I have been seeing a therapist for a number of years now because of my ADHD and other problems. Recently, he suggested I learn the Transcendental Meditation technique because research has shown it to be very effective at treating ADHD. After doing some research, I came across your site and thought I would try your technique since you say it has the same benefits as TM but isn't so costly. I started practicing your technique and began to get headaches - very severe headaches. My ADHD symptoms also began to get worse and my therapist became concerned. I had told him that I learned TM. He questioned me about the practice and I admitted that I didn't actually learn TM but another technique that was the same. He then told me that not all meditations show the benefits that TM does - even other mantra meditations. He showed me a study comparing TM to other forms of meditation and there really wasn't any comparison. Even placibo was shown to be more effective than these other forms. I asked him why that was and he said because TM comes from an ancient tradition - it is not something that someone made up. It is taught one on one by qualified instructors who can verify that you are practicing it properly. He was quite upset that there are other forms of meditation claiming to have the same results as TM. He said he only recommends Transcendental Meditation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He warned me that practicing other forms can be dangerous - especially to my condition. It had gotten so bad I had to take time off from work as I was not able to function properly. I have since learned TM from a center that was recommended from the tm.org website. It was a difference of day and night. Even though the cost was so much more - the value was well worth it and I was able to get a student loan to cover the cost. I have been practicing TM now for almost 2 months and my therapist has already adjusted my medication. I no longer get the migraines and I feel I am beginning to get the ADHD under control. And it just feels so good to practice it. It really isn't the same as the NSR technique. I would have to question your so called research as my therapist, who is a professional in this area, said there is a significant difference between TM and other forms of meditation and we should be very careful of other techniques as they can actually damage the mind.

Tommyji,

Scientific research is always done on groups of people (ensembles), not individuals. Your claim that you had problems with NSR Meditation is not a proof that there is any harm in it. For example, you could have been practicing NSR Meditation incorrectly, concentrating and forcing the mind, which is a strain and can cause headaches.

Also, the fact that you did not contact us when you first encountered problems (headaches) is strange. We provide in-depth support to the few people who have problems and work with them to solve these problems (there are many examples of this here on this forum).

Another strange thing about your posting (that almost makes me believe that it is fake) is that you state that you found the TM technique completely different from the NSR technique. I would be interested in further details about this, since the essential nature of NSR is learning how to transcend thought and experience pure bliss consciousness; but this is the essential nature of TM as well.

A very tiny number of clients (about 0.5%) have problems such as headaches that stem from previously-existing medical conditions (there is a posting concerning this, also, on this forum). NSR Meditation is not a cure for any medical condition, including ADHD. It is also not a cure for chronic headaches, insomnia, or other pre-existing conditions. It is simply an effective technique for the release of stress.

When someone contacts me and lets me know that they have ADHD, I advise them not to learn NSR, but to learn the NSR Preliminary (and Children's) Technique. At the very least, they should practice TM or NSR for limited periods of time at first, and only very gradually increase the time of their meditation, so that any potential problems such as headaches can be caught before they become severe.

There is no research that shows that any form of meditation is dangerous to mind or body, whereas there is ample evidence that a number of forms of meditation, especially TM and NSR, are extremely beneficial to mental and physical health.

There are individuals who blame TM for their problems and have taken up campaigns against TM, but their so-called research is flawed (reference: http://www.truthabouttm.org/truth/IndividualEffects/DoesTMDoAnyHarm/index.cfm).

I am very sorry to hear that you had problems with NSR Meditation and regret that you did not contact us at the time those problems occurred to seek our advice and help.

David Spector
NSR Meditation/USA

Tommy, I feel I must respond to some of the statements you've made in your post on this public forum.

Background: I learned TM in the seventies and have had over thirty years' experience with it, including several advanced TM techniques, the TM-Sidhis program, in-residence deepening courses and TM's 'World Peace Assemblies'. I also activley assisted TM teachers during the course of their TM teaching activities. I have also purchased and used the NSR technique. So I feel experientially equipped to comment about the TM program in relation to NSR, and vice versa.

My first concern with your post is that it would seem you did not check in with the NSR people as soon as you experienced worsening headaches and ADHD after learning NSR meditation. I realise, however, that you were possibly visiting the therapist as a matter of course and it seemed appropriate at the time that you should discuss this with him, especially as it was he who had recommended that you learn TM. Notwithstanding this, your therapist is not a qualified NSR instructor so he would not really be the correct person to offer valid comment about the technique.

My next concern is that your therapist advised you to learn TM but you decided to learn NSR instead. I understand that cost was a factor in that decision, but it also tells me that you have a tendency not to follow professional guidance. And that leads me to wonder whether you did in fact follow the NSR manual to the letter, or perhaps chose to 'do your own thing' with the technique, with the result that you may not have even been using the NSR technique as it is taught.

Next, you didn't tell your therapist the truth, and led him to believe (initially) that you had learnt TM while you knew you had actually learnt NSR instead. Knowingly deviating from one's inner compass like this, and living outside one's own personal integrity, is in itself a cause for stress and resultant symptoms.

Living in harmony with one's own personal integrity an aspect of what I call Self-Alignment is essential for a stable mind, good health and happiness. Just the thought of knowing that you were going to visit your therapist, and had learnt NSR and not TM, and wondering how you would deal with it when in therapy discussion that knowingness alone would create stress and possibly even aggravate your headaches and ADHD. And you were aware of that little 'secret' immediately you decided to learn NSR. So this is a factor that should be taken into account too.

Another concern I have with your post is that the therapist showed you research comparing the effects of TM with those of other meditation techniques and showed that there "really wasn't any comparison". The problem with that is that I am willing to bet money that NSR was not one of those "other forms of meditation" that was included in those research comparisons. So to bundle NSR in with the others is not valid. I do agree, though, that many of the meditation methods 'out there' are not nearly as effective as TM. But I venture to say that NSR is not one of those.

The statement that there are other forms of meditation "claiming to have the same results as TM" seems to be suggesting that NSR is making false claims. And you go on to say, "I would have to question your so called research as my therapist, who is a professional in this area, said there is a significant difference between TM and other forms of meditation and we should be very careful of other techniques as they can actually damage the mind."

I note two flaws in this argument. Firstly, it is not clear at all whether you followed the NSR manual to the letter, and were actually using the proper technique of NSR. After all, you didn't follow your therapist's initial recommendation to learn TM. So we are left with some doubt as to the validity of comparing TM with what you were actually 'doing'.

Secondly, while I do not doubt your therapist's sincerity and genuine interest in your wellbeing, or his professional skills in his field of work, I think it is unwise to jump to conclusions about the effects of NSR simply because it is not branded TM, and must therefore be one of those others. And, even worse, to vaguely imply that it could be dangerous. I feel that if he believes so strongly in the TM technique, then it would be enough for him to say, I don't know anything about NSR and so I cannot comment. But I do believe strongly in the effectiveness of TM and that is why I recommend it.

Tommy, I am very pleased that you have found a meditation technique that is helping you as TM is apparently doing. And I want to say that if there is one thing you take out of this long post of mine, I hope it will be my comment about the importance of being and staying in one's personal integrity. People think that a little slip here and there won't do any harm. But it does. It takes one from one's own truth and hinders Self-Alignment and personal growth.

Take care.

Gavin, South Africa

Gavin,

I suspect that the entire posting is fake, written by some TM teacher who wants to make trouble for NSR. After all, we are the most successful and attractive alternative currently available for TM.

Compare this posting with http://www.network54.com/Forum/254541/thread/1216489248/. Note how both postings display ignorance about NSR and similarly gush about the supposed advantages of TM.

If this posting is not fake, Tommyji should be able to provide us (in private or public) with his actual name and/or transaction number so we can verify that he really did download the NSR learning materials within a time frame that is reasonable for his story. Of course, this does not actually prove anything, since anyone can download the materials and not use them or even read them. But it would be a start.

Frankly, I'm a little irritated with what I suspect is a campaign by ignorant TM teachers or practitioners to create problems for us. This would not be the first time. The leader of a major TM facility in the USA contacted us by email under an assumed name in October, 2007 claiming to be running a large-scale study of various forms of meditation and wanting a copy of our first published research paper, which I sent him. Subsequent emails seemed suspicious, then he stopped contacting us. I then did some Web research and found his real name and position. As a former TM teacher and Governor of the Age of Enlightenment myself, I find such misrepresentation and lying not in keeping with our responsibility to be good role models for the beneficial technique that we promote.

David Spector
NSR Meditation/USA

I can tell David is being a bit cautious in his reply to this post which I think is clearly fake. The author gives himself away by how carefully he promotes TM. The style is completely contrived. If I were part of the TM movement I would be offended by this cynical and dishonest approach.

Hello, just thought I would mention that I am happy to see the message was not deleted by David, since it is obviously one that he greatly disagrees with. I like that a lot.

Also, this "Tommy" (I believe that was the username) seems to be looking at TM and NSR as competing entities and that is a sad thing. I know, David, that you have mentioned that some in the TM world view NSR as a fake or distorted TM and should be exposed as such. I too believe "Tommy" is an example of such people.

For someone who is experiencing transcendence, he seems a bit confrontational and eager to engage in destructive actions (such as coming here to insult not just NSR or David, but all of us who practice NSR).


A little off this subject (but still close), I have a question about personal checking of meditation process.

Since TM/NSR is a mental practice, how can it be "checked?" I understand that questions could be asked about environment, position, etc. but is there anything beyond that?

I am doing pretty good, I have been practicing for two months now and have had NO bad experiences, I repeat NO BAD EXPERIENCES (that's for Tommy..haha).

I have not had any sudden body movements (arm jumping or head oscillations), but have had lots of distracting thoughts. I do think I have achieved a deep level of transcendence (not completely sure), it was unlike any feeling I had ever had during the 2 months and it only lasted about ten to fifteen seconds. I was having thoughts (like normal) and I was not forcing them away, but merely refocusing on the syllable and then it happened...I can't explain the feeling very well (it seemed weightless and thoughtless and then it was gone). I didn't analyze it at the time so it is very hard to do so now.

Anyways, just thought I would mention this and maybe find out more about what the purpose of "checking" is and if it is needed only when experiencing concrete problems.

Thanks,

Brad

Brad,

Thanks for your kind words.

The only reason I have deleted postings is when they are off-topic. And even then I reply to the authors when they have provided their email address. This is an open forum for all NSR practitioners and I hope it always will remain open.

"Checking" is the name Maharishi gave to a specific step-by-step procedure for ensuring that a person is meditating correctly (that is, effortlessly). Since it is interactive and personal with a trained teacher or checker rather than do-it-yourself, we don't include it as part of NSR proper. It's just another example of how TM and NSR are different. We've designed NSR to be simple, universal, and inexpensive.

David Spector
NSR Meditation/USA