Abstract
Oxygen consumption, electroencephalogram (EEG), and four other measures of somatic relaxation were monitored in groups of long-term practitioners of classical Jacobson's progressive relaxation (PR) and Transcendental Meditation (TM) and also in a group of novice PR trainees. All subjects (1) practiced relaxation or meditation (treatment), (2) sat with eyes closed (EC control), and (3) read from a travel book during two identical sessions on different days. EEG findings indicated that all three groups remained primarily awake during treatment and EC control and that several subjects in each group displayed rare theta (5–7 Hz) waveforms. All three groups demonstrated similar decrements in somatic activity during treatment and EC control which were generally of small magnitude (e.g., 2–5% in oxygen consumption). These results supported the “relaxation response” model for state changes in somatic relaxation for techniques practiced under low levels of stress but not the claim that the relaxation response produced a hypometabolic state. Despite similar state effects, the long-term PR group manifested lower levels of somatic activity across all conditions compared to both novice PR and long-term TM groups. We concluded that PR causes a generalized trait of somatic relaxation which is manifested in a variety of settings and situations. Two likely explanations for this trait were discussed: (1) PR practitioners are taught to generalize relaxation to daily activities, and/or (2) according to a “multiprocess model,” PR is a “somatic technique,” which should produce greater somatic relaxation than does TM, a “cognitive technique.” Further research is required to elucidate these possibilities.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agnew, H. W., Jr., Webb, W. B., and Williams, R. L. (1966). The first night effect: An EEG study of sleep.Psychophysiology 2: 263–266.
Altman, P. L., and Dittmer, D. S. (1968).Metabolism, Biological Handbook Series, Federation of American Soceities for Experimental Biology, Bethesda, Md.
Anand, B. K., Chhina, G. S., and Singh, B. (1961). Studies on Shri Ramanand Yogi during his stay in an air tight box.Indian J. of Med. Res. 49: 82–89.
Banquet, J. P. (1973). Spectral analysis of the EEG in meditation.Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 35: 143–151.
Bard, P. (ed.). (1961).Medical Physiology, Mosby, St. Louis.
Beary, J. F., and Benson, H. (1975). A simple psychophysiological technique which elicits the hypometabolic changes of the relaxation response.Psychosom. Med. 36: 115–120.
Benson, H., Beary, J. R., and Carol, M. K. (1974). The relaxation response.Psychiatry 37: 37–46.
Benson, H., Steinert, R. G., Greenwood, M. M., Klemchuck, H. M., and Peterson, N. H. (1975). Continuous measurement of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide elimination during a wakeful hypometabolic state.J. Hum. Stress 1: 37–44.
Bohlin, G. (1971). Monotonous stimulation, sleep onset and habituation of the orienting reaction.Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 31: 593–601.
Boothby, W. M., and Sandiford, I. (1920).Laboratory Manual of the Technic of Basal Metabolic Rate Determinations, Saunders, Philadelphia.
Brown, C. C. (1972). Instruments in psychophysiology. In Greenfield, N. S., and Sternbach, R. A. (eds.),Handbook of Psychophysiology, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, San Francisco.
Cannon, W. B. (1963).The Wisdom of the Body, Norton, New York.
Chatrian, G. E., and Lairy, G. C. (eds.) (1976). The EEG of the waking adult. In Remond, A. (ed.),Handbook of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 6, Part A, Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Curtis, W. D., and Wessberg, H. W. (1976). A comparison of heart rate, respiration, and galvanic skin response among meditators, relaxers, and controls.J. Altered States Consciousness 2: 319–324.
Davidson, R. J., and Schwartz, G. E. (1976). Psychobiology of relaxation and related states: A multi-process theory. In Mostofsky, D. (ed.),Behavior Modification and Control of Physiological Activity, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Duffy, E. (1962).Activation and Behavior, Wiley, New York.
Edwards, A. L. (1972).Experimental Design in Psychological Research, 4th ed., Holt, Rinehart and Winston, San Francisco.
Fenwick, P. Donaldson, S., Gillis, L., Bushman, J., Fenton, G., Perry, I., Tilsley, C., and Serafinowicz, H. (1977). Metabolic and EEG changes during Transcendental Meditation: An explanation.Biol. Psychol. 5: 101–118.
Goleman, D. J., and Schwartz, G. E. (1976). Meditation as an intervention in stress reactivity.J. Consult. Gin. Psychol. 44: 456–466.
Hays, W. L. (1973).Statistics for the Social Sciences, 2nd ed., Holt, Rinehart and Winston, San Francisco.
Herbert, R., and Lehmann, D. (1977). Theta bursts: An EEG pattern in normal subjects practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique.Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 42: 397–405.
Hess, W. R. (1957).Functional Organization of the Diencephalon, Grune and Stratton, New York.
Hirai, T. (1960). Electroencephalographic study on zen meditation: EEG changes during the concentrated relaxation.Psychiat. Neurol. J. 62(1): 76–105.
Jacobson, E. (1964).Self-Operations Control: A Manual of Tension Control, Lippincott, Philadelphia.
Kasamatsu, A., and Hirai, T. (1969). An electroencephalographic study on the Zen meditation (zazan). In Tart, C. (ed.),Altered States of Consciousness, Wiley, New York.
Lacey, J. I. (1967). Somatic response patterning and stress: Some revisions of activation theory. In Appley, N. H., and Trumbull, R. (eds.),Psychological Stress, Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York.
Lang, P. (1969). The mechanics of desensitization and the laboratory study of human fear. In Franks, C. M. (eds.),Behavior Therapy: Appraisal and Status, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Lang, P., Rice, D. G., and Sternbach, R. A. (1972). The psychophysiology of emotion. In Greenfield, N. S., and Sternbach, R. A. (eds.),The Handbook of Psychophysiology, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.
Luthe, W. (ed.) (1969).Autogenic Therapy, Vol. IV, Chap. 16, Grune and Stratton, New York.
Morse, D. R., Martin, J. S., Furst, M. L., and Dubin, O. L. (1977). A physiological and subjective evaluation of meditation, hypnosis and relaxation.Psychosom. Med. 39: 304–324.
Obrist, P. A., Howard, J. L., Lawler, J. E., Galosy, R. A., Meyers, K. A., and Gaebelein, C. J. (1974). The cardiac-somatic interaction. In Obrist, P. A., Black, A. H., Brener, J., and DiCara, L. V. (eds.),Cardiovascular Psychophysiology, Aldine, Chicago.
Pagano, R. R., Rose, R., Stivers, R., and Warrenburg, S. (1976). Sleep during Transcendental Meditation.Science 191: 308–310.
Paul, G. L. (1969). Physiological effects of relaxation training and hypnotic suggestion.J. Abnorm. Psychol. 74: 425–437.
Rechtschaffen, A., and Kales, A. (eds.) (1968).A Manual of Standardized Terminology, Techniques and Scoring System for Sleep Stage of Human Subjects, Public Health Service, U.S. Goverment Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Schwartz, G. E., Davidson, R. J., and Goleman, D. J. (1978). Patterning of cognitive and somatic processes in the self-regulation of anxiety: Effects of meditation versus exercise.Psychosom. Med. 40: 321–328.
Tebecis, A. (1975). A controlled study of the EEG during Transcendental Meditation: Comparison with hypnosis.Folia Psychiat. Neurol. Jpn. 29: 305–315.
Wallace, R. K. (1970a). Physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation.Science 167: 1751–1754.
Wallace, R. K. (1970b). The physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation. Doctoral dissertation, UCLA, Maharishi International University Press, Los Angeles.
Wallace, R. K., and Benson, H. (1972). The physiology of meditation.Sci. Am. 226: 84–90.
Wallace, R. K., Benson, H., and Wilson, A. (1971). A wakeful hypometabolic physiologic state.Am. J. Physiol. 22: 795–799.
Walrath, L. C., and Hamilton, D. W. (1975). Autonomic correlates of meditation and hypnosis.Am. J. Clin. Hypnosis 17: 190–197.
Weinberger, D. A., Schwartz, G. E., and Davidson, R. J. (1979). Low anxious, high-anxious, and repressive coping styles: Psychometric patterns and behavioral and physiological responses to stress.J. Abnorm. Psychol. 88: 369–380.
Younger, J., Adriance, W., and Berger, R. (1975). Sleep during Transcendental Meditation.Percept. Motor Skills 40: 953–954.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Warrenburg, S., Pagano, R.R., Woods, M. et al. A comparison of somatic relaxation and EEG activity in classical progressive relaxation and transcendental meditation. J Behav Med 3, 73–93 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844915
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844915