TM: The warp and woof of it

One of Pavlov's Dogs  (Rklawton)

If you instantly knew that "TM" stood for transcendental meditation, and you even associated it with the Beatles, then you also know that it's been around for quite some time.

Maybe you even know that studies upon studies have attested to its validity as far as health benefits are concerned.  Jeff Halevy of U.S. News & World Report states that TM "has one of the largest libraries of scientific research  supporting it, substantiating claims of everything from increased cardiovascular health to decreased violence to increased creativity."

Nevertheless, Halevy goes on to say, "But celebrity endorsements and even the best academic studies can hardly be relied on as conclusive proof." 

Well then, what can?  Halevy relies upon personal experience to form his own theory about TM's benefits.  Having "recently learned the technique," he concludes that "it works."

But why?  Halevy has a theory about that too.  He thinks that because TM trains people to not react strongly to their own thoughts, it therefore lessens the angst that often accompanies internal chatter.  He views TM as a "conditioning technique" – somewhat similar to those used with Pavlov's dogs.

Halevy concludes:  The good news and the bad news is that we're not so different  from Pavlov's dogs.  

Warped?  Or simply, woof?      

Resources

http://news.yahoo.com/does-transcendental-meditation-actually-135401367.html

Copyright September 7, 2013 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved