Lower health care costs, decreased violence: Transcendental Meditation research shows practical applications of Vedanta
by Global Good News staff writer

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17 November 2012

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's profound insights and contributions to the knowledge of Vedanta include the often unsuspected practical applications of this field of ultimate knowledge, through his technologies of consciousness—Transcendental Meditation and its advanced programmes. The benefits of Transcendental Meditation for individual and societal health were among many aspects of Maharishi's achievements highlighted in a keynote address presented at the 20th International Congress of Vedanta.

The four-day international seminar* in New Delhi, India, was organized by the Center for Indic Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, USA.

At the conference Lothar Pirc, Founder and Managing Director of Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre Bad Ems, Germany, gave the keynote speech. In it, he talked about the practical applications of the philosophy of Vedanta.

Mr Pirc cited a study, 'Medical Care Utilization and the Transcendental Meditation Program', published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, that showed decreased hospital admissions rates and other findings across 17 major categories of disease. The study, which used data from Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the largest group of health insurance companies in the United States, looked at the health of 2,000 people practising Transcendental Meditation compared to 600,000 nonmeditators, over the span of five years.

The findings showed that in the case of heart disease, for example, hospital admissions for the meditating group were reduced by 87%. Hospital days for all disease categories were dramatically reduced, especially in the case of older patients. Additionally, doctor visits were reduced, more so with elderly patients.

The study found that in the group that practised Transcendental Meditation, inpatient and outpatient length of treatment was reduced in all age groups—for example, 50.2% fewer inpatient days for children, and 73.7% fewer outpatient days for midlife and older adults, compared to those who did not meditate.

It also found that health insurance costs for hospital admissions in the Transcendental Meditation group were reduced, from 30.6% to 87.3% lower in 17 disease categories.

In broader practical applications of Transcendental Meditation, a technique derived from the teachings of Vedanta, 50 studies on social effects of the group practice of Transcendental Meditation and its advanced programmes have found this technology to produce an influence of coherence and peace in society. Results include reduced war fatalities, reduced crime and terrorism, and improved international relations.

One study shows reduced violent crimes in Washington, D.C.

'As the number of the [meditators] increased, in the same way the violence in the town went down,' Mr Pirc said. 'So this knowledge has very practical implications for the improvement of society to create peace.'

Global Good News will feature more of Mr Pirc's discussion of scientifically validated, practical applications of Vedanta that Maharishi brought out to the world in his programmes and technologies of consciousness.

See previous articles in this series:
∙ India: Maharishi's insights into Vedanta featured prominently in new published proceedings of international congress—was keynote address
∙ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's insight into Vedanta: Ultimate knowledge, practically applied to create world peace
∙ Maharishi brings science to the study of Vedanta
∙ Practical applications of Vedanta exemplified in Transcendental Meditation

*According to the Congress website, 'For over two decades the International Congress of Vedanta has been the focal point for the meeting of scholars specializing in all aspects of Indian philosophy and religion.'

Copyright © 2013 Global Good News Service



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