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• Talk:Transcendental Meditation/Sources

Image

An image of someone doing TM would be great. I have an uncle who does this and gave much of his money to the Maharishi. Also ran for the Natural Law Party of Canada. I am sure he would be happy to have his picture taken if we cannot find another.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 03:29, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

I agree. Of course, such a picture would simply show a person sitting in a chair with their eyes closed. David spector (talk) 04:11, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

I know that is all that is required. If you do this David would you upload an image? My uncle is kind of overweight and definitely not a picture of health.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 05:01, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

Sorry, Doc James, but I haven't taken any photos of meditators myself. I'm guessing that the photos on the TM website would not be allowed to be copied into WP. Since some editors here work at MUM, perhaps they can obtain a photo of themselves or a friend or student meditating. I hope they will consider doing this. David spector (talk) 15:54, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

I do not know how to upload a image to Wiki, but there are numerous pictures of people doing TM on various web sites. --BwB (talk) 17:25, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

The website of the TM organization would own the copyright on the images. One would either need permission to release the image into the public domain under a creative commons license or take our own. The image can be uploaded here . There is a little upload file on the left side. If you need further help let me know.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 21:39, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

It would be nice to have some photos on this article, but I'm not sure how this current photo, which shows some bare trees and road, adds anythingc to an article about a meditation technique-- — Kbob • Talk • 20:40, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I agree. I would like to see that photo deleted immediately and replaced with a picture of a red and yellow maple leaf, which would be just as meaningless, but at least pretty. Or just simply delete the thing. Someone? David spector (talk) 05:25, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

I don't want to delete the photo myself because my objectivity could be questioned. If we're agreed, can someone who is allowed to edit do it? David spector (talk) 01:46, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

We have a photo of the building at the end of the road, Maharishi's HQ. Or we could use a photo of the Maharishi himself, or Guru Dev.   Will Beback  talk  02:38, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps the most logical image would be the logo found at the top of many TM.org pages, seen here . Any objection to using it?   Will Beback  talk  23:49, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

I object. WP may not use images copied from a commercial website. That is violation of copyright since (by default) the author of an image owns its copyright. In any case, the current image, titled "Center of Transcendental Meditation" does not appear to show a center. It shows mainly a tree-lined road. Anyway, even a picture of the headquarters building does not fit the topic of this article well (it might fit on the TMM page). I say we should first delete this poor image, then find a public-domain image of someone meditating with TM. Probably MUM would give us permission to use one of their photos if we simply ask. Images don't have to come from a secondary source. David Spector 22:48, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages routinely uses commercial logos to illustrate articles on businesses. See General Motors, Apple Computers, Amway, etc. Further, the logo in question is based on a diagram used in TM instruction, so it illustrates a basic concept as well. If Misplaced Pages practice is the only objection then I'll go ahead and add it. As a picture of a person sitting with their eyes closed, we can add one of those as well, but since no special posture is used in TM it'll be a pretty generic photo.   Will Beback  talk  17:21, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

I've gone ahead and removed the lane photo and added the logo. If we find a photo of someone meditating that would be a good addition to the "principles" section.   Will Beback  talk  07:50, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes it can be used under fair use rational.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 09:42, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Removal of content sourced to pediatric review

Why were the following sentences removed that were sourced to the pediatric review? "Of the 6 TM studies, 5 were randomized controlled trials. A primary outcome of the randomized controlled trials on Transcendental Meditation was the reduction of hypertension and improvement in vascular function relative to health education, as well as reductions in absenteeism and attentional problems." There is no policy or guideline that supports the removal of this sourced content. TimidGuy (talk) 12:39, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Hi TimidGuy. As I believe I've already stated, the study in question does not draw conclusions based on TM alone. Therefore you should not be including conclusions which include other forms of "sitting meditation" since the conclusions are not derived from TM alone.--Kala Bethere (talk) 17:31, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, I wondered that too, Timid. Thanks for asking for clarification on that. --BwB (talk) 12:42, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

I don't have a full copy for review, but it looks like this is not specific for just TM, so therefore either are it's conclusions. Also I cannot see if the source studies are primary, TM Org derived studies. It's not clear how or if they were able to isolate TM as a variable.--Kala Bethere (talk) 14:32, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

I took a look at it and it appears this is not related to TM specifically, but to "sitting meditation" in general. It does not isolate TM separately as a variable. It also, it turns out, was a non-consensus edit. Thanks for pointing this out and helping improve these entries.--Kala Bethere (talk) 15:26, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

The review gives details of the findings of 6 studies on TM. These findings can be reported in Misplaced Pages. Your removal of sourced material isn't acceptable. TimidGuy (talk) 15:59, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Hi TimidGuy, unfortunately the conclusion most readers would find on this source, doesn't even mention TM in it's conclusions! Please re-read the conclusion, you'll see what I mean. I also certainly hope this review is not hiding a bunch of primary sources again TimidGuy, as I know we've talked about that problem before. If you wanted to created a new entry called "Sitting meditation" though, I think this could be a great start for you.--Kala Bethere (talk) 16:21, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Edit conflict

TG's mode of adding content is completely consistent with how content is being added and subtracted to all of theTM articles at this point. A revert based on no consensus given that history is problematic. Since there has been a push to include reviews some of which do not pertain to TM specifically, possible lack of specificity as a reason to revert before discussion is inconsistent and no reason to revert content in the future.(olive (talk) 16:05, 3 February 2010 (UTC))

Thanks, Olive. Note that it describes the results of each of the 16 studies included in the review. This information that I included in the article was specific to the TM studies reviewed. It's interesting that the very editor who removed individual TM studies is removing a review of TM studies. TimidGuy (talk) 16:14, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

I agree with TimidGuy and Olive here. If the TM results are specifically shown and discussed in the article, it does not matter that the abstract does not mention TM specifically, those results are relevant. The TM results presented in the article are singled out because this WP article is about the TM program, not about all sitting meditation techniques. If it would clarify the matter, we could add a preface to the sentences as follows: "A review of the effects of sitting meditation techniques in adolescents...." However, I am getting the strong impression that Kala Bethere simply does not want to allow any positive results or statements about the TM program no matter what kind of publication is used as the source. This is not good WP editing. We are here to represent the sources as accurately as possible, not to pick only the sources and statements that show negative (or positive) conclusions. And just to clarify a point, all reviews rely on primary sources. That is what a review is all about. The fact that a reviewer has examined all the primary sources and reached a conclusion is the value of a review. Reviews published in peer reviewed journals are excellent secondary sources. ChemistryProf (talk) 18:27, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Hi ChemProf. I wasn't referring to the abstract, but the actual conclusions of the paper (emphasis, mine):

"CONCLUSIONS: Sitting meditation seems to be an effective intervention in the treatment of physiologic, psychosocial, and behavioral conditions among youth. Because of current limitations, carefully constructed research is needed to advance our understanding of sitting meditation and its future use as an effective treatment modality among younger populations."

Please note the lack of mention of any one specific sitting meditation. It does mention the fact that the datum is disproportionately taken from African-American youths. So it's unfortunately not representative of or generalizable to the population as a whole.

It's hardly fair to blame me for the consistently poor quality of TM research or the high standards the WP uses.--Kala Bethere (talk) 20:13, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Were in the paper does it mention that "Of the 6 TM studies, 5 were randomized controlled trials."? I read the paper and do not see it mentioned which is the comment you see in my edit summary..Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 21:24, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

See pages 536-37 for information on which studies are RCTs. This review includes research on TM, and this article can reference the studies it mentions. Please don't make up rules restricting what can be taken from a source. TimidGuy (talk) 21:43, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Ah so you mean that you went through the list of papers mentioned. Counted up the ones that were RCTs and TM and ones that were not RCTs and TM generated a number and added it to Misplaced Pages? Please see WP:NOR.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 21:50, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, that's what I mean. Were you the one who added this sentence? "Of these 16 studies 5 were uncontrolled." TimidGuy (talk) 21:55, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

(undent) page 535 "The majority of intervention designs were randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) (n11), and the remaining studies (n 5) had a pretest/posttest no-control-group design." Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 21:59, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

TimidGuy, this nonsense has got to stop. And I mean now. If you want to get topic-banned, if not banned from Misplaced Pages entirely, you certainly seem to be going about achieving that in the right way, and with a vengance. You cannot mispresent findings of a study just because your employer doesn't like the conclusions. You cannot insert your own original research into articles to advance the positions of your employer. If you are incapable of conforming your editing to the rules, standards and guidelines of this encylopedia - and there is ample evidence that you either cannot or will not- you should not be editing here. If you can't make that decision for yourself, you're going to find to your embarassment that someone is going to make that decision for you, and probably in very short order the way things are going.Fladrif (talk) 22:07, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

When I raised the point a few days ago about OR wording in the lede: "Lede text now reads "A 2007 review of various meditation practices, most notably Transcendental Meditation, concluded that the definitive health effects of TM cannot be determined as the bulk of scientific evidence was of poor quality." Is this new version of the text now POV wording? --BwB (talk) 17:33, 27 January 2010 (UTC)" I got hammered by editors saying it was not OR but reflected the study, even though the study did not specifically "note" TM or conclude that "the definitive health effects of TM cannot be determined as the bulk of scientific evidence was of poor quality." And now here we have Timid getting berated for doing what looks very similar with this study. --BwB (talk) 22:51, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Please read the reference page numbers are given.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 20:20, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

Views of the editing

What I am seeing here is two or three editors who reveal in almost every sentence they write on these discussion pages that they have a VERY STRONG NEGATIVE BIAS against TM and its research, and two or three editors, who happen to be TM practitioners and maybe even faculty members at Maharishi University of Management, who appear to be making a genuine effort (though not always succeeding) to create an article that is neutral. This is a condition of imbalance. We do not get a neutral article by including only the few reports and reviews that reach negative conclusions about MEDITATION RESEARCH (not necessarily about the TM technique research) and twist those to state that these negative conclusions refer specifically to the TM research. Either we make an honest effort to reflect the majority of research out there, which means, at the least, covering the relevant conclusions of ALL PEER REVIEWED secondary sources that have data specific to TM. The "relevant conclusions" means, wherever possible, the conclusions that relate specifically to the TM technique, the topic of this article. Not all of those conclusions have to be stated in the abstract or in the summary conclusion section of the source. The summary conclusions in a paper include only those that the authors feel are most central to their stated goal. If their goal was not to compare effects of specific techniques but to lump them together, then they will not include any conclusions about the specific techniques in their summary. On the other hand, their results may show in tables or other data that TM research was uncharacteristic of the whole. In the case of the original AHRQ report, the results showed that the majority of the TM randomized trials scored in the good range, even using the Jadad scale. This was not true of any other meditation technique they included. If we are going to persist in including this government report as a reliable source (and I have stated reasons why we should not), then it is certainly justifiable to include this result of the quality evaluation of TM trials even though it was not mentioned in the conclusions. And we are bound to include all the peer reviewed secondary sources that have findings specific to TM research even if these are not mentioned as major conclusions of the paper. It is not our role as editors to pick and chose what secondary sources suit our fancy. We include all of the ones that have findings that are clearly specific to the TM technique. ChemistryProf (talk) 05:23, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

If those who believe that their POV is not being fairly addressed here than I recommend they request further eye from WP:MED.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 06:32, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

We seem to be discussing all sorts of topics in this thread which I created to discuss putting a sentence about NIH funding in the lede. Can we please stick to that discussion here. So, what are the Wiki policies, if any, that prohibit a sentence being placed in the lede about NIH funding TM research for $20+ mil? --BwB (talk) 12:26, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Such advertisement of TM is non-neutral to start. It's an encyclopedia article, not a sales brochure Bigweeboy. Furthermore, the studies they would refer to would be primary sources! Why on earth would you mention studies, which WP guidelines insist we would not favor in the article anyways? The only reason would be to proselytize or promote a product (in this case TM-as-product). I could list a bunch of WP policies for this, but I think you yourself should try to gain a Neutral perspective yourself, rather than have me do it for you, by simply applying a little common sense. I think it's important for the MUM.edu editors to understand that both peer review and funding monies are never actually a guarantee of good science. Please stop proselytizing.--Kala Bethere (talk) 13:38, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

To ChemistryProf: Wow. You seem to be saying that complying with Misplaced Pages sourcing standards is part of an effort to skew the POV on this article, and that the pro-TM and MUM editors (including yourself?) who've dominated this topic for the past year are solely interested in making the article neutral. I think the evidence points to a different interpretation of recent history. However, this isn't the place to discuss other editors. If you think that anyone here has a COI then please use the appropriate noticeboard, but remember that your own editing may also come under scrutiny. In the meantime, I suggest that we keep the focus of this page on the subject of this article. If we're unsure of which kinds of studies or reviews are best then we can ask for outside input.   Will Beback  talk  17:59, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

I have reminded Chem Prof on his User Page about WP:NPA and talk page etiquette. Others here are familiar with these policies I think and need no such reminder.-- — Kbob • Talk • 18:48, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

I think you may be misrepresenting Wiki policy here, Kala. If a source in a journal, newspaper, etc. reports that the NIH provided funding for TM research then this is a valid reference. The quality of the research, who did the research or that the sudies are primary sources is not important. A source referring to primary research is a secondary source. Just as a review of primary research studies is a secondary source. And, I am not sure what is non-neutral in telling the interested reader that the NIH has funded TM research. Because there is text in the body of the article about the NIH funding, it is legitimate to mention it in the lede since the lede acts as a summary of the material in the article. A simple example of this is the mention of the court case in the lede that found TM to be a religion. A sentence in the lede summarizes the findings of the court, and the body of the article expands the point. Do other editors have a problem with this logic and application of Wiki guidelines? --BwB (talk) 10:04, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

We seem to devote quite a lot of space to the research issues in the lead. The whole lead is, at this moment, about 414 words, of which 115 are devoted to research. The proposed sentence is another 30 words, for a total of 145 out of 444, or 33%. By comparison, the entire article is now about 5621 words, of which about 969 is devoted to research, of 17%. So the lead should have about 20% or less of its space devoted to research. If folks want to add the stuff about NIH funding then the rest would need to be cute by more than half to reflect its weight in the article. I suspect that we could summarizr them all by saying something like "Research into the health effects of TM, funded partly by the NIH, has yielded mixed results", stretched out to about 70 words.   Will Beback  talk  10:27, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

Good points, Will. I do think that such a summary would be better. Note that the research has pretty consistently shown that TM has a positive effect on health. The issue is whether the effect is greater than controls. Ospina Bond found that in some cases it was and in other cases it was about the same. Perhaps we could say, "Randomized controlled trials, some of which were funded by the National Institutes of Health, generally show positive effects on health but a government report found that these yielded mixed results when comparing the improvement to that found in control groups." I guess we won't know exactly what a summary would say until we've added more of the secondary sources. TimidGuy (talk) 11:53, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

I think what we have now summarizes well the current research.--Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 12:51, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

Great, so let's add 1 sentence on the NIH funding TM research by $20+ million. --BwB (talk) 13:41, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

I think the consensus of non-MUM.edu editors is that it is fine the way it is.--Kala Bethere (talk) 15:16, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

If it is really true that NIH funded research specifically into the health effects of TM to the tune of $20 million (is that actually true?), that deserves to be in the lead paragraph or other prominent position, IMO. Why? Because NIH is a level-headed organization that is heavily scrutinized by many segments of our society. For them to dispense $20 million in the direction of TM shows that they think that level of funding is worthwhile and likely to produce results (they don't fund purely hypothetical or exploratory or fringe studies). This is real evidence from an independent source that TM may not be fringe science (like Astrology or Scientology) but, instead, a unique and beneficial technique as has been claimed by the TM advocates all along. Even though I run a competing organization that provides thousands of clients with an alternative and do-it-yourself way to learn how to transcend thinking, I have a great deal of respect for TM, including its anecdotal benefits, the 50 or 100 of its research studies that are reliable and independent, and my own published research on transcending (a peer-reviewed article in a psychology journal showing the reduction in anxiety level and increase in 'self-actualization', based on statistically significant self-controlled inventory results). I have become increasingly annoyed with the anti-TM faction here, who consistently and wrongly (IMO) characterize TM as misleading people in order to make money. Although I agree that the TM organizations' justifications for high course fees are untenable (and just plain weird), I believe they act that way in imitation of their founder, based on social momentum. They really don't act like a commercial organization (such as having tasteless advertising saturating daytime and late night radio and TV) but as a serious educational organization who believe they have a panacea for the ills of modern society. I'm not against this kind of enthusiasm and obsession, so long as they have some evidence. Enough of the research is good enough to qualify as evidence; and personally, the immediate positive results in the 104 people I instructed in TM in the 1970s convinced me that TM is generally beneficial. What I am saying is that there is room for two points of view here. Let's give full respect to both the Pro-TM and Anti-TM editors and please stop fighting. Try to focus on reflecting both POVs in the article in a brief, balanced, and well-written way. That should be difficult enough without each side trying to eliminate the other. Editors need not act like bullies, so please stop acting that way, all of you (except for the two editors who have been trying to bring balance and cooperation). David spector (talk) 16:43, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

I fully agree about the relevance of the NIH funding. It is as highly reliable an independent source as one could find. NIH absoultely does not fund fringe science, especially the branch (National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute)that has funded much of this research. This is more neutral and noteworthy than the government report, which I took pains above to show is not independent of political influence. ChemistryProf (talk) 19:51, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for your comments Chem and David. And am not sure what Kala's comment "I think the consensus of non-MUM.edu editors is that it is fine the way it is." is supposed to mean. --BwB (talk) 20:55, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

As Will said, the perspective of every neutral editor who has managed to stumble into this walled garden is pretty much completely the opposite of ChemProf's and David's. It's both interesting and instructive to see how any neutral editor is quickly labeled by the Fairfield contingent as biased. It's a sad commentary on these articles to that most of them soon slip away in disgust, horror and frustration at dealing with an entrenched group of dedicated and relentless editors determined to push the POV of the TM Movement.

This in an encyclopedia. It is not an advertisement. It is not a press release. It is not a public service announcement. Giving equal weight to opposing views is not "neutral"; when an article is about science and medicine, not all views are entitled to weight, and not all sources are reliable, not even the ones you or the guy bouncing up and down next to you wrote. I am sure it is painful to those editors who have worked so hard to include page after page of material. They were told repeatedly they could not use this stuff because it was not reliably sourced. Why does it comes as a shock that these articles finally attracted some outside attention and those Misplaced Pages policies are actually being enforced?But no-one should have been suprised by this; it was inevitable.

It does not serve writing an encyclopedia to now claim that people who insist that we actually follow the rules here are all being bullies and uncivil and biased and this is all so unfair and uncollegial. Sorry, but not from where I sit, it ain't. But, if you really think so, go take it to ArbCom. But, be careful what you wish for.Fladrif (talk) 23:40, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks Fladrif for introducing some semblance of sanity into the conversation. I feel like a foreigner who has walked into a country (or walled garden) where the water is polluted by some strange hallucinogen and meeting another "non-drinker". I also hope you will one day be vindicated for the abuse you have taken, trying to improve these articles. It must be frustrating in the extreme. I've seen numerous false accusations hurled against you for simply trying to improve the articles here. Thanks for sticking in there despite all of the prejudice you've endured.

David, you don't seem that knowledgeable, despite being the head of an organization that also sells mantras, over the internet, your power to do so very tentatively tied to having attended TM TTC. You sound clueless on the fact that the TM Org has bilked millions of tax dollars out of the American people. All because congress mandated some investigation into alternative health claims. You should read Doc James comments to this effect, I do believe he nailed it. The Ospina-Bond review is not some weird, off-base message from the Allopathic Industrial Complex, it's quite simply the reality of the science, despite all the aspersions to the contrary. If you think this is something new, you're just not simply that aware of what independent science has been saying for decades.--Kala Bethere (talk) 00:12, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

I am sticking with my comment above. The information about funding from the NIH is an important observation that does not fit the interpretation that researching the TM program is fringe science or pseudoscience. The fact that some of you seem to be locked on that interpretation despite any evidence to the contrary prevents you from seeing that the NIH information is relevant. It's not relevant TO YOU if your minds are already made up, but that is not a neutral POV by any stretch of the imagination. It is absolutely as much by the WP rules to include this point in the lede as it is going by the rules to include a politicized governmental report about many different mental and physical techniques the authors squeezed under the title "meditation," even if this report did include some research on the TM technique. ChemistryProf (talk) 05:23, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

I thought Will made a good suggestion. Seems like it would resolve the issue. TimidGuy (talk) 12:17, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, reading Will's comment again shows a sensible approach and could present the material in a neutral, balanced way. --BwB (talk) 19:17, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

Per Will's suggestion above, I have added a sentence on the health research and funding. I think this a fair and balanced statement. --BwB (talk) 15:38, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

I don't think we're all in agreement. First, my suggestion was to use some text like that in place of the research text now in the lead, not in addition to it. Otherwise we exacerbate the undue weight issue in the lead. Second, other editors disagreed with that proposal. So there's no consensus for that edit.   Will Beback  talk  19:32, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

Bwb, would you mind reverting yourself until there's a consensus on changes to the lead?   Will Beback  talk  19:50, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes I do mind, but I will. There have been many edits to this article without any effort to build consensus. As I have pointed out several times, there is no Wiki policy to prevent a sentence in the lede about the fact that the NIH has funded TM research to the tune of $20+ million. There is text in the article on the topic and the lede can reflect this. However, if people are willing to work on consensus and abide by Wiki policy on references, then I will revert now, as you have asked. --BwB (talk) 20:00, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

We are definitely not in agreement. I have searched the government report for statements like the one currently in the lede. I see nothing similar. Inserting "Transcendental Meditation" and "TM" the way someone has done here, instead of referring to the collective meditation techniques as the report does, is obvious POV and is not appropriate. I will submit another version of these two items, although my feeling is that the government report is a weak source and is not specific enough or scientific enough to be in the article, much less in the lede. ChemistryProf (talk) 20:04, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

What are the specific objections to having information about NIH funding in the lead? (olive (talk) 20:21, 8 February 2010 (UTC))

I think if you re-read this thread the answers are here. Speaking only for myself, I think that adding more information about the research gives the issue undue weight in the lead relative to its space in the article. I have no complaint about adding information about the funding, but if it's added then something else should be removed. I had proposed a formula for how we might structure the overall summary of the matter, but apparently BwB misinterpreted my suggestion. Other editors seemed to disagree with altering with the existing text. Can someone propose a shorter version of the paragraph (around 70 words) that covers all of the points?   Will Beback  talk  20:34, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

I agree that the alternative language is absurdly long and gives undue weight. I have inserted a 5 or 6 word "fix" that probably won't satisfy anybody, but strikes me as appropriately balanced.Fladrif (talk) 19:46, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

OK, here is a summary of the research that represents the body of work and introduces the government report that some editors are so fond of. Obviously the conclusions of specific reviews will be given in more detail in the research section of the article. References can be added when this is inserted to replace the current discussion of the research in the text of the lede. "Possible effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique on physiological, psychological, and individual health measures have been investigated scientifically, as have its effects on society. A significant portion of this research has been funded by government grants from the United States National Institutes of Health, from public funding agencies in other countries, and by private foundations. Several qualitative and quantitative reviews have reported significant changes in a number of these measures during and after practice of the technique. However, a government report reviewing many techniques of meditation concluded that most of the meditation research had used weak methods or was poorly reported." ChemistryProf (talk) 06:18, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Do we have a source that says " A significant portion of this research has been funded by government grants from the United States National Institutes of Health, from public funding agencies in other countries, and by private foundations"? Is the government report the only publication that failed to find positive results? Is it important to say "qualitative and quantitative" in the lead?   Will Beback  talk  06:40, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

(undent) I say we stick with what is there now. We could change it to "Research done by the TM movement is generally of poor quality. Independent analysis of the research does not support the claims made by this movement and concludes that TM does not have any properties different than health education / standard relaxation. Well governments has supported research in the past some governments now have policies baring future funding of TM due to its religious and pseudo-scientific nature." Refs can be added latter.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 08:49, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Again, I feel it is important to mention the NIH funding of $20+ million in the lede. Since some editors are keen to talk about the poor quality of the research or that the claims are not supported, the fact that the NIH has continued to support TM research is important to mention. Thanks. --BwB (talk) 12:03, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Will, the government report didn't fail to find positive results. In the results section in the abstract it says that the report found that TM reduces blood pressure. It conducted a number of meta-anlayses; the health education finding is just one of them. Here are some more:

• "When compared to PMR , TM® produced significantly greater benefits in SBP and DBP."
• A meta-analysis of a second group of studies found this: "A subgroup analysis indicated a statistically and clinically significant reduction in DBP in favor of TM® (WMD = -5.19, 95% CI, -10.24 to -0.13) in the long-term studies (Figure 29)."
• A meta-analysis on the effect on cholesterol found this: "The long-term studies indicated a statistically significant improvement (reduction) in favor of TM® (WMD = -23.94; 95% CI, -43.87 to -4.00)."
• A meta-anlaysis on verbal fluency found this: "The combined estimate of changes in measures of verbal fluency showed a large, significant improvement (increase) in favor of TM® (SMD = -0.74; 95% CI, -1.12 to -0.36). The results of the combined studies were homogeneous (p = 0.73, I2 = 0 percent)
• TM compared to waitlist controls: "Two studies289,309 totaling 70 participants (TM® = 41, WL = 29) provided data on the effects of TM® on heart rate (bpm) in healthy populations (Figure 33). The combined estimate of changes in heart rate showed small, significant improvement (reduction) favoring TM® (WMD = -5.94; 95% CI, -11.54 to -0.35). The trial results were homogeneous (p = 0.73, I2 = 0 percent)."
• TM compared to waitlist controls: "The combined estimate of changes in DBP (mm Hg) also showed a small, significant improvement (reduction) favoring TM® (WMD = -3.61; 95% CI, -6.62 to -0.59). There was little heterogeneity in the study results (p = 0.31; I2 = 4.6 percent)." (little heterogeneity means that the results were consistent)

It's not clear that we're representing Ospina Bond's report in a balanced way. The health education finding is based on just five studies. And to answer your question, many many reviews find positive results. TimidGuy (talk) 12:22, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

And the results section in the abstract also makes this general observation: "Meta-analyses of results from 55 studies indicated that some meditation practices produced significant changes in healthy participants." TimidGuy (talk) 12:36, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks Timid for taking the time to review this study and point out these findings. I am sure it will help the editors to shape the presentation of the TM research, both in the lede and the article. --BwB (talk) 14:25, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Ospina Bond is accurately reflected in a balanced way in the article as it is now written. Cherrypicking through the report as TimidGuy is proposing is contrary to WP:MEDRS and mispreresents the findings of the meta-analysis.Fladrif (talk) 19:46, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Flad, could you please elaborate how these points above misrepresent the findings? --BwB (talk) 22:52, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Will Beback, in answer to your first question, I doubt that this exact statement can be found in a single source. We can give sources for the $20+ million from the NIH and probably for each of the other mentioned funding types. As for the government report, as TimidGuy points out, the report found more positive results for the TM program than it did negative results, so the present statement of the results of the report is something made up by a previous editor. It is nowhere to be found in the report. One analysis of the report failed to find significant increases of BP when compared to a control condition. This result was created in part by an error of data transfer by the authors of the report. This error was caught by several reviewers of the report, but was not corrected by the report's authors. In answer to your question about other reviews finding negative results, I am aware of a review by Canter and Ernst in 2004 that found inconclusive evidence for a reduction of blood pressure with TM. Subsequent reviews that included additional studies have found significant reductions, including the government report we are citing. In answer to your last question, it is not important to say "qualitative and quantitative" in the lead. These terms would mean little to anyone other than a scientist familiar with the distinctions between these types of reviews.

Fladrif and Doc James, the current statement in the lede that is attributed to the government report is fictitious. If you disagree, then please point me to the page and paragraph where it appears in the report. ChemistryProf (talk) 05:37, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

CP if you look at the ref it says page 4. If you look at page 4 of the report it says "A few studies of overall poor methodological quality were available for each comparison in the meta-analyses, most of which reported nonsignificant results. TM® had no advantage over health education to improve measures of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, body weight, heart rate, stress, anger, self-efficacy, cholesterol, dietary intake, and level of physical activity in hypertensive patients; RR was not superior to biofeedback in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients;" As TM has a very extensive promotional strategy both on the web and in journals, I only support the use of third party sources. We have the Cochrane review and the government report.

BTW this was in the summary of the results and thus they feel that these were the most important overall conclusions.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 08:25, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

If people wish to add further balance to the lead I would support adding a summary of the Cochrane paper.

In response to Davids comments above, in science and on Misplaced Pages all views / POVS do not get equal weight. Those with the best evidence get the majority of the weight well those with poor evidence get little. Currently we say that poor quality studies done by TM affiliates found positive results ( surprise surprise ) and than that properly done reviews by independent third parties did not support these conclusions. And finally there is no reason to call anyone pro or anti TM. Some of us are just evidence based.

Finally the AHQR report is in the public domain so there is no concern about taking direct quotes from it.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 08:28, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

AHRQ includes many sections titled Conclusion, each of which presents the findings I listed above. We don't know why they highlighted just one of the meta-analyses on page 4. But there's no rule that says we can't mention other findings. In fact, a major finding was that TM reduces blood pressure. It's right there in the Results section of the abstract.Why can't we say that? We need to follow NPOV in presenting this review. It is multifaceted, and it's simply wrong to let a single meta-analysis of 5 studies define all of TM research. In addition, we need to represent the point about quality in a balanced way. It's a point of view that the Jadad scale is an appropriate instrument for the assessment of quality of meditation research. The authors themselves discuss the opposing point of view that it may not be appropriate for assessment. NPOV requires that both points of view be represented. If the authors themselves take it into consideration, why can't Misplaced Pages? In addition to JACM version of the review, we can also cite David OJ's commentary. Again, this review needs to be represented in a more balanced way. Doc, I'm finding that there are many many third-party reviews that support the conclusion that TM has positive results. TimidGuy (talk) 12:13, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

I assume your are refering to "Meta-analyses based on low-quality studies and small numbers of hypertensive participants showed that TM(R), Qi Gong and Zen Buddhist meditation significantly reduced blood pressure." I assume that this was not in comparison to health education as in the above example.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 12:37, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

The results showing a significant effect of the TM technique on BP were from studies using an active control group, progressive muscle relaxation, which itself has been shown to reduce BP. This is a more powerful result than comparison to a usual care control or to a health education control. However, if you read the original papers, it is explained that the health education control was designed as a placebo procedure. The control participants received instruction of the same length and the same amount of instructor attention as the TM group, with enthusiastic HE instructors giving information intended to create the same amount of expectation as in the TM group. The HE group also had periods of quiet time twice a day like the meditation group. So the HE condition was designed as a placebo control. As I mentioned above, one of the reasons the comparison of TM with HE in the AHRQ report found no significant effect is that the authors of the report made significant errors in transferring data from one of the papers to the report's analysis. They also made other errors in this analysis. These errors were pointed out to the authors by three of the report's reviewers but was not corrected in the final report. This is one of several reasons I have mentioned before that make this report a weak source. The Orme-Johnson critique describes many of these weaknesses. So if the original AHRQ report or the later, peer reviewed paper is cited, then to maintain a neutral POV, we need to mention and cite the critique. ChemistryProf (talk) 18:03, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

Sorry CP not convinced. These are the same people who claim they can fly by meditating. Orme-Johnson was the dean of MUM. The Cochrane collaboration came up with the similar negative conclusions. There is no pathophysiological rational behind the claims beyond relaxation. etc. Seeing that people like analogues here this bring to my mind one with a duck.

Remember extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. That evidence has not been presented therefore positive claims should not be pushed as truth.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 18:10, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

First,I'm baffled. Why does everyone here call this study "Ospina Bond?" This designation doesn't correspond to any academic convention for citation. The first author is Maria Ospina; the second author is Kenneth Bond. If there were just the two authors, then it would be common to refer to the study as "Ospina & Bond, 2007" but since there's a whole list of authors, the usual notation would be "Ospina et al., 2007" But "Ospina Bond" makes no sense; it's like a familiar shortcut for a law firm or something. We don't ordinarily shorten scientific citations that way. My thoughts on how Ospina et al. should be covered:

I can see how some might mistakenly view it as problematic to report just the overall conclusions, since they lump all the meditation types together rather than separating them out, but the overall conclusions do actually apply to the TM research specifically as well as to all of the bodies of research together. The conclusions are, loud and clear, that the available reseearch is of such poor quality that no valid conclusions can be drawn, either way, about the effectiveness of any of the meditation techniques. Most of the available research was too poor to be responsibly included in a meta-analysis, so each of the meta-analyses had to be based on a very small number of studies. If I'm not mistaken, each of the "positive" results TG culled out of the TM analysis sections was based on two studies and again if I'm not mistaken, in each case the two studies were conducted by TM-affiliated researchers. This isn't nearly enough data to draw conclusions from . The HE comparisons are somewhat more robust, since they are each based on five studies rather than two, which may be why they felt more comfortable singling those meta-analyses out for a mention. It would indeed be distorting their findings to include all the bits TG pulled out of the analyses, since they were obviously not considered interpretable enough by the researchers to be included in their conclusions. Woonpton (talk) 16:08, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, Woon. Do you feel this sentence fairly and neutrally reflects the findings of the Ospina et al study: ""A 2007 review of various meditation practices, most notably Transcendental Meditation, concluded that the definitive health effects of TM cannot be determined as the bulk of scientific evidence was of poor quality."? Do you feel it reasonable to use the phrase "most notably" about TM research in this review? Thanks. --BwB (talk) 19:14, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

Doc James, following is the part of the quote I could not find anywhere in the AHRQ report: "A 2007 review of various meditation practices, most notably Transcendental Meditation, concluded that the definitive health effects of TM cannot be determined as the bulk of scientific evidence was of poor quality." As for the quote you repeated just now, what gives you the right to cherry pick this negative finding and omit the larger number of positive findings listed by TimidGuy? As for your personal opinion of Orme-Johnson's work, that is your POV, not shared by the scores of peer reviewers of the dozens of articles he has published in respectable journals. Nor is it shared by the NIH, since he has been invited to participate in special symposia organized by them. He is a scientist of considerable renown and not someone that any WP editor can simply dismiss. ChemistryProf (talk) 03:20, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

You guys are funny. We have gone through this numerous times. I have answers this question above. I have recommended you ask a third party but I think both you and I already know what their answer will be. Anyone not associated with the TM organization knows the answer. Cheers Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 20:03, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

Doc James, I don't mean to put you to too much trouble, but I must have missed out on your answers. Would you be so kind as to repeat them? Specifically, where is the statement I indicated in the AHRQ report? And why are we listing only the negative findings on TM from the report and not the equal or larger number of positive findings? Finally, how can we justify ever disqualifying a person's peer reviewed publications from a WP article because they happen to be an expert in the field? ChemistryProf (talk) 05:34, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

I have listed the page number. Look at the ref. Also a full discussion of this is available above and answers your questions. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 02:37, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Doc James, I have scanned through this long discussion again, and I do not find the reference or the answers you indicate. Would you please copy them and paste them here? Thanks, this will facilitate any further discussion. ChemistryProf (talk) 06:44, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Price for TM in lede

The official TM web site has prices for TM. Reference directs to web site. Thanks. Sorry this was me who made the edit. I forge to sign. --BwB (talk) 09:50, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

Not sure who made the above, unsigned, comment. But on this topic. I am pasting (below) the text regarding the price and how it is discussed and sourced in the Teaching Procedure section. So if we are going to mention price in the lead it should summarize these points.

• In 2006, a New York Times article reported the cost to learn TM to be about $2,500 USD and "involves working with personal instructors over five days". The Washington Post and Bloomberg.com reported that the typical cost, in 2009, for a one hour a day four day course to be $1,500 for the general public and $750 for college students. The organization which teaches TM is non-profit and tax exempt. In 2001 however, tax exempt status for the Maharishi Spiritual Center, was refused, as it was not deemed to be an educational organization. The Skeptics Dictionary refers to it as a "spiritual business".-- — Kbob • Talk • 17:18, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

I think the most we should say bout the price in the lede is that it's been controversial. Something like, "The TM movement has been criticized for the high price of the course, which proponents say is a good value."   Will Beback  talk  18:02, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Unfortunately, WP is not vehicle for promotion per WP:SOAPS. Therefore prices should not be included in the article at all, should they? Perhaps it would be appropriate to just state it is overpriced compared to most meditation techniques (per the cost comparison on my User Page). Also, not all TM advocates believe the current price is fair. That's why there are so many independent teachers of TM, some advocates still think it is overpriced.--Kala Bethere (talk) 18:17, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

The prices have been in and out of this article with the regularity of a cuckoo on a cuckoo clock. I don't care either way. There are legitimate arguments to both sides , as with most issues. We just source what we do include.(olive (talk) 18:40, 4 February 2010 (UTC))

The controversy that Kala describes, and which as been covered in numerous secondary sources, is why the article needs to cover the issue of cost. We're still a long ways from having a comprehensive coverage of the issue, though a significant number of sources on the issue have been accumulated.   Will Beback  talk  19:06, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Someone recently put price the info in the Teaching Procedures section and in the lead. I added to the info in the TP section with more recent sources. I have always been neutral on the price issue. Don't care if its in or out. However if its going to be included, then it should be accurate and clearly stated. Also I think price comparisons by editors on their User Page is OR and we should avoid that and use reliable, secondary sources. Also, even if it's in article I'm not sure it needs to be mentioned in the lead.-- — Kbob • Talk • 19:08, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

The price in the lead was based on the ref that follows it. A 2006 paper. Some one changed the price without changing the reference which I assume was done by mistake. It looks like the price has been decreasing. I think the current price belongs in the lead and a discussion of why the price has decreased and peoples opinion of the cost are interesting and encyclopedic if this information is available and belong in the body of the text.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 21:30, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

There are extensive sources discussing price at Talk:Transcendental Meditation/Sources. I don't think that's complete, but it's probably complete enough to serve as the basis for a good paragraph. I'm not sure that the exact current price is the most notable thing about it. The simple fact that it is expensive is what is controversial.   Will Beback  talk  21:39, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

As the price and duration of courses seems to has changed maybe we should use the price per hour? About $500 USD/hr?Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 21:41, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

In a full discussion of the price we might list the price and durations at various periods, but calculating a price per hour might be going a bit far. Better to say something like, "in 1970 the course included four three-hour sessions and cost $75. In 2008, the course included five two-hour sessions and cost $2500. In 2009 the price was reduced to $1500 with no change in the duration", and so on. Readers can easily do the math themselves. I haven't been looking for sources on the length or intensity of the standard class, so I don't know how much material is available. While I'm thinking of it, we should include a little something on training and re-certifying TM teachers too. 22:00, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

A full discussion should include prices in other parts of the world otherwise we risk being US centric. (olive (talk) 22:06, 4 February 2010 (UTC))

Agree Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 22:08, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

If anyone has sources for controversies about prices in other countries please add those as well. Talk:Transcendental Meditation/Sources   Will Beback  talk  22:11, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Qoute: Instruction in Transcendental Meditation (TM) on the Island has been suspended indefinitely after overseas practitioners ordered the local office to start charging $2,000 for initiation lessons.

I was considering taking up the role of teaching again but this was a curtain coming down on that," said Dr. Liddell, who was head of TM Bermuda for 15 years from 1984. "I wasn’t upset or angry but it was a bit like a bomb had dropped." Former TM teacher Frances Eddy said she was "outraged" at the price hike. "It makes it very difficult for teachers to ask for that kind of money and it excludes ordinary people.

Well, if Transcendental Meditation becomes so expensive that fewer people waste their money on it, maybe that isn't such a bad thing?

The Royal Gazette/August 16, 2003 By Benedict Greening

http://www.royalgazette.com/rg/index.jsp?sectionId=55 http://www.rickross.com/reference/tm/tm62.html http://atheism.about.com/b/2003/08/21/transcendental-meditation-too-expensive.htm —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tuckerj1976 (talk • contribs) 17:28, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

I think we have two different areas we are dealing with. One is the actual price of TM. The other is the controversy surrounding the price. The actual price of staring the technique has been added and removed it seems several times with the idea that leaving it in place would constitute advertising. Controversy surrounding the cost of the technique as far as I can remember has never been part of the article. I though we should separate out these two issues before the discussion went much further.(olive (talk) 18:17, 7 February 2010 (UTC))

Good point, Olive. I started this thread since someone had put the price of TM in the lede and I wanted to correct the price to $1500 and to point out that this was the price in the USA. I do not mind one way or the other if the price is in the lede. If editors feel it is important to have something in the text about TM costs, OK with me, but let's not be too US centric in the discussion. --BwB (talk) 19:07, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

I've given it my best shot Transcendental_Meditation#Fees. I'm sure it can be improved, but thanks to Will and others for pulling together in one place a lot of sources which allows a historical overview and a not entirely-US-centric text.Fladrif (talk) 23:28, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Seems good to me. Thanks for doing this.(olive (talk) 04:52, 10 February 2010 (UTC))

Thank you. I appreciate BwB's effort to add info on income levels over time, but (i) the sources aren't good, and (ii) it's kind of beside the point. Until the new tiered fees in the UK, income levels haven't factored into fees for over 40 years. That line of thought invites getting the article ought off into tangents, like what the Beatles or other celebrities must have paid at one week's salary in 1967, or that a $2500 fee implied $130,000 annual income and even $1500 implies a $78,000 annual income at an equivalency to the "one week's salary" concept. It would, however, be good to add is a sentence or two, properly sourced, on the TM Org's response to the criticisms of fees and defending the levels as appropriate. Fladrif (talk) 15:02, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

As a total and complete OR aside, I've roughly calculated that the Beatles would have collectively paid the equivalent in today's dollars of more than $1.2 million to learn TM. In the 1967-1968 time-frame, they made 8-9 million pounds in record royalties alone, ignoring publishing rights and other merchandising and income. That's somewhere in the neighborhood of 80,000 pounds per week; the exchange rate then was 1 pound=$2.40 US or $192,000 per week; which at todays prices (CPI ~640 where 1967=100) is over $1.2 million. Nowadays that kind of scratch would entitle them to buy the a Rajaship. Fladrif (talk) 17:25, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

I don't think we have any definitive sources on the cost of Raja training, which presumably also takes time as well as money. I do recall seeing a source which said that a minor member of the Beatles' entourage, perhaps a driver, being unhappy that he had to pay a week's salary. The issues of Beatles and money are best left to another article. In any case, thanks to everyone who worked on the fees section. It's a long-overdue component of the article.   Will Beback  talk  17:40, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

I wasn't seriously suggesting that any of that actually belonged in this or any other article.Fladrif (talk) 19:08, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

Your welcome, WIll. You see, we can work together to make the TM article a good solid piece of work and to a high Wiki standard. Sure, editors have different opinions - that's natural, but I feel the confrontation of the last few weeks could so easily have been avoided (and indeed dose not need to escalate any further) if people are patient and civil and try to work out the different issues in a mature and responsible way. --BwB (talk) 17:50, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

Patience indeed. This fee issue has been discussed for over a year. 17:59, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

I confess to having half expected that this new section on fees would be reverted and then subject to contentious discussion for another month or more. Contrary to expectations, this bit at least went more smoothly. I ain't gonna join in a circle singing Kumbya quite yet.Fladrif (talk) 19:08, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the thanks, Flad. Yes, I was trying to put the TM fees in some sort of context since the opening sentence presented the fees as a equiv. to 1 weeks wages and I wanted to show that the fees somewhat mirrored this level in the US fee structure until the late 1990s, when it took a big leap upwards and did not correspond to the "1 week wage" concept. --BwB (talk) 17:38, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

I understand, and appreciate the effort. I would agree that the fees were not all that far off from the "one week" concept up until the big jumps in 1994 and 2003, though the sources don't really hang together and it's probably OR to conclude that. I also think its interesting, though not reliably sourced, that a TM newsletter dated June 2, 2009 said that new enrollments nearly tripled and were the highest in over 15 years that month (May?), coincidentally, after the price drop. Fladrif (talk) 19:08, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

And I was so looking forward to four part harmony on the Kumbya. Alas, maybe another time! Good team work :-)-- — Kbob • Talk • 21:56, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

TM mantras from Tantric tradition

I do not know whether or not the mantras of TM are from a Tantric tradition. The text suggests that they are:

"According to pundits of the mantra tradition and Rig Veda tradition, the sounds used in the Transcendental Meditation technique are taken from the ancient Tantric tradition."

Is it possible to clarify if this reference is a primary source? Is this a book by Pandit Arya? Where could one find a copy of the text? --BwB (talk) 12:09, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

Can we please have a page number for the Alain Daniélou reference? --BwB (talk) 12:14, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

Could we also have a page number for the Arthur Avalon book? Is there anywhere to see this text online? --BwB (talk) 12:17, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

When I looked up the text by Avalon on Goggle books it has no information on the publisher. Do we know who published this book? --BwB (talk) 12:24, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, verifiability is important. The reader and editors should have all of the information needed to access any sources in a Wiki article. -- — Kbob • Talk • 17:37, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

There's an entry for an Arthur Avalon book in Worldcat" . But it's Greek to me. (or something like that...)   Will Beback  talk  21:54, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

Entry for Usharbudh Arya including bibliography at "Libary Thing" confirms that he is the author http://www.librarything.com/author/aryausharbudh. Publisher was:Himalayan Institute Press, ISBN ISBN: 089389074X http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Mantra-and-Meditation/Pandit-Usharbudh-Arya/e/9780893890742 Tuckerj1976 (talk) 23:08, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks everyone. Can we please get page numbers for the text in the books that support the wording in the article? --BwB (talk) 15:23, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

Can we please have page numbers for the sources mentioned above? --BwB (talk) 12:05, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

We are still waiting for the page numbers for the above references. Can they be provided? --BwB (talk) 17:25, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

I'll be looking at working on some of this section soon. Are you allowed to post with ArbCom thing going on? Thanks for your interest. Were you ever able to find a source in the Vedas like you claimed? There are plenty of copies free on the web. If we are unable to find a Vedic source, we should either remove it or state that it is a false claim made by the Maharishi. I've actually been able to find two sources in tantric mantra dictionaries--Kala Bethere (talk) 16:14, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Mantra refs

1. "David Lynch's Shockingly Peaceful Inner Life - New York Times".
2. Washington Post, Colleges Use Meditation, Jenna Johnson, December 20, 2009,
3. Bloomberg, Wall Street Meditators, Osharat Carmiel, September 18, 2009
4. "10 Facts About the Benefits of Transcendental Meditation".
5. "Property Tax Commission Rules Against Maharishi Spiritual Center". Mountain Times. January 6, 2001.
6. "Transcendental Meditation - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com".
7. Mantra and Meditation, Pandit Usharbudh Arya
8. Tantrabhidana With Vija Nighantu And Mudra Nighantu by Arthur Avalon ISBN 8177557262
9. While the Gods Play: Shaiva Oracles and Predictions on the Cycles of History and the Destiny of Mankind by Alain Daniélou ISBN 9780892811151
10. Mantra and Meditation, Pandit Usharbudh Arya

Kratter study in pediatric review

This is an interesting situation. The pediatric review categorizes the Kratter RCT as a TM study, but then in a footnote says that it's not TM but is like TM. I looked at the study and feel it's quite a bit different from TM. In addition, it was only an ERIC publication. So I've not included the findings from this study, which found a benefit to ADHD (improved attention, etc.). TimidGuy (talk) 11:44, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

German report

We've set a high standard for research, even disallowing, for example, a randomized controlled trial published by the AMA and disallowing one published in 2009 with over 300 subjects. So I don't understand how we can possibly include in the article material about the finding of the German report. It wasn't peer reviewed, wasn't published in an academic journal, is not cited in the scientific literature, isn't included in review articles. The evidence in the report is anecdotal. It fails MEDRS on every count. It's anecdotal, dated, and a primary source. TimidGuy (talk) 12:06, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, Timid. Bases on other material removed lately for the same criticisms, it seems reasonable to remove the "German report". What do others think? --BwB (talk) 19:07, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

You need to provide a PMID link.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 19:53, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

Sorry if I am meant to know, but what is PMID? Thanks, --BwB (talk) 10:47, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Pubmed ID number. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 02:34, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

TM is not Hinduism

The article currently says, "The charging of fees for instruction in TM has been criticized by stricter Hindus as unethical..."

The phrase "stricter Hindus" implies that TM is Hindu organization, or possibly an organization of Hindus.

This is false, and clearly only one counterexample is necessary to disprove it. I offer myself as that example. I practice TM but I am a member of the Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as Quakers). If you need an example in the administration or faculty of MUM, I am absolutely certain that there are many non-Hindus there. In fact, in all the years I have been associated with the TMM, I have personally met only a handful of Hindus who practiced TM (I know there are several more around, most of whom live or at least grew up in India).

Furthermore, the TM instruction itself does not turn students into Hindus. Nor is there any connection between any TM organization and any Hindu temple. To summarize, for those who didn't know: TM is non-Hindu. In fact, TM is not even religious. It involves no requirement of a belief in God, for example, so there is no barrier to an atheist learning TM or any of the other TM-associated programs.

Of course, there is some overlap in some programs, such as Yagyas and Vedic Astrology, both of which are similar to counterparts in Hinduism. And the TM puja (which is used as a ceremony of gratitude) has counterparts in Hinduism that are devotional and religious in nature.

I ascribe this overlap to MMY having been formally Hindu (since his teacher represented the Vedic Shankaracharya tradition, which is shared between Hinduism and certain secular Indian philosophies such as Advaita/Vedanta).

I'm sorry if this is confusing because of the overlap, but the bottom line is that neither TM meditators, TM teachers, MUM students, MUM faculty, nor MUM administrators are, in general, Hindus. And, with the possible exceptions noted above, the content of the TM practice and TM philosophy (the Science of Creative Intelligence) are not religious.

Conversely, almost no Hindus in the world would feel comfortable saying they practice TM (since most have not learned it).

Finally, the TM mantras, which are names of gods in Hinduism, are used as meaningless sounds serving as vehicles for transcending in TM. The Vedic philosophies consider gods as equivalent to various aspects of personal and universal consciousness (for example, the three main gods represent the activities of creation, maintenance, and dissolution). Gods are only worshiped in Hinduism, not TM. In TM the mantras are helpful in transcending, which is not a process of prayer or devotion but instead a natural reduction in mental activity resulting in the experience of pure consciousness without thought.

Since I am voluntarily not making significant edits to the article since it is controversial, I would request that someone else remove this misleading phrase. In fact, the article could use a new section that distinguishes the TM technique from Hinduism. I don't think any Hindus would appreciate TM being described as Hindu, since it isn't, even according to them. David Spector 23:29, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

You may be misreading the text. TM cannot be "a Hindu". I think the implication is that MMY was a Hindu.

That said, there are many sources that describe TM and its related concepts as being part of or derived from Hinduism and especially the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Rather than getting into a full discussion of this complicated and contentious topic, would it be possible to change the wording slightly to avoid the controversy?   Will Beback  talk  23:43, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, he is misreading the text. Does the edit solve your problem?Fladrif (talk) 01:22, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

You're right, I missed that, sorry. How about "Religious Hindus have criticized Maharishi's charging of high fees for instruction as unethical"? David Spector 01:26, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

The criticism was of charging any fee. And it is well-sourced.Fladrif (talk) 01:36, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Fladrif is right. The Maharishi was considered by many of the Shankaracharya order a "seller of the Vedas". Devout Shankaracharins and other devout Hindus believe that one who sells the Vedas goes to Hell (patala-loka).--Kala Bethere (talk) 17:26, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

David Spector, your long explanation is appreciated. These discussion pages, and even the TM article itself, often reflect a poor understanding of what you have detailed. Some seem to believe that because Maharishi lived the life of a Hindu, he could only have intended to convert all his students to Hinduism. I have never seen any indication of that intention in any of his teachings. On the contrary, he seems to have taken pains to encourage everyone he taught to stick with their own religious tradition, whatever that might be. From the students of his teachings I have met, and the number is in the hundreds, maybe even thousands by now, I have seen nothing to change that impression. They represent a wide range of religions, with only a few who were not previously religious adopting some of the Hindu rituals. ChemistryProf (talk) 06:00, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

I'm curious ChemistryProf then how you explain the trend in TM circles for women wearing saris, recommendation for Hindu "sacrifices", yajnas, Vedic Astrology, reconstruction of entire cities, neighborhoods and homes in traditional Hindu style? There have even been some TM movement websites that are filled with pictures of Hindu divinities, advertising sacrifices to various gods. I used to even receive email lists of various Hindu holidays that people were to observe (or purchase sacrifices for). You don't have to be very observant to notice how Hindu a lifestyle the Maharishi and his successors are recommending.--Kala Bethere (talk) 17:21, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

This topic is difficult enough without folks making speeches. Let's try to stick to discussing improvements to the article, please.   Will Beback  talk  06:25, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Talk pages are meant to discuss the articles. But I find there are some very basic, fundamental lacks of understanding on the topics we are dealing with, so every now and then, a little explanation and context is appropriate, and just fine.(olive (talk) 07:14, 12 February 2010 (UTC))

I don't think that folks posting their unsourced opinions and comments about unnamed editors will bring much understanding to this topic. Let's stick to discussing the article. There are forums elsewhere for general discussions of TM and MMY.   Will Beback  talk  07:29, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

The simple point is that the TM technique is a technique for transcending. Therefore, it cannot be a religion. --BwB (talk) 10:57, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

If any editor here has a problem with how the TM/religion issue is dealt with in this or the other TM-related articles, let's see some specific objections, with references to reliable sources, and suggestions as to how the article can be improved. Overwrought dissertations setting forth editors' personal opinions, beliefs, and experiences, whether genuine or a cynical PR strategy, coupled with vague accusations that other unnamed editors "just don't get it", are not only irrelevant and immaterial, they present serious obstacles to rational discussion here.Fladrif (talk) 14:45, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Good points Flad. Do you think it rational to say that TM is a technique and that a technique is not a religion? --BwB (talk) 15:03, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

The statement "TM is a technique, so it can't be a religion" is not a rational argument. It is either a non-sequitur or a tautology, depending on how you look at it. A technique can be part of a religious practice, and a religion may consist of or involve engaging in a technique. It is the same thing as arguing "a Roman Catholic mass is a technique/ritual/ceremony, thus it can't be a religion" - the argument nonsensical. The reciting of mantras is an important and integral practice of many religions - Buddhism, Hinduism, many forms of Christianity, etc. TM may or may not be a religion, or part of the practices of a religion. Reliable sources reflect differences of opinion on that question, and the opinion of any editor here is irrelevant. I refrained earlier from pointing out how fatally flawed and malformed the argument was and from pointing out that many people might conclude that practicing "a technique for transcending" is the very definition of religion. But, you had to ask; perhaps you should leave well enough alone next time. Fladrif (talk) 15:49, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

My comments did not reference editors unnamed or otherwise nor is that what I meant. We are dealing with a piece of information that editors attempted to explain albeit in a personal way, and although its easy to get sidetracked with such discussion, no reason to believe editors are not commenting honestly and with attempts to improve understanding, and so also the article. (olive (talk) 15:05, 12 February 2010 (UTC))

While I do not believe it is accurate to call TM "Hinduism" (a very broad term), it is based on and does use Hinduism whenever the TM puja is used. The TM puja uses a common ritual used by many devout Hindu religious worshippers, the shodasha-upachara puja, the 16-fold offering to the deity (typically some Hindu deity). So it is correct to say TM is not TM without use of the rituals of Hinduism. I could go more into detail on this. Perhaps it would be good to have a separate entry for the "TM puja" and a line-by-line analysis?--Kala Bethere (talk) 16:23, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Unless anyone really wants to add more text to the article about this topic then I think this discussion is just hypothetical. If folks want more text then I suggest, as always, that we should start by compiling the best available sources first. The existing "Relationship to religion and spirituality" is fairly long already by we could split it out. That's a clunky name anyway.   Will Beback  talk  07:51, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Hindu refs

1. Description of the Science of Creative Intelligence
2. One position against SCI

Maharishi Effect

ME draft #1

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi predicted that the quality of life for an entire population would be affected if one percent of the population practiced Transcendental Meditation. This is known as the "Maharishi Effect" or "super radiance". With the introduction of the TM-Sidhi program including Yogic Flying, the Maharishi proposed that only the square root of 1% of the population practicing those advanced techniques would be required to created an Extended Maharishi Effect. Practice of TM and TM-Sidhi has been credited by the movement with the fall of the Berlin Wall, a reduction in global terrorism, a decrease in the rate of inflation in the US, the lowering of crime rates, and other positive effects. The Maharishi Effect has been endorsed by President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, confirmed in 42 consecutive scientific studies, and described as "pseudoscience" by some scientists.

ME draft #2

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi predicted that the quality of life for an entire population would be noticeably improved if one percent of the population practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique. This is known as the "Maharishi Effect." With the introduction of the TM-Sidhi program including Yogic Flying, the Maharishi proposed that only the square root of 1% of the population practicing this advanced program would be required to create benefits in society, and this was referred to as the "Extended Maharishi Effect." Reportedly, practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs has been credited by some TM practitioners with the fall of the Berlin Wall, a reduction in global terrorism, a decrease in the rate of inflation in the US, the lowering of crime rates, and other positive effects. The Maharishi Effect has been endorsed by President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique who applied this technology in his country, and positive results have been reported in 42 independent scientific studies. Some have described this research as "pseudoscience."

MR References

1. ^ Wager, Gregg (December 11, 1987.). "Musicians Spread the Maharishi's Message of Peace". Los Angeles Times. p. 12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. "Maharishi Effect Research on the Maharishi Effect". Maharishi University of Management. Retrieved December 29, 2009.
3. Fay, Liam (June 13, 2004). "Maharishi mob meditates on Limerick's ills". Sunday Times. London (UK). p. 32.
4. Roach, Mary, "The last tourist in Mozambique", Salon (December 1, 2000)
5. deFiebre, Conrad (October 7, 1994). "Meditation touted as crime-fighter // Study presented builds the case for `Maharishi effect'". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minn. p. 03.B.
6. CALAMAI, PETER (October 9, 2004). "Stop the bleeping pseudoscience; Quantum physics film drowns in its own bunk science High point in What The Bleep is stunning animation sequence". Toronto Star. p. J.13.
7. "Maharishi Effect Research on the Maharishi Effect". Maharishi University of Management. Retrieved December 29, 2009.
8. Fay, Liam (June 13, 2004). "Maharishi mob meditates on Limerick's ills". Sunday Times. London (UK). p. 32.
9. Roach, Mary, "The last tourist in Mozambique", Salon (December 1, 2000)
10. deFiebre, Conrad (October 7, 1994). "Meditation touted as crime-fighter // Study presented builds the case for `Maharishi effect'". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minn. p. 03.B.
11. CALAMAI, PETER (October 9, 2004). "Stop the bleeping pseudoscience; Quantum physics film drowns in its own bunk science High point in What The Bleep is stunning animation sequence". Toronto Star. p. J.13.

ME discussion

The article currently contains no mention of the Maharishi Effect. The TM-Sidhi program article has an extensive discussion, mostly concerning what is properly called the "Extended Maharishi Effect", and it's probably best to keep the main discussion of the ME there. But this article should at least have a short section describing it, per WP:SUMMARY. I've posted a draft above, mostly adpated from the text at the TM-Sidhi article, though I can't find the source for the 1976 study. If anyone can think of improvements to the text please edit it directly.   Will Beback  talk  23:57, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

We might find objections from some editors of the primary sources used your draft. --BwB (talk) 11:01, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

OK. I've removed the primary-sourced (or unsourced) studies and added some details along with contrasting views.   Will Beback  talk  20:50, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

I see the cart is trying to pull the horse. ;-) The TM-Sidhi is mentioned in the lead (I'm not sure why) and now we want a paragraph on TM-Sidhi. I'm not sure either one is needed as it is just one of several advanced TM courses.-- — Kbob • Talk • 22:31, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

This isn't about TM-Sidhi. It's about the Maharishi Effect, which is created by 1% of the population practicing TM. Is that incorrect?   Will Beback  talk  22:57, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

An a credited university says the following, In 1960, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi predicted that one percent of a population practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique would produce measurable improvements in the quality of life for the whole population. This phenomenon was first noticed in 1974 and reported in a paper published in 1976. Here, the finding was that when 1% of a community practiced the Transcendental Meditation® program, then the crime rate was reduced by 16% on average. At this time, the phenomenon was named Maharishi Effect. The meaning of this term was later extended to cover the influence generated by the group practice of the TM-Sidhi® program. Generally, the Maharishi Effect may be defined as the influence of coherence and positivity in the social and natural environment generated by the practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs. (http://www.mum.edu/m_effect/)

One TM website also states the following, Transcendental Meditation allows the mind to identify itself with the unlimited reservoir of intelligence at the source of thought – the state of Transcendental Consciousness, bringing benefits in all areas of individual life. However, the effects of Transcendental Meditation are yet more far-reaching: the source of human intelligence is also the fountainhead of Nature’s intelligence – the Unified Field described by quantum physics – which underlies and governs everything in the universe. By enlivening this most fundamental level of Nature during Transcendental Meditation, a person automatically creates a powerful influence of harmony and coherence in their environment. Extensive scientific research has repeatedly demonstrated that when even a small fraction of the population is practising Transcendental Meditation, improvements can be measured in society as a whole, as indicated by reduction of negative tendencies and growth of positive trends. (http://www.t-m.org.uk/benefits/)

I think that as this is the claim of the organization itself this must be included and any other assumptions should not be made. I am happy with the draft produced by Will Beback above. I do not see this as contentious and do not see why it should be seen as such. Tuckerj1976 (talk) 23:15, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

I agree the article needs to look at the whole scope of TM not just the most palatable bits. Thanks Will. Well done.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 02:32, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, I too agree that a mention of both the claims made by Maharishi and the related research on sociological effects of the TM program and of the TM and TM Sidhi program are appropriate for this article. I have been digging into the research papers and will add some discussion here when I have the early research in hand. As for the proposed statement, I will make a few changes that may increase its accuracy after I have read this research. ChemistryProf (talk) 06:30, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes, good to include the ME section in the article. We just need to be a little careful to make sure we do not confuse the ME from 1% TM practice, and the Extended ME for sq. root 1% TM-Sidhi practice. For example, the Berlin wall came down in the late 1980s, more than 10 years after the TM-Sidhi program was introduced. Was this due to ME or Extended ME? --BwB (talk) 10:23, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

I was careful to make sure the sources weren't talking about TM-Sidhi, though we can second guess them.

• has long claimed that were a sufficient number of people to sit together with their eyes closed and engage in specified forms of his trademark meditation techniques, they would create "vibrations" which have a profoundly positive effect on the wellbeing of society. Proponents of what is dubbed "the Maharishi effect" claim that such interventions have played a pivotal role in reducing global terrorism (1989), decreasing the US inflation rate (1987) and collapsing the Berlin Wall (1989). Every mass meditation is also said to decrease local crime by an average of 16%. "Maharishi mob meditates on Limerick's ills" Liam Fay. Sunday Times. London (UK): Jun 13, 2004. pg. 32

I suppose, on a closer reading, that "specified forms" might be an indirect reference to TM-Sidhi.   Will Beback  talk  10:42, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

This version looks good. --BwB (talk) 11:06, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Finally I have obtained the first two published papers on the ME. As soon as I have had a chance to read them, I will update the suggested paragraph with the most direct information. ChemistryProf (talk) 20:40, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

What are the papers you're referring to? How can other editors obtain copies?   Will Beback  talk  20:51, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

"confirmed in 42 consecutive scientific studies"? The star tribune as a reference? Come on... Extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence. Please cite better source.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 23:02, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

The same claim is made in the Merseyside paper written by Hathard in 1996. I assume that there's no dispute over the quantity of studies, or that they all arrived at the same conclusion. Perhaps we can find a better word than "confirmed". Hatchard writes, "The Maharishi Effect has been extensively tested by over 40 studies." Perhaps "tested" is a better word, but by itself it doesn't indicate that every test has had a positive result, which I think is an important fact. Maybe what's missing for the reader's understanding is an indication of who has gotten these 42 positive results. How about something like "confirmed in 42 consecutive scientific studies conducted by movement researchers"? Or maybe as a different sentence: Is there a shorter way of saying it?   Will Beback  talk  00:47, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

There is lots of dispute over the outcomes. We are referring to the ME effect decreasing crime? This ref is good It seems these "studies" do not withstand even a small amount of scrutiny. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 01:15, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

"Tests of the ME by movement researchers have confirmed it in 42 consecutive studies, results that are questioned by skeptics"? Also, I found a solid, though brief, source on the ME: On the Nature of Consciousness. Harry T. Hunt. 1995 Yale University Press ISBN 0300062303. (It's a bit over two pages). Briefly, he faults the studies for failing to randomize the timing and says he thinks they do not prove causality, suggesting that they were in sync with societal rhythms instead of causing them. It's a much better source than The Skeptics Dictionary.   Will Beback  talk  08:47, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Will, is there a copy of the Hunt material online? --BwB (talk) 12:43, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes.   Will Beback  talk  07:28, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

I would be leery about claiming the ME is "confirmed" when in fact the only people "confirming it" are Primary sources. We should not give authority to highly questionable, biased, first hand sources. It's ludicrous to claim such a pseudoscientific claim is "confirmed" when it is not. For example, there is no accepted mechanism for the neurons of the brain, or consciousness for that matter, creating field effects of any kind, period.--Kala Bethere (talk) 16:31, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

I would agree with Kala here. One needs independent research to confirm something. As this research was not done by a third party and third parties have been unable to confirm these result we should say "TM researches claim in 42 studies that TM decreases crime, increases agriculture, etc. Independent researches however have not confirmed these claims." Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 16:44, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

We have two or three different issues here. "Independent research" in scientific discourse normally means simply different studies, even if by the same authors. The 42 studies mentioned above are all independent studies. Some of the same authors are involved in several of the studies, but the studies involved different measures, times, places etc. and are therefore "independent," as that term is ordinarily used. It is also true, as far as I know, that while some of these studies do involve researchers who are not connected with TM or the TM movement, they all involve one or more researchers from Maharishi University of Management or who is a practitioner of the TM technique. This in itself does not invalidate the study. The majority of these studies is published in peer reviewed journals like any other scientific research and therefore they have been vetted by experts in the field. The fact that "skeptics" exist does not invalidate this or any other peer reviewed research. The question of whether "third parties" have replicated these studies is relevant only if we can verify that "third parties" (whatever that means in this context) have tried and have failed to replicate the results. As far as I know, that has not happened.

Will Beback, the two sources I mentioned above as the first to report ME studies are the following: Borland C, Landrith III G: Improved quality of city life through the Transcendental Meditation program: Decreased crime rate. in Orme-Johnson D, and Farrow JT, Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation Program, Collected Papers, Volume 1, 1976, pp. 639-647; Dillbeck MC, Landrith III G, Orme-Johnson, D: The Transcendental Meditation program and crime rate change in forty-eight cities. Journal of Crime and Justice, vol 4, 1981, pp. 25-45. The earlier publication (Borland and Landrith) was not peer reviewed, but was the first report of the Maharishi Effect. The results of this study were, however, incorporated in the later, peer reviewed study published in 1981. It took a while to get these papers. I could not find the whole articles reprinted online. ChemistryProf (talk) 06:22, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

I made changes to Draft #1 attempting to make it more accurate. It still needs work. I question the use of so many media reports for main points rather than using peer reviewed scientific sources or the claims found in official TM organizational publications. Reporters often get things mixed up. I have not read all the studies, but I am aware of most of them. I don't believe any scientific study ever claimed effects on the Berlin wall. ChemistryProf (talk) 06:50, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

I moved your draft into slot #2. What is the source for the studies being "independent"? Secondary media reports are better than primary studies. See WP:PSTS.   Will Beback  talk  07:15, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Also I don't understand the logic behind this phrase: "Reportedly, practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs has been credited by some TM practitioners with ..." Everything in this article is "reported" so what's the point of that? Also, what do we mean by saying that these are only "credited by some TM practitioners"? I'd assume there are few things that TM practitioners agree on unanimously. Unless we're going to go through and add something like that to every sentence I don't see why we'd add it here. Have any TM practitioners given a different view?   Will Beback  talk  07:23, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

FYI, the text from the sources says:

• Proponents of what is dubbed "the Maharishi effect" claim that such interventions have played a pivotal role in reducing global terrorism (1989), decreasing the US inflation rate (1987) and collapsing the Berlin Wall (1989). Every mass meditation is also said to decrease local crime by an average of 16%.
  • Maharishi mob meditates on Limerick's ills; Liam Fay. Sunday Times. London (UK): Jun 13, 2004. pg. 32

That's a well known, mainstream newspaper. So rather than "credited by some TM practitioners", how about we simply say "according to proponents..."?   Will Beback  talk  07:43, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks Will, moving the revised version makes it easier to follow the history. Responding to your points, first the use of "independent." Please see the first paragraph of my post. It is common knowledge in scientific research that an independent study is one that does not overlap with any other. In common parlance, referring to a study as "independent" is not a statement about the authors of the study, the funding sources, or anything of that sort. In the context of this article, the word has sometimes been used differently from the common usage. In particular, it has been used to signify research done by authors not affiliated with the Transcendental Meditation techniques or programs. This specialized usage should be explained any time it occurs in the article or discussion. Second, your point about secondary sources is a curious one. I see nothing in the link you give that says using a mainstream news media secondary source should trump a peer reviewed primary source for presenting non-analytical or non-interpretative material. The following is the relevant statement from WP:PSTS: "Articles may include analytic or evaluative claims only if these have been published by a reliable secondary source." We are not talking about analytic or evaluative claims here, but if we were, there still is the requirement for a "reliable secondary source." If we are talking about analysis or interpretation of scientific results, then to be considered reliable, the secondary source would need to be a peer reviewed published review article or something of that caliber. If we are not making analytic or evaluative claims, WP:PSTS says primary sources are acceptable. In that case too, as with the secondary sources, peer reviewed published accounts are the most reliable and would be far preferable to news media secondary sources. Third, the use of "reportedly" was an attempt to acknowledge the weak source of this statement. It is awkward and probably not the best solution here, but just because some reporter claims that someone (are we even told who?) in the TM movement said the ME was responsible for the fall of the Berlin wall, is it really fair to include that in a summary list along with claims that have come from peer reviewed published reports of scientific studies. I don't think so, but I left the point about the Berlin wall in so we could have this discussion. If you have the source for the (1989) date and/or a primary source for the statement, then that would help. As for "credited by some TM practitioners," again I was trying to deal with the problem of attributing this claim of bringing down the Berlin wall to the "TM movement." I am not aware of this claim having been made by any official organization or any scientific publication. I'm not sure what the dates in parentheses mean in the sentence you quote. I have heard individuals speculating that maybe the large groups of practitioners that were involved in special creating coherence courses at about that time might have had something to do with the fall of the Berlin wall, but are idle speculations the right material for an encyclopedia article? I don't think so. I think we should stick with the scientific articles on this one. I am aware of at least one peer reviewed article that reviews and summarizes many of the ME studies. If we want to use a more reliable secondary source here, I can find that reference and see what kinds of summary statements are made. ChemistryProf (talk) 18:22, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

CP, it sounds like you're saying that "indepedent" is your own assessment of the studies rather than a description found in a source. If so, then than that's original research and shouldn't be included. As for the Berlin Wall matter, do you think the reporter made it up? Sure, if more reliable sources than the Sunday Times can be found then let's use those instead.   Will Beback  talk  19:40, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

CP's interpretation of "independence" is a singular interpretation that, far from being "common parlance," I've never seen used before to refer to the independence of studies. I wonder if maybe it's a misapplication of the concept of statistical independence. Yes, when we talk about statistical independence, we mean that elements of the matrix are uncorrelated with each other, but it's an odd leap to go from that to say that the same concept applies to studies: independent studies are studies that don't overlap, in fact independent studies can even be done by the same people, as long as they are different studies. This, as I said, is a singular interpretation. Actually, the word "independent" referring to studies and researchers is widely understood to mean just what we mean by it here; it's a very important distinction. If someone has written a research study, a critique of research, a review of the literature, a analysis, an evaluative comment, it is important for the reader to know whether that critique, comment, review or analysis is done by researchers who are unallied with the movement that the research is about and with the researchers whose work they are commenting on or summarizing, so can be considered dispassionate and objective evaluators of the topic. "Independence" is precisely the word that most accurately describes the non-affiliation that's a prerequisite to detached evaluation; I can't think of a better. Woonpton (talk) 20:50, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Re: Berlin Wall:

• 1988 Maharishi's Year of Achieving World Peace: Maharishi inaugurates his Master Plan to Create Heaven on Earth for the reconstruction of the whole world—inner and outer. • Warring tendencies are transformed into friendliness—the superpowers shake hands. 1989 Maharishi's Year of Heaven on Earth: Maharishi implements his Master Plan. • The unifying quality characterizes world consciousness as evidenced by the fall of the Berlin wall.
  • Maharishi's Global Accomplishments
• Maharishi brought enlightenment to a quarter of a million Germans, created 2,000 Teachers of Transcendental Meditation and trained 8,000 Sidhas in the Technique of Yogic Flying. National strength grew and soon the Berlin Wall fell overnight under the nourishing influence of growing Sattwa in German National and World Consciousness, the rivaling superpowers became friends and the country was unified.
  • Tribute. Raja Emanuel Schiffgens, Raja of Invincible Germany, Invincible Ukraine, Invincible Iran, Invincible Saudi Arabia, Invincible Bangladesh, Invincible Monaco, Invincible Nauru and Invincible Central African Republic
• Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. Raja Emanuel explained how the governments at the time, and even now, had no idea what caused such a momentous change. He showed very clearly how it was the rise of coherence in the collective consciousness created by Sidhas and meditators in 60 centres around Germany, plus 7000 Vedic Pandits performing Yagyas in India, that caused the peaceful fall of the wall.
  • "How the Berlin Wall was Caused to Fall" Vermont Vedic Health Thomas Hall
• Raja Emanuel Schiffgens and Lt Col Gunter Chassé continued their recent report* on the fall of the Berlin Wall, recounting developments that led up to the stunning events of November 1989, when the Wall came down. They explained that all of this was a result of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's initiatives to create a powerful influence of coherence in Germany and globally, through groups of Yogic Flyers and a large group of Maharishi Vedic Pandits in India.
  • "Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989: 'The battle was fought on the level of Silence'" 2010/01/19 Deutsche Nachrichten Agentur
• On the TM website, the movement claims that a mass meditation session of 7,000 followers coincided with the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the Cold War.
  • Beatles guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi dies (AFP) – Feb 6, 2008
• Few believed his more extravagant claims – for example, that it was the collective TM that brought the down Berlin Wall by radiating bliss to the world.
  • Leading article: Across the universe... Thursday, 7 February 2008, The Independent

So multiple sources describe this as an official claim, made by the Maharishi himself or a senior official. I suppose that Maharishi and Raja Emmanuel could be described as "some TM practitioners", but it's not the best description.   Will Beback  talk  21:02, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Will, with regard to your first point, no it is not my personal evaluation to say these are independent studies. What Woonpton alluded to in his long explanation is correct if the context makes it clear that we are talking about research being independent of any influence of a monetary nature or other source of bias. What is meant by "independent scientific studies" in the sentence I wrote is the more common meaning. This is used in statistical analyses and in publishing. Journals do not want single studies broken up and published as independent studies when they are actually part of one big study. And for statistical meta-analytic reviews, only those data from independent studies (meaning two separate studies) are used in a single analysis. This is what is meant ordinarily when one sees "independent studies" without further modifiers in a sentence. If a person wants to indicate independence from some group or ideology, they would specify that usage using some modifier or it would be made clear in the context.

As for the Berlin wall matter, thanks for pulling up all these references to it. Each of them does indeed mention the possible association of meditation groups and the fall of the wall, with some of the statements at least implying a causal relationship. However, it was not claimed to have been demonstrated in any scientific study. A scientific demonstration of a causal relationship would be difficult or impossible for a single event such as this. So what we have in the summary sentence you wrote for the ME statement is mixing apples and oranges, so to speak. Listing the speculative associations made by several leading figures along with the results of peer reviewed scientific studies is misleading. My suggestion is to separate the associations published in peer reviewed scientific studies such as the reductions in terrorism and other crimes from the speculations about the Berlin wall. If the Berlin wall claims are included, then let's name the person(s) making these claims. And where the results of scientific studies are mentioned, let's reference the scientific studies. ChemistryProf (talk) 03:49, 18 February 2010 (UTC)

We can say that there have been 42 separate studies, then there wont be any confusion about the meaning of "independent".

The fall of the Berlin Wall doesn't need to have been part of a study to occur. We list things that are attributed to the Maharishi Effect. If someone feels it necessary to distinguish those wich occured during studies from those that occurred outside of studies then we could add some text to cover it, but I don't think we're implying it so I dn't see how readers would get the wrong impression. We certainly should not say that these effects are only "reportedly" asserted by "some TM practitioners", as that incorrectly minimizes the assertion. These effects have been asserted by the highest officials in the movement.   Will Beback  talk  08:16, 18 February 2010 (UTC)

Logo

Are we sure the logo recently added to the article is the "official" TM logo? I had not seen it before. --BwB (talk) 12:35, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Go to TM.org. You'll see it on every page, except the home page.   Will Beback  talk  19:06, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

References

School programs

I note that the above section states, Schools in other countries, such as the Netherlands, Australia, India, Ecuador, Thailand, China, Great Britain ...

This would seem to suggest that there is no controversy regarding this in these countries, however, this is not the case. For example (http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/14/transcendental-meditation-in-schools) Should this not be cited in the interest of balance? For example:

It all sounds very positive, but the idea of introducing TM into schools is not without controversy. Indeed, for many people it can seem like a kooky child-rearing idea too far. There are questions about whether it is appropriate for children - indeed, whether children can master a practice that involves extended bouts of concentration. Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary medicine at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, says that "there is no good evidence that TM has positive effects on children. The data that exist are all deeply flawed."

Educational psychologist Kairen Cullen, associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, sounds a note of caution. She questions "at what age you could realistically expect a child to engage with this. It would certainly take discipline and require physical and mental control and focus." She does believe that TM can, in general, be a helpful tool, but is "not aware of any empirical research specifically showing the benefits to children. This is a very difficult sample group to access and it would be very hard to provide empirical evidence - any claims would therefore be pretty speculative."

Phillip Hodson, fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, believes that regular meditation could boost children's wellbeing. "Thoughts are psychoactive - as powerful as drugs," he says. "Anything that encourages a child's emotional intelligence would be a positive antidote to our goal-orientated education system. It could also be very useful to give children techniques that they can use in moments of stress."

Hodson doesn't subscribe solely to TM, however, saying that it "is just one of a range of relaxation techniques that can help children - the simplest being controlled breathing". And it is potentially problematic to rely on one form of meditation. "I would query any grand claims that a single technique can change your entire life," he says. "If it could, wouldn't we all be doing it?"

Tuckerj1976 (talk) 23:47, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes I agree added a more in depth look at the opinion in other countries is a good idea.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 01:30, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Great to see the focus becoming a little more non-US centric. If we can find research papers, news article, etc. for TM in other countries we can definitely include them. --BwB (talk) 10:16, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Hendel v WPEC

The article says that this lawsuit declared TM a religion. Hendel v WPEC was dismissed. Am going to delete. TimidGuy (talk) 11:43, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

The source text is: "a US court declared the movement to be religious, and in breach of the First Amendment guaranteeing separation of Church and State." Should we change the article text since it does not properly reflect the source? --BwB (talk) 11:57, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Moving above comment to section below on religion. --BwB (talk) 13:00, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

The lawsuit by Hendel was dismissed BECAUSE TM and TM-Sidi were found to be a religion!!!!! TG- your comment is typical of the intellectual dishonesty you continually exhibit on these talkpages and in your edits. This is absolutly and completely outrageous! BwB, you I excused for your typical clueless. This material is going back in.Fladrif (talk) 19:09, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for explaining, Flad. I was just explaining what the text of the news article sources said: ""a US court declared the movement to be religious". Is there a difference between "religious" and "religion"? --BwB (talk) 11:52, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

The courts in Malnak held, repeatedly, that TM/SCI "is a religion", and that teaching it in public schools involved the establishment of religion in violation of the First Amendment. Similarly, the court in Hendel found that the practice of TM and of TM-Sidhi was a religion. So, what is the point of your question? What distinction are you attempting to draw between "religion" and "religious"? In the context of these cases "religious" doesn't mean "sorta like a religion, but not really a religion". You tell me: is "making offerings to deities" a "religion" or "religious"? The purpose of these talk pages is to move the editing of the article. Don't waste other editors' time and valuable bandwidth by editing without bothering to read the sources, and by playing sophomoric word games. Fladrif (talk) 20:12, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

I do not understand its removal? It upheld the previous decision made in 1977 that TM is a religion. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 19:35, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

"Upheld" isn't the correct term of art here - "followed" would be the correct term. Hendel was a different case and a different court. The court in Hendel ruled sua sponte (ie, neither party made the legal argument to the court; the court raised the issue on its own) that TM and TM Sidhi was a religion. It cited Malnak extensively, and found its reasoning dispositive, but made its own additional analysis and findings about TM as a relgion, as well as finding that TM-Sidhi was a religion, which wasn't something Malnak had considered because that program was not before it. But yes, the removal by TG and his stated rationale is utterly inexplicable.Fladrif (talk) 19:53, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

The removal was not "utterly inexplicable" but I get your point. Thanks Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 20:28, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Good point. The removal is easily explained. WP:COI and WP:PUSH would be a start. I could continue.... By the way, what's taking CheckUser so long? Fladrif (talk) 21:24, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

I am also perplexed as to why this was removed. Tuckerj1976 (talk) 19:46, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Will has argued in the past that court documents are primary sources. Had you used a secondary source it might have been more obvious to me that this lawsuit was relevant. As it was, I glanced briefly at the appellate court decision in a civil suit and saw that it was dismissed. And now I'm unable to access the court document that I found online yesterday, so I can't verify what you say. I think you'll need to find a secondary source. It's not obvious that this isn't simply your interpretation. TimidGuy (talk) 11:53, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Legal claims are NOT health claims so once again one can use court documents.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 17:27, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Again, TG, you misrepresent sources policies and positions to serve your own end and that of your employer on these pages. One is not required to cpntinue to assume good faith once that has been proven to be unwarranted, as it has been by you. Hendel is not a "court document". It is a published decision of a US court, published by West Publishing, an independent publisher. A published court decision is perfectly acceptable as a reliable source.Fladrif (talk) 19:15, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Two type of organizations are religious. One is religions the other is cults. I guess there is some discussion as to which term is better applied to TM. So I sort of understand BwBs concerns but since the source more implies religion I think we should use this terminology.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 20:23, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Will, are you here? Do you want to explain your oft-stated argument that court documents are primary sources? TimidGuy (talk) 11:19, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

WP:PSTS. Most court documents are primary sources, the principle exception being appellate court opinions which are secondary sources for the cases they review. Like other primary sources, court documents should be used sparingly for illustrative facts and quotations, and usually only if they've been mentioned in reliable secondary sources. There is a considerable danger with court documents that they will be misinterpreted or give only a partial, biased, or tentative version of the facts.

A quick check of Proquest finds this minimal mention of the case at the end of an article on the settlement of other lawsuits:

• A fourth lawsuit brought by Diane Hendel of Arlington, Va., was not part of the settlement, Ragland said.
  • Guru's School Settles With Former Students; Omaha World - Herald. Omaha, Neb.: Apr 18, 1991. pg. 26

I hope that's helpful.   Will Beback  talk  23:16, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

The ICSA mentions that it is a religion And it is mentioned in the law journal

Title: Editorial: Is Atheism a Religion? Recent Judicial Perspectives on the Constitutional Meaning of" Religion" Source: Journal of Church and State Davis yr:2005 vol:47 iss:4 pg:707Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 00:30, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Also secondary coverage at Weldon, John "Transcendental Meditation in the new millenium" Christian Research Journal Vol 24 No 5 (2004). But, as I pointed out above, there is a major distinction between a published court decision and a "court document". A published decision is a reliable source, and the published decision is being used properly as a source in this article. There is no interpretation going on of what is a very straightforward holding, with no danger whatsoever of misinterpretation:

• "he causes of action must be dismissed for the reason that the practice of Transcendental Meditation and the TM-Sidhis program is a religion, and the trial of the causes of action herein would involve the court in excessive entanglement into matters of religious belief in contravention of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution". Hendel p 49

Would we prefer to simply quote the decision? TG newest objections to this material, now that his, olive's and BwB's tag-team reversions have failed, do not pass the smell test. Fladrif (talk) 15:05, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

TM as religion

The Times is factually incorrect in saying that the 1977 court decision found that the TM movement is a religion. Court documents and law review articles say that the issue was a course in TM/SCI taught in five public schools. This course was found to be religious in nature. TimidGuy (talk) 12:06, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

For the sentence in the lede, the source text is: "a US court declared the movement to be religious, and in breach of the First Amendment guaranteeing separation of Church and State." Should we change the article text since it does not properly reflect the source? --BwB (talk) 13:01, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

References in the lede are superflous. The lede as I have revised it accurately reflects the body of the article, which is exhaustively and authoritatively referenced.Fladrif (talk) 19:32, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Good point about refs. But the sentence misrepresents Malnak, which issued a finding regarding a curriculum in TM/SCI. TimidGuy (talk) 12:37, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes it included TM and this is what this article is about. Attempts to distract the reader from the topic at hand or hide the conclusions in mountains of text / qualifications is not what we are trying to do here.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:43, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

You might want to familiarize yourself with the case. TimidGuy (talk) 11:35, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

Claim that many studies have not been peer reviewed

Regarding this sentence: "A 2003 review that looked at the effects of TM on cognitive function said that many of the 700 studies on TM have been produced by researchers directly associated with the TM movement and/or had not been peer reviewed." I think the part about peer review should be removed, since it's vague and misleading. There are over 350 peer-reviewed studies. One could equally say that there are many peer-reviewed studies. And to highlight this passing statement by prominently putting it at the top in a separate section is a clear violation oF WP:UNDUE. If we can't get agreement to delete, and since it's unlikely that we could find a balancing statement, I would think that the only solution to the NPOV issue created here would be to follow the sentence with one that lists several dozen peer-reviewed journals that have published the research. TimidGuy (talk) 12:22, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Are not approx. 350 non-peer reviewed studies "many". The sentence seems accurate. --BwB (talk) 12:58, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Please read the reference.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:59, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Please address my point. There are many peer-reviewed studies, as you know. A simple search on Pubmed shows this. How can we conform to NPOV in this situation? TimidGuy (talk) 12:32, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Please ask over at at WP:MED if you do not like the consensus here.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:39, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

In Addition it should be mentioned that since this single 2003 study was published, there have been numerous studies on TM that have been published in peer-reviewed journals including the following.

Reduced Blood Pressure (Current Hypertension Reports, December 2007) This meta-analysis of 17 published studies from the medical literature (selected from over 100 published studies for their careful experimental design utilizing randomized controlled trials) reported on the effects of stress reduction techniques on elevated blood pressure in about 1000 subjects total. The treatments employed included simple biofeedback, relaxation-assisted biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, stress management training, and the Transcendental Meditation program. The results of statistical analyses showed that none of the first 4 treatment approaches demonstrated statistically significant reductions in elevated blood pressure, while the Transcendental Meditation program showed both significant clinical and statistical reductions in blood pressure. Full Article

Improved Quality of Life for Congestive Heart Failure Patients (Ethnicity and Disease, March 2007) This study examined the effects of conventional health education and the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique on measures of heart failure severity and quality of life in a randomized controlled trial of twenty-three older African American men and women with congestive heart failure (CHF). The results indicate that the use of the TM technique may be effective in improving the quality of life and functional capacity of heart failure patients. Full Article

Reduced Metabolic Syndrome (American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine, June 2006) This 16-week, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 103 coronary heart patients found that the Transcendental Meditation technique improved blood pressure and insulin resistance components of the metabolic syndrome as well as cardiac autonomic nervous system tone compared with a control group receiving health education. These results suggest that the TM technique may modulate the physiological response to stress and improve coronary heart disease risk factors. Full Article

Enhanced Longevity (American Journal of Cardiology, May 2005) This study was a first-of-its-kind, long-term, randomized trial. It evaluated the death rates of 202 men and women, average age 71, who had mildly elevated blood pressure. Subjects in the study participated in the Transcendental Meditation program; behavioral techniques, such as mindfulness or progressive muscle relaxation; or health education. The study tracked subjects for up to 18 years. The study found that the TM program reduced death rates by 23%. Full Article

Reduced Blood Pressure and Use of Hypertensive Medication (American Journal of Hypertension, January 2005) This long-term, clinical trial evaluated 150 men and women, average age 49, with stage I hypertension (average blood pressure 142/95 mm Hg). Blood pressure in the Transcendental Meditation group reduced by nearly 6 mm diastolic pressure and by 3 mm systolic pressure. In contrast, blood pressure in the progressive muscle relaxation group and conventional health education classes reduced by 3 mm diastolic pressure, with no change in systolic pressure. Use of hypertensive medication was also found to significantly decrease in the TM group in comparison with controls. Full Article

Reduced Blood Pressure in At-risk Teens (American Journal of Hypertension, April, 2004) This $1.5 million, four-year, randomized, controlled study found that adolescents at risk for heart disease experienced decreased blood pressure as a result of the daily practice of Transcendental Meditation.

Universities Conducting NIH-funded research on Transcendental Meditation: University of Pennsylvania Effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on Functional Capacity and Quality of Life of African Americans with Congestive Heart Failure Published in Ethnicity and Disease, Winter 2007 Full Article

Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles The effects of Transcendental Meditation on cardiovascular disease in coronary heart disease patients with metabolic syndrome Published in the American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine, July 2006 Full Article

University of California, Irvine The effects of Transcendental Meditation on brain functioning, stress, and pain as shown by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Published in NeuroReport, August 2006 Full Article

Howard University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C. Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta The effects of Transcendental Meditation in older African American women at risk for heart disease Findings presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, March 2006

University of Iowa The effects of the multimodality approach of the TM technique and Ayurvedic herbal preparations on coronary disease Findings presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, March 2006

The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (1) A study on the effects of Transcendental Meditation on the prevention of hypertension in African Americans; and (2) A study on the effects of Transcendental Meditation on morbidity and mortality in African Americans with heart disease. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.233.248.178 (talk) 22:21, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Hi 71.233.248.178.Thank you for that but has been mentioned already here those are all, but one, primary resource and most, if not all, funded by or conducted by members of the TM movement and are invalid for this reason. I understand that there is much to read through here but it might be wise to so. Copying and pasting from the following websites (which seems to have happened here, or assuming they are correct or cite the findings of the research correctly may not be the best way forward either: www.tmeducation.org/research-national-institutes-of-health, www.tmbusiness.org/tm-research/institutions.htm, ], , www.truthabouttm.org/DocumentFiles/56.doc Tuckerj1976 (talk) 22:39, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Ospina Bond meta-analyses

In making this edit, Doc said this in his edit summary: "these are not different met analysis." Here's what the review says: "Five RCTs assessing the effects of TM® in hypertensive patients were identified. Fivetrials205,206,210,220,221 compared TM® versus HE, and two trials220,221 compared TM® versus PMR. Meta-analyses were conducted for the comparisons TM® versus HE, and TM® versus PMR." This indicates they were separate meta-analyses. TimidGuy (talk) 12:29, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

I was taking from the summary of the results. Yes they are different meta analysis but this is not important / not significant.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 15:02, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

It's important to avoid suggesting that this was the only finding or even the main finding. The report includes a number of different comparators and many different meta-analyses. There are a number of different summaries in the report. And it's not clear why you're giving so much emphasis to the summary of results of Topic III. Here's a quote from the summary of results of Topic V: "Meta-analysis revealed that the most consistent and strongest physiological effects of meditation practices in healthy populations occur in the reduction of heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol. The strongest neuropsychological effect is in the increase of verbal creativity." See page 5. TimidGuy (talk) 12:27, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Actually this is the main finding of the best available study relating to TM. And thus we are going to emphasis it both in the lead and the body of this article. The quoted you give above does not even mention TM... Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:41, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

• First, it seems odd to me to make an issue over an edit summary; whether or not they were separate meta-analyses is neither here nor there as far as the article goes. And second, I agree with Doc James; this is a main finding of the report that pertains to TM and should be emphasized as a matter of course.

But more importantly, countering a summary of results specific to TM with a summary of results general to all the practices covered in the study is not useful. Yes, the strongest physiological effects overall were in the areas of heart and blood pressure, but only because Tai Chi, Qui Gong, Yoga, Contemplative Meditation, and other practices had such strong effects; TM hardly contributed anything to these overall effects (for example, for SBP, Tai Chi, Qui Gong and Yoga were each estimated to reduce SBP on average by roughly 20 mm; TM's estimated average reduction was only 2.5 mm). It would be misleading to use that summary sentence to support claims of health benefits for TM, when those overall results pertained almost entirely to other practices and hardly at all to TM. Woonpton (talk) 16:17, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

And again again, may I refer Timidguy to WP:ORIGINAL use of sources ] and possibly, to some degree]? While I am sure this is not the case this is how it may appear Tuckerj1976 (talk) 17:26, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

It's not OR to report what the review says. Any material I add will be TM-specific. TimidGuy (talk) 11:46, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

Trying to emphasis what is not emphasized in the paper is WP:DUE. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 18:03, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps it would be easier, re: the Univ. Of Alberta review, to post the following chart (from the government sponsored paper itself) which easily sums up TM's efficacy in lowering blood pressure. Sometimes a picture is worth thousands of words of arguing!--Kala Bethere (talk) 14:27, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

That is a great idea. As this paper is in the public domain we can use the graph. What was the page number of the graph again?Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:32, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

This appears to be Figure 25 on page 130. There is a table on page 129 that contains the data used to construct the graph, which I think may be more informative, or maybe not. People don't always understand how to read graphs, but the numbers speak for themselves (at least to me, but then I speak their language). So either would be fine. Also, be aware that that's for systolic blood pressure, it's followed by another table and graph for diastolic BP. Woonpton (talk) 17:49, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Terms: Review, Meta-Analysis, Government Report

This meta-analysis (Ospina et al. 2007) has been given all of these labels both in discussions here and in the article itself, and I think it's important to distinguish the terms and use the one that most accurately describes the study.

A review (more commonly called a literature review) is a critical evaluation of all the studies in a particular area, weighing the findings and flaws of each of the studies and coming out with overall qualitative conclusions about what the research in that particular area can be said to have found. A review doesn't contribute new research but simply evaluates and summarizes existing research, verbally and qualitatively.

A meta-analysis looks at all the research in an area, carefully evaluates the quality of each of the studies, and (using only the data from studies whose quality is good enough that their data can be considered reliable and valid) combines and re-analyzes those data to draw quantitative conclusions about the findings in an area of study. Ospina et al. is a meta-analysis.

A government report is anything published by the government and may or may not contain research or even be based on research. To refer to this study simply as a "government report" could misrepresent its nature and diminish its importance; I'm sure that's not what we mean to do here. Woonpton (talk) 18:59, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Health effects

The two quotations below:

Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary medicine at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, has said "there is no good evidence that TM has positive effects on children. The data that exist are all deeply flawed."

Educational psychologist Kairen Cullen, associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, speaking of TM in a pediatric setting has said it , "...is a very difficult sample group to access and it would be very hard to provide empirical evidence - any claims would therefore be pretty speculative".

These were removed by Timidguy citing WP:MEDRS However, this was done based on a miss-understanding/reading of WP:MEDRS. They could be removed on this basis perhaps if they were the views of the writer, assuming they were not an expert in the field, however, in this instance the comments are of noted experts/professional in a relevant area. They are simply cited in the popular press.

Please note that WP:MEDRS actually cites the Guardian as a reliable source

I have reverted. Please do not remove without discussion. Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tuckerj1976 (talk • contribs) 13:54, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes these are researchers opinions about the quality of evidence not health claims and thus okay.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:58, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Here's what MEDRS says: "The popular press is generally not a reliable source for science and medicine information in articles." We have made the decision to only include meta-analyses and reviews. These are assertions regarding science and are bound by MEDRS. Please don't add popular media sources in violation of the guideline. TimidGuy (talk) 12:04, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

This is not a science and medicine article. Only parts of it are.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:26, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Thank you for that clarification Doc James. I can see from TimidGuys editing here that he is a little confused about this but this is understandable as I am sure this can all be very confusing for some. But I would again like to refer TimidGuy to my and Doc James previous response. Can I also repeat that The Guardian is not considered the popular press but a quality broadsheet and is cited in MEDRS as a reliable source for medical articles. Once again, the two people cited are making comments about the state of the research in TM and pediatrics and are also published experts in this field working at accredited universities. Thank you Tuckerj1976 (talk) 15:38, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

WP:MEDRS says newspapers and magazines are popular press and explicitly disallows them. Regarding the Guardian, MEDRS cites a specific column. Did the article you cite appear in that column? TimidGuy (talk) 11:54, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

(undent) once again this is not just a page on claimed health effects it is dealing with a social movement which is making pseudoscience claims.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 17:58, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

I repeat Doc James comment to you Timidguy and to any of your potential sockpuppets]. To be honest this has proven it difficult to take you seriously and I am unlikely to respond to anymore of your comments. Sorry Tuckerj1976 (talk) 18:06, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

We should adhere to MEDRS when discussing scientific research. TimidGuy (talk) 11:44, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Paragraph

This is what the reference says if one looks at page four. "Overall it concluded that the results of TM are no greater than health education regarding blood pressure, body weight, heart rate, stress, anger, self-efficacy, cholesterol, dietary intake, or level of physical activity in hypertensive patients. ref name="Ospina p.4"/" It does not say "A meta-analysis of five studies found that the results of TM are no greater".Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:58, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

I would agree. To deviate from what the study says would be considered a misuse of the source per WP:ORIGINAL. If the reference document says or concludes that Overall the results of TM are no greater than..., this is what must be stated in the article. Tuckerj1976 (talk) 15:35, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Look on page 115. "Five RCTs assessing the effects of TM® in hypertensive patients were identified. Five trials205,206,210,220,221 compared TM® versus HE, and two trials220,221 compared TM® versus PMR. Meta-analyses were conducted for the comparisons TM® versus HE, and TM® versus PMR." Their findings regarding TM relative to health education are based on meta-analyses of two to five trials for each of the conditions assessed. TimidGuy (talk) 12:17, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes but that is not what we are citing. Nor is it what we want to cite. We are citing the summary.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:25, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

And once again, may I refer Timidguy to WP:ORIGINAL use of sources Tuckerj1976 (talk) 17:02, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 21:55, 14 February 2010 (UTC)==Interesting overview of TM== This is an interesting book that gives an overview of the research quality. Commenting that most of the thousands of studies were done by people within the movement, not peer reviewed, not properly controlled and published by MUMs own press. Lola Williamson (2010). Transcendent in America: Hindu-Inspired Meditation Movements as New Religion (New and Alternative Religions). NYU PRESS. p. 100. ISBN 0-8147-9450-5. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 15:05, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Are you saying this book tells of "thousands" of studies on TM? --BwB (talk) 17:19, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes your website only mentions 600 http://www.tm.org/meditation-techniques --Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 17:29, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

This article might be of interest also it could easily be integrated into the research section of the article perhaps? ] Tuckerj1976 (talk) 18:06, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Sorry correction it says over 600.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 19:02, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

(undent) Yes it confirms the above book "Much of the research is now done by members of the TM organization, often at their own Maharishi International University (MIU) in Fairfield, Iowa. Most of it is published in their own publications, where it is not subject to the normal peer review system of scientific journals. A strong motivation to prove the efficacy of TM could bias the findings." And I love James Randi Randi "concludes that the Maharishi has turned unproved and outdated notions of Eastern mysticism into a pseudoscientific mess"" Good find. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 19:16, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

There are no attempts to add non peer reveiwed studies to these articles. There are about 350 of those. And James Randi is hardly an expert in any of the sciences. Such a book gives an opinion of an overview of the research which even a cursory view would show to be inaccurate.(olive (talk) 20:34, 14 February 2010 (UTC)_

Both the book and article in question meet WIKI criteria for inclusion per: ], ], ] and would not be counter to ] and ] amongst a lot of other rules and guidelines. I don't see a problem. I don't understand the first part of statement I am afraid Tuckerj1976 (talk) 20:59, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

I should also bring attention to WP:FRINGE especially ] and a counter to ]and ] Tuckerj1976 (talk) 21:18, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

James Randi is an expert and definately a suitable soucre. Ask over at WP:FRINGE maybe?--Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 21:55, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Randi is a magician who makes living out if debunking. He is an expert what ?

The issue is not whether this book is reliable per Misplaced Pages but how its used, and what parts are being used. Can such a source be used to provide an overview of all of the TM research? Is the source a medical textbook or a review? (olive (talk) 23:13, 14 February 2010 (UTC))

Randi is an expert in pseudoscience. But please do not take my word for it ask arround. BTW we are not suggesting we us him for health claims. I was thinking he would be good for the flying and invisibility claims made by TM people.--Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 23:29, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

Dr Susan Blackmore is an expert in this area and her article is a usable source within the research section per —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tuckerj1976 (talk • contribs) 00:38, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

James Randi

Have added a reference from James Randi who is an well known and respected expert in this area ( ie pseudoscience / paranormal ). Will add more from him to provide balance. Much of what he states is the obvious such as the Maharishi assured member of the natural law party that they would win the election and they didn't, that people would fly and no one every has, etc.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 17:36, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

Shapiro 2003

• A 2003 review looked at "well-designed studies" and discussed three randomized controlled trials that suggested that TM improves cognitive performance. A study of 154 Chinese high school students found increased practical intelligence, creativity, and speed of information processing. A study of 118 junior high school students replicated the finding, as did a study of 99 vocational school students in Taiwan.

1. Olive and others have argued at RSN that this journal is not a reliable source. I disagree, but the weight of uninvolved editor input there is against me.
2. Shauna L. Shapiro1, Roger Walsh2, & Willoughby B. Britton3, "An Analysis of Recent Meditation Research and Suggestions for Future Directions," Journal for Meditation and Meditation Research, 2003, Vol. 3, 69-90

An editor deleted reference to a review of studies on meditation, describing it as "primary research per WP:MEDRS".http://en.wikipedia.org/search/?title=Transcendental_Meditation&diff=344245529&oldid=344242384] I'm not sure that's correct. I thought that reviews were secondary sources. If so, we should restore this.   Will Beback  talk  19:43, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

Yes do not have any strong felling either way. This trial PMID 14743579 is a systematic review of randomised controlled trials is of better quality. It came to the opposite conclusion.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 20:01, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

It was I that removed it, this was in error. I think I was a little irritated in the manner in which it had been inserted, hiding criticism in what appeared, rightly or wrongly, to push a certain POV. Sorry, I think I may have grown a little paranoid considering the latest findings here: ] and the history of editing of this article to be seen in the archives. Such an error will not be repeated. Tuckerj1976 (talk) 16:10, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

I just saw this, so I'll comment here. The Shapiro, Walsh and Britton paper is not a review per WP:MEDRS, "reputable medical journals, widely recognised standard textbooks written by experts in a field, or medical guidelines and position statements from nationally or internationally reputable expert bodies." So it is not what WP would consider a review. Furthermore, the quotes in the entry were not from the conclusions of the paper (i.e. from Shapiro, et al) but from a TM paper which was a primary source.

I just got back from vacation, so I'm curious who put this here. Before I left there was rampant editing with questionable sources going on.--Kala Bethere (talk) 18:44, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

I am perhaps becoming a little jaded but the more I look into this... It was Timidguy who added it. Tuckerj1976 (talk) 19:55, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

I can't find any background on the Journal for Meditation and Meditation Research. However the article is described as being previously published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, which is reputable. Maybe we can track down that version.   Will Beback  talk  21:58, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

(undent) Shapiro has previously been published (in Mindfulness Meditation) My instincts are to try and find a reliable source for this and re-insert, but with a more accurate edit then was placed originally. I shall look. Tuckerj1976 (talk) 00:15, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Odd, Journal for Meditation and Meditation Research seems to have only every published once in 2002 yet one of these studies authors lists it in her publications as having appeared in 2004? ] Very odd Tuckerj1976 (talk) 00:32, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

The journal was published for three years. The Journal of Humanistic Psychology may be the better source for this. Kala, I did not quote from a primary source. TimidGuy (talk) 11:43, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Well the problem with all these questionable studies, like these from remote countries, is that we are supposed to summarize scientific consensus, not present countervailing studies to confuse matters! The consensus seems to be to me, that TM research is mostly poor and the only thing it really shows, in well done studies, are relaxation effects, except when poor controls are used (or bad methodology). It doesn't make sense to go against the prevailing medical or scientific consensus for one "review". If this contradicts a better review, I'd say go with the better review.

Either way, the tendency to try to countervene scientific consensus by injecting a bunch of "hey look at the good thing this one study said about TM" (when most of the evidence is to the contrary) simply frustrates establishment of neutrality in the article. WP guidelines are clear that summarizing scientific consensus is the way to assure NPOV. "Neutrality and no original research policies demand that we present the prevailing medical or scientific consensus."--Kala Bethere (talk) 19:41, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

My mistake, it wasn't the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. It was The Humanistic Psychologist, 2003, 31(2-3) 86–113. Unfortunately, their online archive does not go back that far.   Will Beback  talk  22:02, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Shapiro, et al

Edited this to clarify exactly what the study says. It does not say "high quality studies". Indeed, it does not comment on the quality of these studies.Tuckerj1976 (talk) 17:56, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

see page 72: "We review a sample of recent, well-designed studies on the effects of meditation on variables important in the field of transpersonal psychology." It's immediately above the first TM section. TimidGuy (talk) 11:30, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Well designed, does not sound like "good quality" to me Timidguy. Can I also say that we have as yet not found a good reliable place in which it was published. Tuckerj1976 (talk) 18:10, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Pediatric review

Please stop deleting this. It's a secondary source. It includes 6 studies on TM. TimidGuy (talk) 11:48, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

TimidGuy. You gotta stop cherry-picking pieces and parts out of studies that are not part of the actual conclusions! The conclusion of this study relates to sitting meditation in general, not specifically to TM. Perhaps you didn't hear me before?--Kala Bethere (talk) 18:50, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

I would have to agree with Kala Bethere on this. It does clearly say sitting meditation not TM. Is it correct to include this conclusions in an article only about TM? Tuckerj1976 (talk) 20:40, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Tucker, look at all the other instances in which conclusions have been added that are related to meditation in general. Why would we do it differently this time? Tucker, you added one such conclusion yourself. (And by the way, I thought that was an excellent addition.) I'm find with leaving in the TM detail and deleting the conclusion, but then we should also do that elsewhere. Kala, I can report what the review says. The review says that studies on TM had specific effects. (And those effects are directly related to the conclusion.) TimidGuy (talk) 11:00, 18 February 2010 (UTC)

Trademark symbol

Tucker, note that WP:TRADEMARK says not to use it: "Do not use the ™ and ® symbols, or similar, in either article text or citations." Not sure what to do when quoting from Ospina Bond, since they unconventionally used it throughout. TimidGuy (talk) 12:07, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

I do not have any strong feeling either way. I think it should just be used once an not after that.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 14:42, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

I know the TM movement has lost the trademark in court in some European counties, but the advantage of using the trademark is that it differentiates it from someone who would generically refer to transcendental meditation. I do not believe that is currently a problem except in Germany and one Western European country. In the US and Canada at least people would understand that it relates to TM as the commercial form of meditation.--Kala Bethere (talk) 18:56, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Soma and the Gods

As you maybe aware I mostly interested in the manner in which the science of TM and the state of the research is presented in this article. However, while reviewing this, these pages and comments and links from it I came across the concept above. This can be found referenced in two places: the trial notes of the so called Kropinski trial ] ] and a recent book from a reliable publisher NYU Press (ISBN-10: 0814794505) already cited entitled Transcendent in America: Hindu-Inspired Meditation Movements as New Religion. On pages 99 and 100 ]

To put this briefly, during the trial a video was shown which is shown only to TM teachers (Ordinary TMers would not understand this secret it is claimed). This consists of the TM movements founder revealing the "truth" of the manner in which TM is supposed to bring it's health, wealth and paranormal benefits to those that practice TM meditation. To summerise:

1 While practicing TM the mediator "frees-up channels" which then produces a magical (and one assumes invisible) substance called Soma.

2 This Soma then "collects" in the gut of the meditater.

3 This then produces the feelings of "bliss" so often expressed by the TM movement

4 By producing this soma and repeating their personal mantra the TMer is then asking a particular god to "come down" and drink this soma from the TMers "gut". In this metaphysical parasitic relationship the god then grants the TMer "favors" (better health, longer life, paranormal powers etc. Indeed, all of the things the TM org claims to support with "scientific research").

I do not want to mock by mentioning any of this but surely this should be included in this article in someway, as it would be central to the supposed mechanisms by which TM is supposed to "work" according to its founder? Tuckerj1976 (talk) 22:36, 17 February 2010 (UTC)

Academic publishers like NYU Press are the best available sources. This book apparently has considerable information on various aspects of TM and TM-Sidhi. Something on the soma issue might fit in the "principles" section, or perhaps the "Teaching procedure" section, which could use a paragraph on how the teachers are taught (apparently there was an issue about recertification which might go there as well).   Will Beback  talk  09:31, 18 February 2010 (UTC)

The problem with the chart

Is that it also includes comparisons in which there wasn't statistical significance. TimidGuy (talk) 10:45, 18 February 2010 (UTC)

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