PAPER
22
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF THE
TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE:
INCREASED SKIN RESISTANCE DURING
FIRST MEDITATION AFTER INSTRUCTION
J0RN JANBY
Institute of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
Research completed December 1973.
Skin resistance increased markedly during instruction in the Transcendental Meditation technique.
-EDITORS
The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether an increase in skin resistance was produced by the
Transcendental Meditation technique as evidenced by the first experience of meditation. Eight subjects, who served as
their own controls, were randomly selected from those who came for personal instruction in Transcendental Meditation.
Their skin resistance was measured before instruction in Transcendental Meditation and one hour later, after
instruction. A mean increase in skin resistance of 300 percent was observed.
INTRODUCTION
The electrical resistance of the skin decreases with
stress and anxiety and increases with relaxation. Wallace
(3) found that during the practice of the Transcendental
Meditation technique skin resistance increased about
150 percent, a highly significant increase (p < .00 1). Wallace's subjects had been practicing Transcendental Meditation for periods ranging from one week to nine years.
The purpose of the present experiment was to determine
whether a change in skin resistance was produced during
the subject's first experience of the Transcendental Meditation technique.
METHODS
Skin resistance was measured by a Logik apparatus
(specially made for the Institute of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Denmark). Electrodes were placed on
the index and middle fingers of the left hand. A standard
high-conductivity electrode paste was used. The noise
level of the experiment room was low. The temperature
was 72°F.
Eight subjects were randomly selected from a group of
people who had come to learn the Transcendental Meditation technique on the same day and who had also volunteered to participate in the experiment. The subjects acted
as their own controls.
For the control period measurement (before instruction
in Transcendental Meditation), the electrodes were attached, and each subject was asked to sit comfortably and
relax with closed eyes. Each subject was told that the
measuring apparatus would not disturb him. Skin resistance was recorded every eight seconds for a period of
20 minutes.
One hour elapsed between the control period and the
experimental period. During this time each subject was
individually taught the Transcendental Meditation technique by a qualified instructor. The subjects were then
asked to meditate, and skin resistance was measured again
under the same conditions as in the control period.
Measurements were again taken every eight seconds for
20 minutes.
RESULTS
Figure 1 shows the mean skin resistance for the eight
subjects at eight-second intervals during both the 20minute rest period (before learning Transcendental Meditation) and the 20-minute experimental period (the first
meditation after learning Transcendental Meditation).
The mean skin resistance values for each minute of both
the control and experimental periods appear in table 1. A
marked increase in skin resistance in one subject is shown
in fig. 2.
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PROGRAM: COLLECTED PAPERS, VOL. I
During First Meditation
After Instruction
500
During First Meditation
After Instruction
400
200
100
0
4
8
12
16
20
0
4
FIG. 1. MEAN SKIN RESISTANCE FOR THE EIGHT SUBJECTS DURING
THE 20-MINUTE REST PERIOD (BEFORE LEARNING TM) AND THE
20-MINUTE EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD (THE FIRST MEDITATION AFTER
LEARNING TM). Skin resistance was recorded at eight-second
8
12
16
20
MINUTES
MINUTES
FIG. 2. MARKED INCREASE IN SKIN RESISTANCE DURING THE FIRST
MEDITATION AFTER LEARNING TM (ONE SUBJECT). Skin resistance
was recorded at eight-second intervals.
intervals.
During the period of rest with eyes closed before the
subjects learned to meditate, the mean value for skin
resistance was 107 kilohms. During the first meditation
after learning TM the mean value was 431 kilohms, an
increase of 300 percent. Thus, in the Transcendental
Meditation technique skin resistance markedly increased.
TABLE
(N = 8)
TIME
DURING REST
(min)
(kilohms)
1
2
DISCUSSION
The marked increase in the mean skin resistance seen
during the first meditation after learning TM, compared
with the mean of the control period, suggests that increased relaxation and decreased anxiety are direct and
immediate results of the Transcendental Meditation technique. It could be argued that anticipation of learning the
Transcendental Meditation technique and an unfamiliar
experimental setting might result in abnormally low control period measurements. However, this does not appear
to be the case in this experiment, as control period
measurements were within or above the range given for
subjects sitting quietly in a relaxed state in several ex-
214
1
MEAN SKIN REsiSTANCE FOR EAcH MINUTE DURING REST AND
FIRST MEDITATION AFTER LEARNING TM
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
129
120
109
DURING FIRST
MEDITATION
(kilohms)
94
461
483
483
480
476
469
475
107
474
114
451
119
117
106
115
410
112
110
401
102
380
385
400
100
91
90
97
94
20
100
104
Mean
107
391
399
417
417
389
380
431
JANBY
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND EEG CHANGES: INCREASED SKIN RESISTANCE
perimental situations with various electrode placements,
as found by Orme-Johnson (40-200 kilohms) (2); Wallace (70-130 kilohms) (3); and Laurie (70-90 kilohms)
(1). Although the subjects' anticipation and uncertainty
may have decreased their skin resistance to some extent,
this factor clearly does not account for the large difference
between control and experimental periods. Thus, the increased skin resistance in the meditation period appears to
be due to the meditation itself.
These results demonstrate that a change in skin resistance of at least the magnitude noted by Wallace (3) in
experienced meditators is produced immediately as evidenced by the first Transcendental Meditation data presented. This finding suggests that a state of deep relaxation is the immediate consequence of learning the Transcendental Meditation technique. A further implication is
that other reported effects of the Transcendental Medi-
-PAPER
22
tation technique that characterize this state of restful alertness, such as decreased anxiety, decreased oxygen consumption, and decreased concentration of blood lactate,
may also be expected to appear immediately. Further
research is needed to investigate this possibility.
REFERENCES
1. LAURIE, G. 1973. An investigation into the changes in skin
resistance during the Transcendental Meditation technique.
(Published in this volume.)
2. 0RME-10HNSON, D. W. 1973. Autonomic stability and
Transcendental Meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine 35:
341-349.
3. WALLACE, R. K. 1970. The physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation: A proposed fourth major state of consciousness. Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Physiology, University of
California, Los Angeles.
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