2008 Woodie Awards
Calm amid college storm
Bryce Bauer - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 12/18/07 Section: Metro
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For many, the effect of higher education on students' minds is simple and positive: It fills them with information.
But Fred Travis worries that many traditional universities, in the pursuit of giving knowledge to their students, may also be inflicting harm upon them.
"I would like colleges to really think about what they are doing to their kids' brains," said Travis, a psychologist at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.
Travis is part of a contingent of Eastern-medicine researchers advocating a different approach to higher education: one of relaxation and meditation over energy drinks and sleeplessness. They say incorporating the practice of transcendental meditation into a normal college routine can help reduce stress and improve academic performance - and it's a claim that is receiving research dollars and attention from nationally respected universities.
Launched by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of India in the late-1950s, transcendental meditation is practiced for 20 minutes twice daily.
The goal is to reduce the effect of stress on, among other things, the brain's prefrontal cortex, which necessary to compile and interpret information, Travis said. Under stress, the "CEO" shuts down so a person reacts to information instead of interpreting it. While this may be a useful feature for someone whose car is spinning out-of-control, it is prohibitive to understanding the fundamentals behind political philosophy.
The effects of transcendental meditation as creating "restful alertness," a state in which "where the whole brain is full, quiet, calm, but you are still alert."
That state-of-mind can help improve academic performance, advocates say.
Travis, who received his Ph.D. from the Maharishi school, recently completed a study along with others at American University in Washington, D.C. that analyzed the effects of transcendental meditation on 300 college students. They are in the process of submitting their paper for review.
But Fred Travis worries that many traditional universities, in the pursuit of giving knowledge to their students, may also be inflicting harm upon them.
"I would like colleges to really think about what they are doing to their kids' brains," said Travis, a psychologist at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.
Travis is part of a contingent of Eastern-medicine researchers advocating a different approach to higher education: one of relaxation and meditation over energy drinks and sleeplessness. They say incorporating the practice of transcendental meditation into a normal college routine can help reduce stress and improve academic performance - and it's a claim that is receiving research dollars and attention from nationally respected universities.
Launched by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of India in the late-1950s, transcendental meditation is practiced for 20 minutes twice daily.
The goal is to reduce the effect of stress on, among other things, the brain's prefrontal cortex, which necessary to compile and interpret information, Travis said. Under stress, the "CEO" shuts down so a person reacts to information instead of interpreting it. While this may be a useful feature for someone whose car is spinning out-of-control, it is prohibitive to understanding the fundamentals behind political philosophy.
The effects of transcendental meditation as creating "restful alertness," a state in which "where the whole brain is full, quiet, calm, but you are still alert."
That state-of-mind can help improve academic performance, advocates say.
Travis, who received his Ph.D. from the Maharishi school, recently completed a study along with others at American University in Washington, D.C. that analyzed the effects of transcendental meditation on 300 college students. They are in the process of submitting their paper for review.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Joseph Orsatti
posted 12/18/07 @ 4:39 PM CST
I was involved in the study at American University on the effects of TM on brain development, health and academic performance. I think that the research component on ADHD was one of the most interesting components of the study. (Continued…)
Dr. David Leffler
posted 12/18/07 @ 7:17 PM CST
Thank you for the well-written article. There is another important point concerning the Transcendental Meditation program that ROTC students at the University of Iowa might find to be of interest--military defense. (Continued…)
mark
posted 12/19/07 @ 10:21 AM CST
A good friend of mine continued beyond Maharishi University and TM and is now a Trappist monk in one of the Trappist monasteries here in the United States. (Continued…)
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