Experts answer questions about Transcendental Meditation and post-traumatic stress in veterans

Operation Warrior Wellness    Translate This Article
9 November 2011

Ask the Experts

Col. Brian Rees, M.D., Co-Chair of Operation Warrior Wellness, has 34 years of commissioned military service. He is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College, and the US Army War College. Col. Rees is the former commander of the 349th Combat Support Hospital in Bell (Los Angeles), California. He has taught the Transcendental Meditation technique and has researched both its application for the promotion of soldier resilience and the employment of technologies of consciousness for the reduction of violent conflict.

Sarina Grosswald, Ed.D., is a research investigator at the NIH-funded Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention. She is a principal investigator in a series of trials studying the effects of TM on PTS and resilience among military personnel and veterans.

Q: I have PTS. Can Transcendental Meditation help me? 
Col. Brian Rees: Yes, TM can help you. A controlled study showed improvement in combat veterans suffering from PTS. Many other studies have shown improvement in a host of symptoms related to PTS. While your case is unique to you, available evidence would indicate that TM could help you.

Q: Will TM allow me to stop taking my PTS medication? 
Col. Brian Rees: While we can't say for sure that TM can help reduce the amount of medication one takes for PTS, available data show that it reduces symptoms associated with PTS. We anticipate that as health grows and symptoms decrease, your need for medication should lessen.

Q: How does TM compare with other forms of relaxation? 
Col. Brian Rees: TM is the best of the realm of relaxation and stress-busting techniques. It produces a deep healing state of rest in the body and mind. There are literally hundreds of studies from dozens of leading institutions published in peer-reviewed journals.

Q: How does TM compare with other treatments for PTS? 
Col. Brian Rees: That is an excellent question. Unlike medications or techniques that try to mask symptoms, TM produces a deep state of rest in the body by allowing the mind to experience its own silent, inner nature. This experience is healing and rejuvenating; by promoting health at this fundamental level of life, all aspects of mind and body are enlivened and supported.

Click here for more about Operation Warrior Wellness, including successful results using the Transcendental Meditation technique to gain relief in the epidemic of PTS among veterans returning from combat.

© Copyright 2011 David Lynch Foundation



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