Scientific Categories Of Meditation

A Comparison of Different Meditation Methods

Why TSM Meditation is Easiest

A common mistake made by the casual observer is to think that all meditation is basically the same.

To better understand the verified benefits of meditation, google "Research on Meditation". TSM Meditation is considered "Mantra-Based", and fits into a category science developed called "Automatic Self-Transcending (AST)".

Research has given us insights into how meditation works and what impact it has on our brains, health and physiology. There have been hundreds of studies involving people from all walks of life and with every imaginable psychological profile. Scientists continue to be intrigued by the potentially life-changing benefits of these practices.

Three Types of Meditation Practices

1. Focused Attention or Visualization

Focused attention methods require concentration. The goal is to keep the attention focused and nothing else. Several methods require this: Yoga and guided meditation, visualization, and zen meditation. Focus on a candle flame or visualize an image of a still lake. We are taught to attempt to control the wandering mind. Most of these methods attempt to clear your mind of thoughts. There is little chance for transcendence where the mind can slip away from any type of concentrating. When done correctly, Focused Attention techniques require we work to succeed at the practice.

2. Open Monitoring or Mindfulness

Open monitoring meditation focuses the meditator's awareness on the feelings, thoughts or sensations that are currently present in one's body, breathe or thoughts. It creates theta brain waves and can help with coping and creativity. Mindfulness meditation includes sustaining ones attention as you would completing a particular task or goal. This is work. And for that, the mind remains busy. Mindfulness is based on the teachings of the Buddha. It is very different from TSM Meditation. Mindfulness students are encouraged to acknowledge their reality, beginning with observing your mind and recognizing each thought that arises without judging or manipulating it. But the mind is often being trained to return to the present moment. Such practices keep the mind engaged and require effort.

3. Automatic Self-Transcending (AST)

AST generally means any method using a mantra or meaningless sound. AST involves neither concentration nor training the mind. 'Automatic' means innocence. Evaluation, control or manipulation is not required and will leave you caught up in thinking and prevent transcending. Most types of meditation aim to control or train the mind by a way of thinking. Transcendence, on the other hand, involves no concentration, control, or training. AST describes any technique which transcends (goes beyond) the steps of the meditation practice itself. TSM allows the mind to go beyond surface level thinking towards silence (the source of thought). This improves concentration, focus, control and creativity which are some of the benefits we spontaneously receive from the regular practice.

During AST it is counter-productive to try to force the mind to go somewhere that it already wants to go to naturally! In this method one is not required to stop thoughts or concentrate. We are taught to allow thoughts and to access that level of calm that already exists. By correctly using a mantra (meaningless word) we automatically settle into a calm and silence that lies within. in a natural way, the body is resting while the mind becomes less active. One is not required to engage the mind, quiet our thoughts, follow one's breath, or engage in any effort.

Instruction in most methods of meditation regards thoughts and the wandering mind as the enemy that needs to somehow be controlled. In TSM we begin with the understanding that the wandering mind is by nature in search of something. We need not control it but instead we allow it to go more deeply to an area that is more charming and relaxing. There is no skill needed to meditate this way. It's effortless. Other methods do not incorporate automatic self-transcendence.

Meditation takes us from activity into silence, giving our body a very deep level of rest. Rest is how the body heals itself, which it does by throwing off the stress, fatigue, and toxins accumulated during our daily life. The silence of pure awareness is extremely refreshing to the mind, which finds it increasingly easy not to cling to old thought-patterns; rigid habits of thinking and feeling begin to fall away of their own accord. When this happens, the mind is actually learning to heal itself.

The most significant health benefits of meditation are stress reduction, better sleep and the ability to stay centered in the midst of all the turmoil that's going on around you. Meditation helps you do less and accomplish more.

During meditation, you aren't forcing your mind to be quiet; you are experiencing the silence and stillness that lies beyond the background static of worry, resentment, wishful thinking, fantasy, unfulfilled hopes, and vague dreams in your head. Meditation brings us home to the peace of present-moment awareness. It gives us a direct experience of our Spirit and in the process dissolves the impurities which are preventing Spirit from shining forth in our lives.

Bubble Diagram. A Visual description of the nature of the mind and the rising of thought - meditation and the source of creativity and intelligence.

In meditation we automatically disrupt the unconscious progression of thoughts and emotions on the conscious level of thinking by shifting the attention to move to a new object of focus. The "object of focus" is a specific mantra or sound that we learn to think silently to ourselves. A mantra is pure sound, with no meaning or emotional charge to trigger associations. It allows the mind to detach from its usual preoccupations and experience the spaciousness and peace within, the silent, more awake levels of thought. With practice the mind becomes completely awake without any thought where the source of thought is reached and only silence remains, a state of pure consciousness.

Even more important than what we experience during our meditation sessions is the effect they have on the remaining hours of our day. With a regular meditation practice, life's inevitable stresses no longer have the power to throw us into chaotic mind-states, and all of our thoughts, actions, and reactions are infused with greater love, calm, and joy.

About TSM

The TSM Meditation technique is easy to learn and to practice; in fact, effortlessness is the very key to its effectiveness. Persons of every educational background can learn it successfully in a few hours of instruction and experience good effects, in most cases immediately.
The TSM Meditation technique is for everyone; it is an internal technology based on a highly valuable intrinsic tendency of the human nervous system that every man and woman possesses and therefore deserves to know how to use, regardless of his or her particular background, education, or way of life.
Learning the TSM Meditation technique does not require the acceptance of any particular philosophical system, nor does it interfere with any religious belief. The direction of development that results from the TSM Meditation technique is not a strange or unworldly one; it is towards full development of those normal faculties of body, mind, and emotions that we already value in everyday life. What can be achieved by means of the TSM Meditation technique is the extension of the range of these normal faculties to their maximum possible value, a level of development rarely experienced by most individuals.
The TSM Meditation technique is safe and effective, can be systematically and uniformly taught, and is quick to give results; moreover, all of these features can be demonstrated objectively (See research on our website).
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, through the TSM Meditation technique the area of consciousness and its development has come to be recognized as a legitimate subject for serious seekers and students from all walks of life.

Our physical and energy bodies become tense and damaged through stress, old injuries, poor nutritional habits, lack of circulation, and emotions we feel we cannot control. TSM Meditation can help reverse the effect of this damage by developing an inner sense of peace and relaxation, as well as an ability to handle stress before it creates physical damage in the body. Meditation heals your physical and energy body, quieting the mind and uniting you with your own inner healing system and wisdom.

As a medical doctor trained in India I was taught to treat disease. There was no training for creating health. Now I teach TSM Meditation. This enables me to give students a way to lower their blood pressure naturally without any harmful side effects. If I teach meditation I know it will strengthen the immune system, slow aging and improve sleep. People who come to doctors for relief from stress and stress-related disorders need an effective meditation that's quickly mastered and produces consistent results. The practice of TSM is so simple and beneficial. Since students look forward to meditating daily there is very good compliance. Please join us in South Florida. Attend a free lecture and begin. It's a wonderful, natural technique. - Gyanendra Mahapatra, M.D.

TSM Meditation and Emotional Well-Being

The emotional benefits of meditation include:

Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
Building skills to manage your stress
Increasing self-awareness
Focusing on the present
Reducing negative emotions

Meditation isn't a replacement for traditional medical treatment. But it may be a useful addition to your other treatment.

Meditation Gets High Praise

The Meditation practice of Transcendental Stress Management reduces stress, depression and insomnia. A few years ago Time magazine reported in a cover story that over ten million Americans meditate each day.

In Joel Stein's Time magazine feature article entitled 'Just Say Om', he reported thatScientists study it. Doctors recommend it. Millions of Americans--many of whom don't even own crystals--practice it every day. Why? Because meditation works.

From Stein's point of view, meditation is most beneficial as a means to good health physical, emotional and mental, in that order. Apparently, a lot of people agree with him. According to Stein, ten million American adults now say they practice some form of meditation regularly, twice as many as a decade ago, and mainly for health benefits. At least that's what they are telling interviewers.

Meditation classes are now being offered in schools, hospitals, law firms, prisons, governmental and corporate offices even airports. West Point Naval Academy offers a course on meditation.

Benefits of TSM Meditation

Meditation has two important benefits:

Meditation prevents stress from getting into the system.
Meditation releases accumulated stress that is in the system.

Both of these happen simultaneously, leaving one refreshed and joyful.

Emotional steadiness and harmony: it cleanses and nourishes you from within and calms you, whenever you feel overwhelmed, unstable, or emotionally shut down.

TSM Meditation brings harmony in creation: when you meditate, you are in the space of vastness, calmness and joy and this is what you emit into the environment, bringing harmony to the Creation/planet.

Consciousness evolves: with the assimilation of meditation into daily life, your consciousness evolves and in time, is able to experience the higher and refined states of consciousness.

When your consciousness evolves and expands, the disturbances in your life become negligible. Anger and disappointments become fleeting emotions that occur momentarily and then vanish. You start living in 'the moment' and let go of 'the past'.

Personal Transformation: TSM Meditation can bring about a true personal transformation. As you learn more about yourself, you'll naturally want to discover more about the mystery of life, this universe, etc. Then the questions that arise in the mind are - What is the meaning of Life? What is its purpose? What is this world, what is love, what is knowledge...?

Once these questions arise, know that you are very fortunate. These questions need to be understood; you cannot find the answers in books. As you live through answering them you'll witness that life transformation to a richer level.

When you perceive the world as a part of yourself, love flows strongly between the world and you. This love empowers you to bear the opposing forces and the disturbances in your life. Anger and disappointments become fleeting emotions that occur momentarily and then vanish. You start living in 'the moment' and let go of 'the past'.

The confluence of knowledge, understanding and practice makes life complete. When you grow into higher states of consciousness, you become beautiful yet strong - a soft, delicate and beautiful blossom capable of accommodating different values in life without any conditions.

How to get the benefits

To experience the benefits of TSM Meditation, regular practice is necessary. It takes only a few minutes every day. Once imbibed into the daily routine, meditation becomes the best part of your day!

TSM Meditation is like a seed. When you cultivate a seed with love, the more it blossoms. Similarly, the sapling of consciousness is within you. It needs to be nurtured with simple meditation techniques. Some palm trees yield in three years, some in ten years. And those that aren't nurtured - never yield! They simply exist.

Busy people from all backgrounds are grateful to pause and enjoy a refreshing few minutes of meditation each day. Dive deep into yourself and enrich your life.

Learn a simple, effortless form of meditation and receive your personal mantra together with instructions how to use it properly. To learn, contact us at and take the 4-lesson class on Zoom or in person.