Current Comm*n@s@

In the first part of th~ essay, I considered various forms of meditation and the ways in which they seem to affect human physiology. 1 This second part will deal with medhation and its effects on learning and creativity. As noted earlier, proponents claim that the daily practice of meditation provides many benefits, includlng relief from the harmful consequences of stress and anxiety. Scientists do not agree as to whether these benefits are unique to meditation, or whether other relaxation strategies produce similar results. There is also disagreement over the claim by certain medhation enthusiasts that meditation renders the mind more receptive to learning. Studies on meditation and learning have produced dtifenng results. William Linden, New York University, performed an experiment in wldch thirdgraders from a disadvantaged urban area were taught Transcendental Meditation, or TM. Linden hoped to gauge the effects of TM on reading achievement and also on “field independence,” that is, the abilh y to perceive and think in an articulated fashion. He noted that the students who learned TM performed better than controls on a test measuring the ability to discern a given shape from a distracting background. The medhating students also displayed less test anxiety than dld the controls, according to the Test Anxiety Scale for Children (TASC). Whfle no effect on reading achievement was evident, Linden pointed out that medhation dld seem to increase field independence and self-mastery. z jUty 29, 1985