PUBLICATION: Journal of Clinical Psychology
A statistical meta-analysis conducted at Stanford University of all available studies --146 independent outcomes -- found that the Transcendental Meditation program was substantially more effective in reducing anxiety, the most common sign of psychological stress, than all other meditation and relaxation techniques, including muscle relaxation. This meta-analysis -- the preferred scientific procedure for drawing definitive conclusions from large bodies of research -- showed that the positive effects of the TM program could not be attributed to subject expectations, experimenter bias, or quality of research design. (Journal of Clinical Psychology 45: 957-974, 1989.)