There are many aspects to this question, such as who, exactly, will adopt and offer meditation programs to the public, are all public meditation programs the same (and if not, how do they differ), and whether research on the effects or benefits of a specific technique (such as Transcendental Meditation) can be generalized to apply to other forms of meditation or other teachings.

The question as it stands is general, yet does not review all relevant research. For example, increased resistance to infectious diseases, mediated by TM, is not mentioned.

When considering public meditation programs, comparable observation, measurement, and experimentation need to be done to compare and contrast the various programs and techniques that could be made available to schools, medical facilities, or other institutions in society. Frankly, we are missing the kind of easily imitated standard research design (such as using the STAI Form Y inventory for measuring state and trait anxiety) that could be used by an independent research group to evaluate mindfulness, Zazen, transcending, and other such practical programs in a way that permits direct comparison of public benefit. These programs are not all the same in their mental or physical benefits.

Costs also need to be considered, as any effective meditation program will involve teaching, support, and other administration overhead that must either be purchased by institutions, donated by nonprofit organizations, or paid for by government agencies.

When considering expenses, for example, Transcendental Meditation (TM) is not the only organization that makes courses in transcending available to individuals and organizations. The little-known and unpublicized alternative, Natural Stress Relief (NSR) provides quality instruction and support for learning transcending, at only 7% of the TM course fee, by eliminating the need for providing trained teachers for each student, patient, or client. (NSR could also be tapped for research subjects; two papers have been published on the results of NSR, and another is in preparation.)

Since the underlying mechanism of transcending is the creation of a unique state of deep rest (which has physiological markers that show it as distinct from deep sleep or dreaming), a state which, with regular practice, dramatically reduces not only anxiety, but also all other stress-related disorders such as fear, anger, feelings of inadequacy, lack of autonomy, lack of self-direction, and lack of self-satisfaction, inability to relate socially or in a love relationship, low self-esteem, low productivity, bad habits such as substance abuse, and so forth, the public benefits of transcending certainly don't need to be limited to the treatment of non-contagious diseases.

But, as a place to start, using transcending as an adjunctive intervention to lower blood pressure is a good way to begin the introduction of transcending as an accepted and standard procedure for improving general public mental and physical health.

Disclaimer: I am president of Natural Stress Relief/USA and I help to conduct research into the effects and benefits of NSR meditation. I take no salary for this work, and NSR/USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational and research charity.

Dear Kelvin Mutter,

Yes, you raise the important question as to whether various types of meditation are religious or spiritual in nature.

None of the transcending-based meditation techniques are essentially or basically religious or spiritual in nature. This statement includes Transcendental Meditation®, and alternative methods of instruction such as Natural Stress Relief (NSR) and others.

Instruction that leads the mind in the direction of silence and pure consciousness is secular in nature and thus independent of the religious or spiritual orientation of the practitioner. It is also useful as an adjunct to evidence-based psychological and psychiatric mental health treatments, including talk therapy and the use of psychiatric medications.

Thus, the existence of impressive published research on the effects and benefits of these lesser-known forms of meditation would indicate the usefulness of teaching these techniques directly to individuals or in programs of public health, and mental and physical fitness.

Fortunately, none of the fears you raise are valid, so that programs involving transcending are just as acceptable, available, and useful as the better-known forms of meditation known as mindfulness.

NSR, which I teach to thousands of individuals and companies around the world, is quickly and easily learned, and brings peace and joy to all its practitioners, no matter what their religious or spiritual beliefs or affiliations.

David Spector

Natural Stress Relief/USA

Kelvin, I find your comments intelligent and probably helpful for anyone looking for stress relief for their clients or patients. Clients must trust and accept any technique that they learn, for it to have any chance of being of help to them.

In my own meditation teaching, I have no expectation that Natural Stress Relief or any other kind of meditation will be acceptable to all clients. If someone has a bias to see religiosity or spirituality in a secular technique, and that causes distrust, then that technique will not be a good fit for that person.

My own goal has more to do with reducing suffering, selfishness, injustice, criminality, war, and other such social woes than any exotic spirituality or belief. If I can continue to reach more people over time, regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs, then I will continue to feel very successful in this NSR project of ours.

The fact that NSR's version of effortless mantra meditation can be learned by anyone (because the instructions work well) and almost always produces obvious benefits right from the start (because the process actually dissolves stored stresses) will guarantee our relevance and helpfulness in a variety of therapeutic and research settings. We don't need or desire to inspire every single person with the value of NSR.