Summary
Ten male advanced meditators and ten male long-term meditators subjected themselves four times to slight physical exercise following a period of rest, meditation or reading. Daily urine excretions of catecholamines and VMA were determined in both groups. On the experimental days 4-hour urine specimens, one before and one after the experiments, were again collected for analysis. During the experiments blood pressure and heart rate were measured continuously and blood samples were taken for plasma catecholamine levels immediately before and after the physical exercise.
Daily catecholamine and VMA excretions showed to be higher in advanced meditators. During the experiments the pattern of noradrenaline, adrenaline and VMA excretions were different in both groups, long-term meditators showing a higher adrenaline excretion after exercise.
After the resting period there was in both groups a similar increase of plasma catecholamine levels during exercise. However, after meditation the advanced meditators showed a significant increase in plasma noradrenaline and no further increase in plasma noradrenaline level during the following physical exercise. Also after the reading period differences between both groups in plasma catecholamine levels during exercise could be observed.
In advanced meditators heart rate reduction after meditation was about 9% and diastolic blood pressure was slightly raised. The preceding conditions of rest, meditation or reading had a significant different influence on the behaviour of heart rate and blood pressure during the following physical exercise and this pattern was different for both groups.
It is concluded that the effects of transcendental meditation on the autonomic nervous system are more obvious in advanced meditators. Furthermore, the results show that meditation enhances sympathetic activity. It is suggested that the “transcendental state” seems not to be a mere trophotropic parasympathetic functional state.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allison, J.: Respiratory changes during Transcendental Meditation. Lancet 1970, 7651.
Appelle, St., Oswald, L. E. Simple reaction time as a function of alertness and prior mental activity. In: Scientific Research in the TM Programme, Collected Papers1, 46, 313 (1976).
Banquet, J. P. EEG and meditation. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology33, 454 (1972).
Banquet, J. P. Spectral analysis of the EEG in meditation. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology35, 143 (1973).
Benson, H., Herd, J.-A., Morse, W. H., Kelleher, R. T. Behaviour induction of arterial hypertension and its reversal. American Journal of Physiology217, 30 (1969).
Benson, H., Wallace, R. K.: Decreased blood pressure in hypertensive subjects who practised meditation. Circulation, Suppl. II to 45 and 46, 516 (1972).
Blackwell, B., Hanenson, I., Bloomfield, S., Magenheim, H., Nidich, H., Gartside, P. Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Blood Pressure: A controlled pilot experiment. Psychosomatic Medicine37, 86 (1975).
Blackwell, B., Bloomfield, S., Gartside, P., Robinson, A., Hanenson, I., Magenheim, H., Nidich, S., Zigler, R.: Transcendental Meditation in Hypertension: Individual Response Patterns. Lancet 1976, 223.
Bujatti, M., Riederer, P. Serotonin, Noradrenalin, Dopamine Metabolites in Transcendental Meditation-Technique. Journal Neural Transmission39, 257 (1976).
Fehr, Th. Der Einfluß der transzendentalen Meditation auf Persönlichkeitsvariable. Schöpf. Intell.3, 16, 1 (1974).
Griffiths, J. C., Leung, F. Y. T., McDonald, T. J. Fluorimetric determination of plasma catecholamines: Normal human epinephrine and norepinephrine levels. Clinical Chimica Acta30, 395 (1970).
Higgins, C. B., Vatner, S. F., Braunwald, E. Parasympathetic control of the heart. Pharmacol. Rev.25, 119 (1973).
Jevning, R., Wilson, A., Vanderlaan, E., Levine, S. Plasma Prolactin and Cortisol during Transcendental Meditation. Endocrine Society Program 57th Annual Meeting, New York City, 257 (1975). Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation Program: Collected Papers1, 143 (1976).
Kniffki, Ch.: Autogenes Training und transzendentale Meditation. Vergleich ihrer Effekte auf Persönlichkeitsvariable. Diplomarbeit, Psychologisches Inst., Univ. Göttingen, 1975.
Laverty, R., Taylor, K. M. The fluorimetric assay of catecholamines and related compounds: Improvements and extensions to the hydroxyindole technique. Analytical Biochemistry22, 269 (1968).
Maharishi, M. Y. The science of being and the art of living. London: Int. S.R.M. Publ. 1966.
Michaels, R. R., Huber, M. J., McCann, D. S. Evaluation of Transcendental Meditation as a Method of Reducing Stress. Science192, 1242 (1976).
Monnier, M. Functions of the nervous system, Vol. I, Autonomic functions. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 1968.
Orme-Johnson, D. Autonomic stability and Transcendental Meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine35, 341 (1973).
Pagano, R. R., Rose, R. M., Stivers, R. M., Warrenburg, S. Sleep during transcendental meditation. Science191, 308 (1976).
Pisano, J. J., Crout, J. R., Abraham, D. Determination of 3-Methoxy-4-Hydroxymandelic acid in urine. Clin. Chim. Acta7, 285 (1962).
Pollack, A. A., Case, D. B., Weber, M. A., Laragh, J. H. Limitations of Transcendental Meditation in the Treatment of Essential Hypertension. Lancet1, 71 (1977).
Rieckert, H. Plethysmographische Untersuchungen bei Konzentrations- und Meditationsübungen. Ärztliche Forschung21, 61 (1971).
Schackmann, R.: Verhalten von Atemzugvolumen, Herzschlagfrequenz und Atemgasdrücken bei Sportstudenten während Ausübung der transzendentalen Meditation im Vergleich zu dem nichtmeditierenden Sportstudenten. Diplomarbeit, Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln, 1975.
Schultz, J. H. Das autogene Training — konzentrative Selbstentspannung. Stuttgart: G. Thieme. 1973.
Seeman, W., Nidich, S., Banta, T.: Influence of Transcendental Meditation on a Measure of self-actualisation. Journal of Counseling Psychology1972, 184.
Selye, H. TM discovering inner energy and overcoming stress (Bloomfield, H. H., ed.). New York: Delacorte Press. 1975.
Shaw, R., Kolb, D. Reaction Time following the Transcendental Meditation Technique. In: Scientific Research on the TM Program, Collected Papers1, 45, 309 (1976).
Vanhoutte, P. M. Inhibition by acetylcholine of adrenergic neurotransmission. Circ. Res.34, 317 (1974).
Wallace, R. K. TM: Meditation or Sleep? Science193, 719 (1970).
Wallace, R. K. Physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation. Science167, 1751 (1970).
Wallace, R. K., Benson, H. The Physiology of Meditation. Scientific American226, 84 (1972).
Wallace, R. K., Benson, H., Wilson, A. F. A wakeful hypometabolic physiological state. American Journal of Physiology221, 795 (1971).
Wandhöfer, A., Kobal, G., Plattig, K. H. Latenzverkürzung menschlicher auditorisch evozierter Hirnpotentiale bei transzendentaler Meditation EEG-EMG7, 99 (1976).
Watanabe, A. M.: Adrenergic-cholinergic interactions in the heart. Paper presented at the 27th International Congress of Physiological Sciences, Paris, 18–23 July 1977.
Wilson, A. F., Honsberger, R., Ghiu, J., Novey, H. Transcendental Meditation and asthma. Respiration32, 74 (1975).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lang, R., Dehof, K., Meurer, K.A. et al. Sympathetic activity and transcendental meditation. J. Neural Transmission 44, 117–135 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01252706
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01252706