The full practice of meditation in the Yoga tradition was prevalent in India before and during the life of the Buddha. Increased mindfulness is just one of the many spontaneous effects of TM, as indicated by research: A 3-month randomised controlled trial found that those practising TM reported significantly greater increases in mindfulness than waitlist participants ( Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2009).

Rather than returning the attention to the breath, body or other objects, it is the use of a specific mantra, or sound, in TM (see transcendental meditation mantras) which liberates rather than trains the mind, allowing it to settle effortlessly into a silence more profound than the present moment. Whilst superficially appearing similar, TM and mindfulness are actually quite different. The purpose of mindfulness, deriving from Buddhist traditions, is gently training the mind to be in the present moment. Increased blood flow to the front (which is coordinating activity) while the core of the brain is more quiet, indicates alertness in the midst of deep rest, the state of transcendental or pure consciousness (pure silence!). Alpha brain waves (characteristic of reduced mental activity and relaxation) permeate the whole brain, which receives more oxygen. It describes any technique which transcends (goes beyond) the steps of the meditation practice itself. ‘AST’ includes TM, and the occasional expert in other techniques.

Evaluation, control or manipulation will leave you caught up in thinking and prevent transcending. ‘Automatic’ means innocence is the key here. Automatic Self-Transcending (AST) involves neither concentration nor training the mind.

For more about how TM differs from Mindfulness, please see below…ģ. These are characterised by theta activity primarily in the front of the brain. Open Monitoring includes mindfulness-based techniques, in which all experiences are allowed to pass through awareness without manipulation or control, but the mind is generally being trained to return to the present moment by using an object, breath, or body as an anchor. Zen, Qi gong, Vipassana) require effort to sustain controlled attention on an object, and therefore are characterised by high frequency activity in the front and core of the brain.Ģ. Focused Attention or concentration techniques (e.g. A recent review of research has suggested three main categories of meditation:ġ.

Going beyond mind