Dr Jeffrey Abramson has organized and funded extensive medical research on cardiovascular disease, preventative medicine, educational programs for at-risk youth, and conflict resolution.

Students can 'have it all'
by Global Good News staff writer
23 February 2009

A solution to student problems is at hand
Dr Jeffrey Abramson, partner in the family-owned, Washington DC real estate firm, The Tower Companies, and a principal in the Abramson Family Foundation, shares a story to, in his own words, 'show that there is a solution to the problems that children face—problems, it turns out, they don't have to face'. He tells how Nick Fitts, an articulate, composed young man, who is a nursing student in South Carolina, had brought the audience at a national education conference to its feet.

Nick had just told his tale of participating in a study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, on Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation Technique and hypertension in African-American teenagers. He said, 'I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones. There is a lot to overcome out there—and who is to say that you can get through a rain forest without a guide or map? My high blood pressure, my problems at home and stress at school were—and are—my rain forest. Transcendental Meditation is my guide and my map.'

Nick then expressed that now he was in a position to help others and urged the conference participants to make sure that every child who wanted to practise Transcendental Meditation would be able to do so.

The participants at the conference, sponsored by the Washington DC Committee for Stress Free Schools and held in the nation's capital, were greatly inspired by Nick and other speakers. Dr Abramson noted that scientists, medical doctors, and educators had spoken 'with extraordinary positivity and passion' about the effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation Programme, a consciousness-based approach to education.

Published research showing that Transcendental Meditation results in improved academic performance; better grades; better health; less stress, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse had been presented. As Dr Abramson expressed, 'educators who spend endless hours confronting problems in their classrooms were hearing about a solution that was working across the country—from inner city schools to private and charter schools.'

Creating the optimal mind/body state
Dr William Stixrud, a clinical neuropsychologist in the Washington, DC area, explains that Transcendental Meditation takes the student to exactly what educators consider to be the optimal mind/body state of a student, a state of 'relaxed alertness'.  This is confirmed by extensive published research which demonstrates that the Transcendental Meditation Technique produces a state of 'restful alertness' in which 'the practitioner experiences exceptionally deep levels of physiological rest while at the same time remaining highly alert or awake inside'.

Dr Stixrud explains, 'This unique state produces very high levels of coherence or orderliness in the functioning of the brain, which results in the experience of increased peacefulness, harmony, mental clarity, and the ability to see things in perspective.'

He goes on to express the outcome of introducing Transcendental Meditation in an academic setting saying, 'Schools in which students and teachers meditate have been shown to be remarkably calm and positive and to be relatively free of the physical aggression and the the more subtle forms of aggression such as teasing and bullying that are currently very serious problems even in our most elite schools.'

Dr Stixrud exclaims, 'It is possible for students to ''have it all''—to experience high achievement in a competitive world, and still have happiness and peace of mind.'

The Abramson Family Foundation commitment
Dr Abramson expresses the commitment of the Abramson Family Foundation to bring to fulfilment Nick Fitts' desire for every child who wants to practise Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation to be able to do so—so that every student can 'have it all'. He says, 'Here is a common sense approach—a sound and scientific way—of fulfilling the purpose of education, which is to create intelligent, dynamic, happy, healthy and successful human beings.

'I invite you to join us in providing scholarships for Transcendental Meditation instruction and follow-up programs. Nothing is more rewarding than giving the gift of a bright future for the next generation.'
     

Future articles: Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation has been successfully used for students with depression, learning disorders, and high blood pressure. It has been shown to develop full brain potential and to improve academic achievement as well as create a peaceful society. All of these benefits have inspired the work of the Abramson Family Foundation. Look for future articles on these topics in Excellence in Action.

Editor's note: The information and all quotations used in this article are from the Abramson Family Foundation website.

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