Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation

by Norman E Rosenthal MD, Mehmet C. Oz M.D. (Foreword by)

Overview

"Dr. Norman Rosenthal's Transcendence is the best-ever book on Transcendental Meditation: accessible and substantive, engaging and scientific, practical and profound. A very enjoyable read that can change your life, for good."
—David Lynch

"I have been meditating for over 10 years, and I found Transcendence to be a uniquely compelling introduction to the art and science of Transcendental Meditation. Dr. Norman Rosenthal's book will propel TM into the mainstream where it belongs."
—Russell Simmons

In this definitive book on the scientifically proven health and stress-relieving benefits of Transcendental Meditation, a renowned psychiatrist and researcher explores why TM works, what it can do for you, and how to use it for maximum effect.

This New York Times bestselling paperback edition includes a new afterword by the author on the latest research and breakthroughs.

Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., a twenty-year researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health and the celebrated psychiatrist who pioneered the study and treatment of Season Affective Disorder (SAD), brings us the most important work on Transcendental Meditation since the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Science of Being and Art of Living— and one of our generation's most significant books on achieving greater physical and mental health and wellness.

Transcendence demystifies the practice and benefits of Transcendental Meditation for a general audience who may have heard about the method but do not necessarily know what it is, how it is learned, or what they stand to gain, physically and emotionally, from achieving transcendence. Dr. Rosenthal clearly and practically explains the basic ideas behind Transcendental Meditation: It is a nonreligious practice that involves sitting comfortably for twenty minutes twice a day while using a silent mantra, or nonverbal sound, to attain a profound state of aware relaxation.

Alongside exclusive celebrity interviews-where figures like Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Martin Scorsese, Russell Brand, Laura Dern, Moby, and David Lynch openly discuss their meditation-Dr. Rosenthal draws upon experience from the lives of his patients and a wealth of clinical research amassed on TM over the past generation (340 peer-reviewed published articles). He provides the fullest and most accessible book ever on the broad range of benefits of this remarkably simple practice, from relief of anxiety, stress and depression to new hope for those experiencing addiction, attention-deficit disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585429929
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/30/2012
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	146,783
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Norman E. Rosenthal, MD, is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical School and has maintained a private practice in Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for more than thirty years. He conducted research at the National Institute of Mental Health, as a research fellow, researcher and senior researcher for more than twenty years.

Table of Contents

Foreword Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. ix

Part I Transcendence

Introduction: My Journey Back 3

1 A Return to the Self: Aspects of Meditation 13

2 The Mind Within the Mind: What Is Transcendence? 31

Part II Healing

3 Decompression: Managing Toxic Stress 55

Part III Transformation

4 Turning Off the Brain's Alarm System: Treating Anxiety and Anger 87

5 The Schoolboy Who Pulled Out His Hair: Attention, Priorities, and Effectiveness 113

6 Helping the Spikes and Valleys: Meditation and Moods 131

7 Silencing the Bubble Machine: Addiction and Recovery 153

8 An Island of Safety in a Sea of Trouble: Transformation in Schools 173

9 Learning to Love Yourself: The Long Road Back from Prison 189

10 Self-Actualization?Your Personal Best 205

Part IV Harmony

11 Harmony: Coherence at Many Levels 241

Afterword to the Paperback Edition: After Transcendence 252

Appendix-Answers to Questions About Transcendental Meditation: An Expert's Perspective 276

Acknowledgments 285

Notes 287

Index 316

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Transcendence is a profoundly important book on a topic that you need to know a lot about... Dr. Rosenthal is one of those rare professionals who is able to mix authority and accuracy with riveting stories that read like a novel. In Transcendence, he has given us all a gift that will enlighten, entertain, and perhaps even transform. This will become the go-to book for those searching for the wisdom within meditation."
—Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

"Dr. Norman Rosenthal's Transcendence is the best-ever book on Transcendental Meditation: Accessible and substantive, engaging and scientific, practical and profound. A very enjoyable read that can change your life, for good."
—David Lynch

"I have been meditating for over 10 years, and I found Transcendence to be a uniquely compelling introduction to the art and science of Transcendental Meditation. Dr. Norman Rosenthal's book will propel TM into the mainstream where it belongs."
—Russell Simmons
 
"Whether your troubles are deep or you simply know life could be better and happier, read this book."
—Candy Crowley, CNN anchor

“One of the striking features of this book is the empowering empathy with which Dr. Norman Rosenthal discusses the people with given health issues. It cannot but make the reader become more understanding of other humans and their anguish. In addition, there is all the neat science – explained simply yet not watered down to the degree of becoming trivial. Essentially, this is book about human condition in the modern world. But unlike the existentialists, Dr. Norman Rosenthal sees light at the end of the tunnel.”
—Transcendental Meditation
 
“The book makes a useful contribution to understanding the mind-body relationship in holistic ways, advancing ongoing dialogue among clinicians and just plain folks about how to live more healthfully.”
—Publishers Weekly

 

Editorial Reviews

"Transcendence is a profoundly important book on a topic that you need to know a lot about... Dr. Rosenthal is one of those rare professionals who is able to mix authority and accuracy with riveting stories that read like a novel. In Transcendence, he has given us all a gift that will enlighten, entertain, and perhaps even transform. This will become the go-to book for those searching for the wisdom within meditation."
—Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

"Dr. Norman Rosenthal's Transcendence is the best-ever book on Transcendental Meditation: Accessible and substantive, engaging and scientific, practical and profound. A very enjoyable read that can change your life, for good."
—David Lynch

"I have been meditating for over 10 years, and I found Transcendence to be a uniquely compelling introduction to the art and science of Transcendental Meditation. Dr. Norman Rosenthal's book will propel TM into the mainstream where it belongs."
—Russell Simmons
 
"Whether your troubles are deep or you simply know life could be better and happier, read this book."
—Candy Crowley, CNN anchor

“One of the striking features of this book is the empowering empathy with which Dr. Norman Rosenthal discusses the people with given health issues. It cannot but make the reader become more understanding of other humans and their anguish. In addition, there is all the neat science – explained simply yet not watered down to the degree of becoming trivial. Essentially, this is book about human condition in the modern world. But unlike the existentialists, Dr. Norman Rosenthal sees light at the end of the tunnel.”
—Transcendental Meditation
 
“The book makes a useful contribution to understanding the mind-body relationship in holistic ways, advancing ongoing dialogue among clinicians and just plain folks about how to live more healthfully.”
—Publishers Weekly

 

From the Publisher

Rosenthal, the psychiatrist and researcher who first described and named seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a medical expert who can write for a popular audience. He tackles Transcendental Meditation, the technique taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who developed it from his Indian spiritual tradition. TM is practiced by using an individual silent mantra to focus and relax. Studies Rosenthal cites show health and wellness benefits. All this is true, but Rosenthal is selective in what he cites. Much of the research, while published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, is done by the organization formed by Maharishi. Other meditation techniques, such as mindfulness, have been successfully shown to reduce stress. Scientists have studied Tibetan Buddhist monks in meditation to better understand the brain's neuroplasticity, its potential for rewiring. Testimonials in Rosenthal's book clearly show that TM can be beneficial. But it's not mental aspirin. Nonetheless, the book makes a useful contribution to understanding the mind-body relationship in holistic ways, advancing ongoing dialogue among clinicians and just plain folks about how to live more healthfully. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Transcendental meditation (TM), the ancient meditative technique revived in the 1950s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, has come in for a great deal of ribbing, as the go-to folly of errant musicians and pop stars. The cover of this new book on TM does nothing to dispel the image, reminding us that Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Martin Scorsese, among many other big names, use the method. Psychiatrist Rosenthal (Winter Blues: Everything You Need To Know To Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder) came to the writing of this book as a pioneer in seasonal affective disorder studies and a 20-year veteran of research at the National Institute of Mental Health. Although his book is thick with anecdote, the key message is Rosenthal's conviction that this relatively simple method can relieve depression and help with addiction and stresses. VERDICT Come for the star power; stay for the benefits. Not an extensive guidebook, but rather an introduction to the effects of TM, this book should appeal to a broad array of religious and nonreligious readers.

Library Journal