Vaj: > here's what's been published so far on the > Shamatha Project. > None of these papers are double-blind studies. But, all these papers just validate the practice of TM.
The fact is, meditation can help reduce stress, one of the major contributors to heart attack, according to Dr. Wallace. "Shamatha" is just another variant on TM practice, similar to Tibetan Dzogchen. So, any scientific studies would probably tend to support TM research, not invalidate it. I've practice both 'TM' and 'Shamatha', so I can say from experience that they are very similar, and produce similar results for normal health. TM and Shamatha are both object based forms of deep meditation. This is true of Zen practice and most forms of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Buddha practiced and taught a meditation that was akin to TM practice, which can lead to the the experience of the "ground" of our consciousness. "Wallace details the movements through the meditative stages of samatha practice. Initially, one begins with an object of focus and ultimately ends up with an objectless meditative awareness, which connects one to the ground of all conscious activity..." Wallace's Contemplative Science: http://tinyurl.com/6fpvdk3
