NCJ Number
59171
Date Published
1973
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE REPORTS ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION (TM) PROGRAM AT STILLWATER PRISON, MINNESOTA AND STATES THAT PRISONERS IN THE PROGRAM SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN ALL ASPECTS OF PRISON LIFE.
Abstract
BECAUSE PREVIOUS RESEARCH SHOWED PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN PERSONS PRACTICING THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE THAT WOULD BE OF GREAT VALUE FOR REHABILITATING CRIMINALS, THE VALUE OF THE TM PROGRAM IN A LARGE PRISON SETTING WAS SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINED. VOLUNTEER INMATES AT STILLWATER PRISON DESIRING TO BEGIN TM WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP OF 30 SUBJECTS WHO RECEIVED INSTRUCTION IN THE TM TECHNIQUE AND A CONTROL GROUP OF 20 SUBJECTS WHO WERE NOT TAUGHT TM UNTIL AFTER THE EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD. A SECOND CONTROL GROUP CONSISTED OF 16 INMATES NOT DESIRING TO BEGIN TM. THE SPIELBERGER STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY WAS ADMINISTERED TO ALL SUBJECTS TWICE BEFORE AND NINE TIMES, AT WEEKLY INTERVALS, AFTER THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP LEARNED THE TM TECHNIQUE. THE MEDITATING INMATES DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN BOTH TRAIT AND STATE ANXIETY IN THE FIRST WEEKS AFTER INSTRUCTION IN TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND MAINTAINED THIS LEVEL OVER THE NINE WEEKLY TESTINGS. BOTH CONTROL GROUPS INCREASED SLIGHTLY IN ANXIETY OVER THE SAME PERIOD. ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT POSTTEST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS AND BOTH CONTROL GROUPS FOR BOTH TRAIT AND STATE ANXIETY. STILLWATER'S MEDITATORS SHIFTED FROM BEING ONE OF THE MOST ANXIOUS POPULATIONS TO ONE OF THE LEAST ANXIOUS. PRISON RULE INFRACTIONS WERE REDUCED BY MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS FOR THE MEDITATORS WITH ALMOST NO CHANGE FOR THE CONTROLS. MEDITATING SUBJECTS REPORTED THAT AFTER LEARNING TM THEY PARTICIPATED IN TWICE AS MANY RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. THESE RESULTS ALSO IMPLY IMPROVED ADJUSTMENT AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON. OF THE 16 MEDITATING INMATES WHO WERE SUBSEQUENTLY PAROLED, ONLY ONE VIOLATED PAROLE. COMBINED WITH THE EXTREMELY LOW COST OF INTRODUCING THE TM PROGRAM AND ITS HIGH ACCEPTABILITY TO INMATES, THE REPORT STATES THAT THESE RESULTS INDICATE THE GREAT POTENTIAL OF THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PROGRAM AS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR REHABILITATION. THE ARTICLE INCLUDES TABLES AND A LIST OF REFERENCES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MJW)