If only I had a nickel for every self-actualized sidha I've met. I could buy a popsicle.
--- suziezuzie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Transcendental Meditation is a natural and effective > cure for mental > illness. > > A large body of research has demonstrated that > Transcendental > Meditation produces comprehensive improvements in > mental health, > enhancing positive features and reducing various > forms of > psychological distress. A systematic review of 144 > studies found that > Transcendental Meditation was markedly more > effective in reducing > anxiety than other techniques (including progressive > muscular > relaxation, methods claimed to induce a 'relaxation > response', and > other forms of meditation) > > The superiority of Transcendental Meditation > remained highly > significant when only the strongest and most > rigorous studies were > included in the analysis. Transcendental Meditation > has also > consistently been found to reduce depression, > hostility, and > emotional instability, indicating the growth of a > more stable, > balanced, and resilient personality > > In another statistical review of 42 independent > research results, > Transcendental Meditation was found to be three > times as effective as > other meditation and relaxation procedures in > increasing self- > actualization-an overall measure of positive mental > health and > personal development. Further analysis revealed that > the technique is > exceptionally effective in developing three > independent components of > this dimension: emotional maturity, a resilient > sense of self, and a > positive, integrated perspective on ourselves and > the world > > An exhaustive survey conducted by the Swedish > National Health Board > found evidence that psychiatric hospital admissions > may be much less > common among people practicing Transcendental > Meditation than in the > general population > > > > The following excerpt is from Maharishi's book The > Science of Being > and Art of living > > Mental health depends upon the normal functioning of > the nervous > system, so that the full mind is brought to bear > upon the external > world. The normal functioning of the nervous system > results in > physical good health so that the body is able to > carry out the > dictates of the mind, fulfill its desires, and > fulfill the purpose of > existence. > > As long as the coordination of the mind with the > nervous system is > intact, mental health is maintained. When this > coordination breaks > down, either because of some failure on the part of > the mind or of > the nervous system, ill health is the result. Such > failure of the > mind is brought about by a continued inability to > fulfill its > desires. > > The main reason for this is weakness in the clarity > and power of > thought, which thus fails to stimulate the nervous > system to the > extent that it can successfully carry out the > activity needed for > fulfillment of the desire. For the most thorough > coordination and the > most perfect functioning, a profound power of > thought on the part of > the mind, together with a corresponding efficient > executive ability > in the nervous system, is required. > > The integrity of the organic nature of the nervous > system is > certainly as essential as the power of the mind. As > far as their > functioning is concerned, they are interdependent. > It has been found > that while the nervous system remains unchanged, an > improvement of > the state of the mind results in an improved state > of thinking and > better coordination between the mind and the world > around it. When > the full mind is brought out to express itself in > the external world, > the subject comes into a more perfect and rewarding > relationship with > the needs of the mind. A mind that is happy and > contented produces > health. > > It has also been found that, if the physical state > of the nervous > system is improved by means of medicine, while the > state of mind > remains the same, the thinking becomes more profound > and the mind > functions more energetically and more efficiently. > Thus, we find that > the mind and the nervous system are interdependent, > but since the > mind is obviously of a more subtle nature than its > organ, the nervous > system, it seems wiser to assume that the mind is > primary. > > Any number of factors might interfere with the > growth of a tree, but > weakness in the seed itself would overshadow them > all in importance. > In the same way, any number of factors might prevent > the fulfillment > of a need, but weakness of the power of thought must > certainly > overshadow the rest. A strong seed will produce a > tree even in a > desert, while no amount of nurturing will help a > weak seed. If the > basic power of thought is strong, it will find its > way to fulfillment. > > If, because of the failure to satisfy the needs and > desires of the > mind, discontent begins to produce tension within > it, then the way to > remove these tensions will be to strengthen the mind > by increasing > its power to think - the force of thought. This is > achieved by > enlarging the conscious mind through the practice of > deep meditation, > as has already ben explained. > > When tensions build up in the mind, they are > reflected through the > nervous system upon the body. The anxious mind, > constantly flitting > back and forth amongst its problems in its > discontented state, > exhausts and irritates the nervous system and the > body. As a servant > whose master constantly gives indecisive and > confusing orders become > tired and irritable and eventually fails to do > anything, likewise, > the nervous system and the body become tired and > exhausted and > eventually fail to function efficiently when the > mind is in a state > of stress due to confusion and indecision. > > In this way, mental stress produces disease, and > even organic changes > in the body. Obviously the cure of all such > suffering is to create > such a situation in the mind that it may become and > remain unwavering > and steady. This is achieved by expanding the > conscious mind, thereby > making it strong. As a result of strengthening the > conscious mind, a > better coordination between mind and the nervous > system is > established, and smooth and efficient functioning of > the body is the > natural result. Perfect mental health is maintained > because of this > coordination of the mind with the nervous system and > with its end > organ, the body. > > === message truncated === ____________________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Music Unlimited Access over 1 million songs. http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited
