Col. Brian M. Rees & Dr. David R. Leffler, (Abstract). Stress reduction using the TM program: Solution to problems arising from combat stress. In the proceeding of the "International Conference on Armed Forces & Conflict Resolution in a Globalized World" July 14 - 17, 2008, Seoul, Korea, Session 3, p. 16.

Session 2: Military Families and Current International Deployments of Armed Forces:
Different Strategies to Cope with Stressing Situations

Abstract:

Stress reduction using the Transcendental Meditation program:
Solution to problems arising from combat stress

Stress-related problems caused by war are not confined to the place and time of battle. Each soldier is part of a larger social fabric that includes family and society. The direct and indirect costs of dealing with these stress-related problems, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), are significant and often the families of soldiers suffer. The Transcendental Meditation program involves a simple, non-religious, psychophysiologic practice demonstrated in over 600 research studies to reduce a wide variety of stress-related problems. A random assignment study of Vietnam veterans, published in the Journal of Counseling and Development, found this program to be effective against PTSD. Instruction in the program, followed by three months of regular practice, significantly reduced eight out of nine measures, including emotional numbness, anxiety, depression, alcohol consumption, insomnia, family problems, and unemployment. Meta-analyses published in peer-reviewed journals provide evidence for superior effectiveness of this program over others in the areas of anxiety reduction, lowering blood pressure, self-development, physiological relaxation, improved psychological outcomes, and decreased use of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. In conclusion, research on this program indicates that it produces effects on mind and body that are opposite those of chronic stress.

[*Editor's Notes:] The issue of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has reached public attention in an unexpected way through the revelations that in the past the military medical establishment has failed on major fronts to provide the very best treatment deserved by military personnel returning from conflict.

The Transcendental Meditation (TM) program is a scientifically-validated cost-effective solution which could be easily and quickly implemented. Please also see the information below:

"Meditation Could Help: Reducing Stress-Related Problems at Military and VA Facilities." Editorial published by Military.com, Available at: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,140986,00.html

US Army War College masters program degree research paper by Colonel Brian M. Rees, M.D. entitled "The Application of Strategic Stress Management in Winning the Peace. Available at: http://invinciblemilitary.org/rees/Col_Rees_Masters_Paper.htm

Dr. Rees gave a presentation on this topic at the Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S. (AMSUS) convention on 12 November 2007.

Colonel Rees is quoted in Military Officer about a side benefit for military personnel when using the Transcendental Meditation technique. The article describes alternative treatment approaches to combat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Military Officer magazine is the flagship publication of Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The article is available online at:
http://www.moaa.org/pubs_mom_070601_ptsd.htm

An important point to consider is that scientific research shows that all meditation and relaxation techniques do not necessarily have the same results. See: "Are All Meditations the Same? Comparing the Neural Patterns of Mindfulness Meditation, Tibetan Buddhism Kargyu tradition and the Transcendental Meditation Technique." Available at: http://fredtravis.com/talk.html

Unlike many other meditation and relaxation techniques the TM program is easy to learn and fun to practice, and extensive research shows that it is more effective and efficient than other relaxation techniques. See "Comparison of Techniques Issue: Are all forms of meditation and relaxation the same?" Available at: http://www.truthabouttm.org/truth/Research/ComparisonofTechniques/index.cfm

A new study of 60 male subjects in their 40’s and 50’s found that ultraweak photon emissions were significantly lower at all 12 anatomical locations studied in subjects practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM) and Other Meditation Techniques (OMT= Tao, Zen, Christian, and Hindu Yoga meditations) than in non-meditating controls. See: http://www.truthabouttm.org/truth/Research/NewStudies/UltraweakPhotonEmissionandMeditation/index.cfm

The abstract for this paper appeared in the Seoul National University & Korea Military Academy International Conference on Armed Forces & Conflict Resolution in a Globalized World, published by the International Sociological Association Research Committee 01 Other presentations: Strategic Stress Management | Preventing Enemies