What The Evidence Shows
A recently study from Georgetown University Medical School suggests that Transcendental Meditation (TM) can reduce some of the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The study found that Transcendental Medication produces 
reductions in stress and depression, with improvement in overall quality of life. The results were concluded after the participants engaged in three months of twice a day TM practice. The results were corroborated by a similar study conducted at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The researchers believe that TM may be helpful with those suffering from PTSD because it produced long-term changes in the sympathetic nervous systemic activity. TM can quiet down the nervous system slowing down the fight-or-flight response. It results in a lowered blood pressure, and decreased reactivity to stress.
My Thoughts on The Study
My thoughts are that while this study is good news, Transcendental Meditation should be used to treat PTSD suffers only in conjunction with psychotherapy. First, both studies involved only very small population samples, and not enough research has been done. Second, while TM can calm the nervous system, the issues that cause the PTSD still remain if they are not processed, and the symptoms will continue to leak out if not addressed. PTSD, in my opinion, is best treated by psychodynamic psychotherapy with supportive couples counseling when needed. That being said, given this new study and my experience with meditation in general, I would encourage my patients with PTSD to begin a meditation practice.
If you are suffering from PTSD and are interested in psychotherapy, marriage counseling, or couples counseling, please contact Jennifer De Francisco of Newport Beach at (949) 251-8797.
I have established an analogy between practice of meditation and psychoanalysis.
Julian B. Rotter (1970) writes in his book Clinical Psychology “Other professions which overlap clinical psychology are those of the psychiatrist, social worker, lawyer, speech pathologist, and religious worker. All these professions are concerned in one way or another with the individual’s adjustment to a special set of circumstances”.
Now the question arises what does a religious worker does to help an individual for his/her adjustment with himself/herself and with the society? The one apparent answer is guiding people to perform devotional exercises.
Perhaps answer lies in the following lines:
Psychoanalysis emphasizes free association, the phenomenon of transference, and the development of insight. Psychoanalysis helps a person understand himself/herself better. The goal of psychoanalysis is to acquire self-understanding and knowledge of the sources of anxiety.
According to Swami Vivekananda, “During meditation the mind is at first apt to wander. But let any desire whatever arise in the mind, we must sit calmly and watch what sort of ideas are coming. By continuing to watch in that way the mind becomes calm, and there are no more thoughts waves in it. Those things that we have previously thought deeply have stored into unconscious mind and therefore these come up at the surface of conscious mind during meditation.” We may call this ‘auto-catharsis’ sort of free-association, unconscious mind talking to conscious mind. Meditation provides us insight, understanding of self and increases our psychological strength. So we can draw some analogy between practice of meditation and psychoanalysis. .
According to Swami Vishnu Devananda:”Through meditation, the play of the mind is witnessed. In the early stages nothing more can be done than to gain understanding as the ego is observed constantly asserting itself. But in times its game become familiar, and one begins to prefer the peace of contentment. When the ego is subdued, energies can then be utilized constructively for personal growth and the service of others”.
According to Radhasoami Faith: “…strong desires, embedded in the mind, are awakened in Bhajan (a type of meditation) by the current of Shabd (sound).