Catecholamine levels in practitioners of the transcendental meditation technique

With the aim of evaluating the sympathetic-adrenal medulla system in subjects practicing transcendental meditation (TM), their plasma catecholamine levels were determined at two different times of day. The study group consisted of 19 subjects who regularly practice either TM or Sidhi-TM technique, with a control group made up of 16 healthy subjects who had not previously used any relaxation technique. Catecholamine plasma levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, at 0900 and 2000 h. Morning and evening norepinephrine (NE) levels and morning epinephrine (E) levels were significantly lower in the TM group than in the control subjects (moming NE levels, pg/ml, mean +/- S.E.: TM group 136.6 +/- 13.0, control 236.8 +/- 21.0, P=.0001; evening NE levels: TM group 119.7 +/- 10.8, control 175.6 +/- 17.4, P=.009; morning E levels, pg/ml: TM group 140.2 +/- 10.6, control 196.7 +/- 23.8, P=.019). No differences were recorded for evening E levels and dopamine (DA) levels. No significant differences were found for catecholamine levels measured at different times of day in the TM group, demonstrating a lack of daily hormonal rhythm. Anxiety levels were similar in both groups. Based on the results obtained, it can be considered that the regular practice of TM has a significant effect on the sympathetic-adrenal medulla system. A low hormonal response to daily stress caused by sympathetic tone regulation through regular TM could explain our results, as well as the physiological and other effects related to the field of health described in those who practice meditation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.