Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1977, Vol. 45, No. 3, 496-497
Meditation Versus Relaxation: An Examination of the Physiological Effects of Relaxation Training and of Different Levels of Experience with Transcendental Meditation Nelson R. Cauthen and Carole A. Prymak University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada Three groups of meditators with varying amounts of experience, a group trained in relaxation, and a pscudomeditalion group were tested for changes in heart rate, respiration, skin temperature, and skin conductance during meditation or relaxation. The two more experienced groups of meditators showed decreases in heart rate during meditation while the relaxation group showed decreases after relaxing. The group trained in relaxation and the least experienced meditators showed increases in skin temperature. There were no significant changes in skin conductance or respiration before, during, or after the meditation or relaxation periods.
The goal of this study was to compare the physiological effects of meditation for groups with different lengths of practice with transcendental meditation (TM) and to compare the effects of relaxation with TM. A group-simulating meditation was also included. There were five groups of seven subjects each. The three groups of meditators had used TM for an average of 5 years (experienced meditators), 14 months (median meditators), and 7 days (novice meditators), respectively. The relaxation group had practiced relaxing for 5 days prior to the study by following taped instructions and live demonstrations based on Wolpe and Lazarus' schedules. Respiration rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, and heart rate were continuously monitored during the first 10 minutes (5 minutes with eyes open and S minutes with eyes closed), the 20-minute experimental period, and 10 minutes after the experimental period. The three TM groups were instructed to begin meditating in their usual fashion, and the pseudomeditators were instructed to think about a word given to them at the beginning of the study. The relaxation group performed the relaxation exercises for about 2 minutes at the beginning of the experimental period and then The data reported are based on a senior honor's thesis by the second author under the direction of the first author. We would like to thank the meditators who participated in the study and the Calgary World Plan Centre. Requests for reprints and for an extended report of this study should be sent to Nelson R. Cauthen, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4.
continued to relax during the remainder of the experimental period. Subjects relaxed -or meditated only during the experimental period. Responses were recorded on a Grass polygraph using a pneumatic belt for respiration rate, a photocell for heart rate, Beckman electrodes and paste in a constant .S-V circuit for skin conductance, and a Yellow Springs Instrument Company probe and thermometer for skin temperature. The number of respiration peaks and pulsebeats in each minute were averaged for eight S-min blocks. Skin temperature and skin conductance were sampled at 20sec intervals for minute averages and were then averaged for the eight S-min blocks. Data for each of the physiological measures were analyzed in a S (groups) X 8 (S-minute blocks) repeated measures analysis of variance using the .05 level of significance. Respiration rate showed no significant changes attributable to either meditation or relaxation. Experienced meditators had lower skin conductance levels than pseudomeditators; there were no significant differences for any group before, after, or during the experimental period. The relaxation group and novice meditators showed increases in skin temperature in the first 10 minutes, whereas the novice meditators continued to show increases until the middle of the experimental period. The increases in skin temperature noted in the novice meditators and the relaxation group cannot be unequivocally attributed to the effects of the experimental procedures because there was no return to base level following the procedures. For heart rate, the experienced and median meditators showed decreases during the experimental period relative to the prelevels and post-
496
BRIEF REPORTS
levels, respectively; the relaxation group showed a decrease after the experimental period. The original expectation of greater arousal reduction with increasing amounts of practice with TM was not supported, nor was the literature on large
497
reductions in skin conductance and respiration rate during TM. Received October 6, 1975 •
Call for Nominations The APA Publications and Communications Board invites nominations for the editorship of the Journal oj Consulting and Clinical Psychology for the term 1979 through 1984. To provide continuity the Board's search procedure requires appointment of an editorelect this year. The editor-elect will start receiving manuscripts in 1978 for publication in 1979, the first year of the new editorial term. To nominate candidates for consideration, prepare a brief statement of one page or less in support of each nomination. Submit nominations to David Zeaman, Chairman, Editor Search Committee, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06268.
Meditation Versus Relaxation: An Examination of the Physiological Effects of Relaxation Training and of Different Levels of Experience with Transcendental Meditation Nelson R. Cauthen and Carole A. Prymak University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada Three groups of meditators with varying amounts of experience, a group trained in relaxation, and a pscudomeditalion group were tested for changes in heart rate, respiration, skin temperature, and skin conductance during meditation or relaxation. The two more experienced groups of meditators showed decreases in heart rate during meditation while the relaxation group showed decreases after relaxing. The group trained in relaxation and the least experienced meditators showed increases in skin temperature. There were no significant changes in skin conductance or respiration before, during, or after the meditation or relaxation periods.
The goal of this study was to compare the physiological effects of meditation for groups with different lengths of practice with transcendental meditation (TM) and to compare the effects of relaxation with TM. A group-simulating meditation was also included. There were five groups of seven subjects each. The three groups of meditators had used TM for an average of 5 years (experienced meditators), 14 months (median meditators), and 7 days (novice meditators), respectively. The relaxation group had practiced relaxing for 5 days prior to the study by following taped instructions and live demonstrations based on Wolpe and Lazarus' schedules. Respiration rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, and heart rate were continuously monitored during the first 10 minutes (5 minutes with eyes open and S minutes with eyes closed), the 20-minute experimental period, and 10 minutes after the experimental period. The three TM groups were instructed to begin meditating in their usual fashion, and the pseudomeditators were instructed to think about a word given to them at the beginning of the study. The relaxation group performed the relaxation exercises for about 2 minutes at the beginning of the experimental period and then The data reported are based on a senior honor's thesis by the second author under the direction of the first author. We would like to thank the meditators who participated in the study and the Calgary World Plan Centre. Requests for reprints and for an extended report of this study should be sent to Nelson R. Cauthen, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4.
continued to relax during the remainder of the experimental period. Subjects relaxed -or meditated only during the experimental period. Responses were recorded on a Grass polygraph using a pneumatic belt for respiration rate, a photocell for heart rate, Beckman electrodes and paste in a constant .S-V circuit for skin conductance, and a Yellow Springs Instrument Company probe and thermometer for skin temperature. The number of respiration peaks and pulsebeats in each minute were averaged for eight S-min blocks. Skin temperature and skin conductance were sampled at 20sec intervals for minute averages and were then averaged for the eight S-min blocks. Data for each of the physiological measures were analyzed in a S (groups) X 8 (S-minute blocks) repeated measures analysis of variance using the .05 level of significance. Respiration rate showed no significant changes attributable to either meditation or relaxation. Experienced meditators had lower skin conductance levels than pseudomeditators; there were no significant differences for any group before, after, or during the experimental period. The relaxation group and novice meditators showed increases in skin temperature in the first 10 minutes, whereas the novice meditators continued to show increases until the middle of the experimental period. The increases in skin temperature noted in the novice meditators and the relaxation group cannot be unequivocally attributed to the effects of the experimental procedures because there was no return to base level following the procedures. For heart rate, the experienced and median meditators showed decreases during the experimental period relative to the prelevels and post-
496
BRIEF REPORTS
levels, respectively; the relaxation group showed a decrease after the experimental period. The original expectation of greater arousal reduction with increasing amounts of practice with TM was not supported, nor was the literature on large
497
reductions in skin conductance and respiration rate during TM. Received October 6, 1975 •
Call for Nominations The APA Publications and Communications Board invites nominations for the editorship of the Journal oj Consulting and Clinical Psychology for the term 1979 through 1984. To provide continuity the Board's search procedure requires appointment of an editorelect this year. The editor-elect will start receiving manuscripts in 1978 for publication in 1979, the first year of the new editorial term. To nominate candidates for consideration, prepare a brief statement of one page or less in support of each nomination. Submit nominations to David Zeaman, Chairman, Editor Search Committee, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06268.
