Transcending = real mindfulness

The real state of mindfulness is a state where the mind is completely still but at the same time completely alert, where one transcends all thoughts and is completely “in the now”.  This state can not be reached by trying to be mindful.  The more one tries, the more one keeps the mind actually active. Nevertheless, it is only this state that can really create the profound effects of meditation. The technique to transcend has been lost over time because people started the interpret “meditation” incorrectly.  Meditation was made much more difficult that it really is.

Large numbers of Buddhist monks are learning TM

Mindfulness came to the West from Buddhism, but in the East more than 3000 Buddhist monks, in 100 monasteries across Asia recently learned the TM technique. They discovered that mindfulness is not an experience one has to try to reach through various exercises, but it is the natural consequence, something that is spontaneously experienced, with the experience of “nirvana”, the experience of transcending.  Through the TM technique, this experience is reached automatically, in a natural way, without effort or concentration.

The real effects are created by transcending

The completely natural process that creates the experience of transcending is not only easy to learn and pleasant to practice, it also appears to be highly effective.  This is shown by the experiences of 6 Million TM practitioners and 600 scientific studies that have confirmed the effects of the experience of transcending during the TM practice during the past 40 years.

An exceptionally deep state of rest

Transcending is a state where the mind finds complete inner silence, a state that is reached completely naturally and spontaneously, without needing to try to reach it.  This state also creates an exceptionally deep level of physical relaxation, much deeper than sleep.  This can be measured easily.

On this graph, showing a research from Harvard University, we see that during the TM practice, almost instantly a state of physical relaxation is reached that is deeper than the deepest rest in sleep.  And with sleep it usually takes several hours of sleep before we reach this deepest point. [3], [4].

It is this state of deep rest that activates the body’s own inner healing power.

Deep rest allows the body to let go of past accumulated stress. And the body can eliminate even the deepest tensions we have, even traumatic stress, in a completely natural way, provided the state of rest is deep enough. That is what happens during the TM practice.

Here is a video of the David Lynch Foundation containing examples of how powerful this is for those who have to deal with very heave stress, and why more and more scientists, educators, celebrities and governments are supporting the TM technique.

Transcending = Deep inner happiness…measurable

Stress has a direct impact on how our brain works.  Under stress, the production of the “happiness hormone” serotonin decreases.  A shortage of serotonin doesn’t only influence our inner feeling of happiness, but it’s also connected to migraines, insomnia, anxiety, anger outbursts, alzheimers, eating disorders and many other health issues.  One can try to artificially increase serotonin in the short term (for example through anti-depressants), but this only treats the symptoms, not the real problem itself.

The experience of transcending on the other hand, activates the body’s inner healing power, so the brain can function normally again. The consequence? A completely natural increase in serotonin production during the TM practice, and eventually also in the long term [5]. This has benefits for all areas of life, as you can discover on this site.

Transcending = brain development…measurable

Transcending doesn’t just impact our health, our welness, our self-confidence or our relationships, but even influences our brain development, even in adults, whose brains are supposed to be fully developed already.  How can such a simple experience have effects on the brain that till now were considered impossible (like disappearing of ADHD, increasing of IQ and creativity in adults etc) requires a bit more explanation (see transcending = highest human experience).

But the effects themselves can be clearly measured, for example through EEG coherence measurements.

Every time part of the brain is active, there is electrical activity that can be measured by an electroencephalograph (EEG), a device that transmits the information in the form of waves.

Next, the EEG waves from different parts of the brain are sent to a computer which then calculates (in real time) to what extent different wave forms correspond with each other (=show coherence). When the brain waves are fully coherent, this means that different parts of the brain are connected with each other. They functions like one whole.

During normal activity, this coherence is relatively low, somewhere between 30 and 40 %.  During transcending however, the mind experiences a state of unity, and this has a directly measurable impact on the brain, which starts to work more like one united whole.  We can see how this happens in real-time in the video below. 

The more somebody has this experience of high EEG coherence, the more the brain will start to get used to this state, so EEG coherence outside of the TM practice will also start to rise.  A higher EEG coherence is associated with higher IQ, more creativity, more emotional stability, better reflexes, more ethical thinking etc ( for more information, see  transcending = brain development )

How can I learn to transcend?

Real meditation is effortless and pleasant to do, anybody can learn it and it gives immediate results.

When one thinks about “meditation” today, one usually thinks about some form of forcing the mind to reach a state of inner silence, through some form of concentration (on a sounds, the breath or “being in the now”).  However, this restraining of the mind is against its nature, demands a lot of disciplined practice and is just not pleasant.

The Transcendental Meditation technique is taught individually, by a professionally trained teacher who is able to lead anyone in a completely natural way to the experience of transcending.
If one has had this experience once, then the mind remembers it and afterwards it can go back there spontaneously, in a totally natural and effortless way, provided that one uses the correct technique. This technique is taught step by step, during four consecutive meetings.  This initial training course is followed by a extensive program of follow-up meetings to ensure continued correct practice. 

Even in the oldest scriptures in the world, the experience of transcending is described as an essential experience for health, happiness and the full development of our human potential.  Transcendental Meditation is the re-discovery of the completely natural formula to reach this state. (see what is TM?).