New Study: Transcendental Meditation® Improves Graduation Rates

STORRS, Conn., July 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique can help high school students stay on track for graduation, according to research published in the June issue of the journal Education (Vol. 133, No. 4). The study, which involved 235 students at an East Coast urban high school, showed a 15% higher graduation rate for students practicing the TM technique, compared to non-meditating controls. 

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"While there are bright spots in public education today, urban schools on the whole tend to suffer from a range of factors which contribute to poor student academic performance and low graduation rates," said lead author Robert D. Colbert, Ph.D., associate professor, and director of Neag School of Education's Diversity Council at the University of Connecticut.

Colbert said it's important to provide programs to students that help them be more successful, and that Transcendental Meditation practice "appears to hold tremendous promise for enriching the lives of our nation's students."

According to the study authors, the research showed a 25% difference in graduation rates when considering only the low-performing students in both meditating and non-meditating students. Moreover, the study's findings showed significant differences for dropout rates and college acceptance. Meditating students were less apt to drop out of school or enter prison, and they were more likely to be accepted to post-secondary institutions.

Sanford Nidich, Ed.D, co-author and professor of education at Maharishi University of Management said: "These results are the first to show that the Transcendental Meditation program can have a positive impact on student graduation rates. The largest effect was found in the most academically challenged students."

Other recent studies have shown TM practice to be effective in increasing academic achievement and reducing stress among students in urban schools.

Higher graduation rates can affect not only the academic and personal lives of the individual students, but also society as a whole. Graduating from, rather than dropping out of, high school generally translates into higher earning potential, less crime and incarceration, and less dependence on government assistance programs. Recent data shows that only 69 percent of US students graduate from high school. Over the next decade, more than 12 million students are predicted to drop out of high school, resulting in an estimated loss of $3 trillion to the nation.

About the Transcendental Meditation technique

The TM technique is an effortless meditation technique practiced 20 minutes twice each day while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. Extensive peer-reviewed research studies have found taht TM reduces stress and anxiety, improves learning ability, and promotes wellness for mind and body.

The TM technique is available in the USA through Maharishi Foundation USA, a federally recognized non-profit educational organization. Through partnerships with other non-profit organizations and foundations like the David Lynch Foundation, full TM scholarships have been given to more than 250,000 at-risk children, veterans suffering from PTSD, homeless people, and others.

Media Contact: Christian Hoffmann, Maharishi Foundation USA, 360-447-8108, [email protected]

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SOURCE Maharishi Foundation USA