbing memories and thoughts, disturbing dreams, repeatedly reliving the trauma, and physical reactions when being reminded of the trauma experience,” (Nidich et al., 2017). 

Again according to the study, the hyper-arousal sub scale of the PLC-C assesses “trouble falling or staying asleep, difficulty concentrating, being super alert or on guard, and feeling jumpy or easily startled,” (Nidich et al., 2017).


Given these interpretations of the subscales, the study seems to support the link between TM and a reduction in physical symptoms due to psychological conditions (i.e., somatisation, which was also measured in the 2008 trial). 

In summary, TM improves mental health by allowing the individual to gain profound rest to the body, where the stresses are stored, and expansion to the mind, where memory is stored . 

With the practice of Transcendental Meditation, individuals live a life of inner happiness and vitality, which allows them to enjoy their life and be happy.