The Transcendental Meditation technique improves brain integration, enhances performance and helps create a better quality of life in those who practise it regularly.

Maharishi University of Management faculty publish study on world-class performers
by Lee Leffler, Maharishi University of Management, Iowa, USA, The Review
29 January 2009

A study coauthored by Maharishi University of Management faculty members on brain integration in world-class athletes and managers is being published in the journal Management Decision, a scholarly journal that features practical applications for business managers, consultants, academics and business
students.

Coauthored by Harald Harung, Fred Travis, Dennis Heaton, and Warren Blank, and titled "Higher Development, Brain Integration, and Excellence in Leadership," the study is based on research conducted by the authors and the late Dr. Charles "Skip" Alexander over the past 15 years.

Dr. Harung, who teaches in Norway, said that this research examined truly successful managers and athletes to determine if they frequently experience
higher states of consciousness. The researchers concluded that these top performers did indeed enjoy peak experiences more frequently than their
less-successful colleagues, and many also partake in activities such as meditation.

World-class athletes at the Norwegian School of Sport Science (most of whom have gold medals) were compared to average and below-average athletes. The
top athletes had twice the brain integration of the controls, and habituated to a loud sound in about one-third the time.

The top managers had significantly more frequent peak experiences than their less successful counterparts. They showed more leadership agility, and development of personality, which are considered leadership qualities. Of
the self-actualized top managers, 50% meditate regularly, and 35% meditate irregularly. "Highly developed people in business are very much into self-development," Dr. Harung said.

The paper also discusses studies on brain integration in practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation technique. The brain integration of the top CEOs and athletes was higher than the brain integration of people who had been practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique for seven years, but less than the brain integration of people who had practiced it for 21 years.

"These high performers have high-performing brains," Dr. Harung said. "Top performers have better brain integration; the Transcendental Meditation technique improves brain integration; therefore, any athlete or business person who wants to enhance his or her performance would benefit from practicing the Transcendental Meditation program."

The researchers are also exploring how higher states of consciousness improve performance, improve quality of life, and create a better world.

"It is wise to show business leaders how important higher development and brain integration are for leadership and well-being," Dr. Harung said. "They are the people who have the basis for appreciating our message."

© Copyright 2009, Maharishi University of Management