VictorSchoenbach

Dear SoulRavager - the fact that a practice (or anything else) has beneficial effects does not mean that a larger or more concentrated dose will be better or even just as good. Many vitamins, for example, are essential to good health but some become toxic when consumed in excess. Sleep is essential for good health, but sleeping 12 hours/day will not typically be good. The benefits from regular practice of TM come from alternating the deep rest of TM with regular activity. During TM the nervous system normalizes and becomes more orderly, but in order to function effectively in daily life it needs to then bring that orderliness into ordinary activity.

All of my understanding comes in relation to TM, about which I've taken numerous courses including the teacher training course. I am not aware of published studies about the effects of meditating for different lengths of time. TM teachers are trained to adjust TM meditation times in specific circumstances, but I don't know of anything written that I can refer you to. Sorry to disappoint.

$800 - the discount price following referral by a health professional - is actually entirely reasonable, both in comparison to many other available treatments and in relation to what is needed to make TM available in a quality manner. I learned TM in 1972 - I think that I paid $75 (as a student). But the organization was much smaller, there were many fewer expectations for it, the teacher was just traveling through my location, etc. Given TM's enormous potential for improving our lives, it's essential that the organization that disseminates it have adequate resources. When people and organizations with money and power appreciate its value, there will be no shortage of ways to subsidize TM. In the meantime, those of us who can afford to donate to the David Lynch Foundation and TM.org.

The introduction of TM at the Stritch School of Medicine to students and faculty represents a real advance, and should help open up the public health profession. As I mentioned elsewhere in this conversation, I've now given out 25 copies of Transcendence to public health students, colleagues, and friends. Vivek Murthy posted a photo of himself meditating (presumably not TM) with students in a San Francisco school (who were practicing TM). So I think that prospects are good. I'll be letting my colleagues know about your Diane Rehm Show next Tuesday.

Dr. Rosenthal, thank you for your work. I learned TM in 1972 when I was a new masters student in public health. Some years later I realized that it had tremendous potential to advance public health. After several decades as a faculty member I decided to work to help make the public health profession more aware of TM and its potential. I've been somewhat surprised at the reluctance of several public health leaders and other colleagues to be open to learning about TM, even though I know some major public health leaders who are (quietly) TM meditators. Do you know public health professionals who are advocates of TM for public health? I did see an encouraging post on the new Surgeon General's Facebook page.