About the Author

Paul Gelderloos received his B.A. in 1973 and M.S. in 1977 in Psychology from the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, and his Doctorate in Social Sciences in 1987 from the Katholieke Universiteit of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. He has worked as a clinical psychologist and has been Director of the Psychological Laboratory of Maharishi European Research University in Switzerland. He is currently Assistant Professor of Psychology and graduate faculty in the doctoral program in Psychology at Maharishi International University. His research endeavors center around the development of psychological health, the identification of the psycho-physiological signature of higher states of consciousness, and the impact of the collective practice of the Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field on quality of life and international relations. Dr. Gelderloos is author of the recently published book Valuation and Transcendental Meditation. He has published in such journals as Perceptual and M o t o r Skills and International Journal of N e u r o s c i e n c e .

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Psychological Health and Development of Students at Maharishi International University: A Controlled Longitudinal Study
Paul Gelderloos M a h a r i s h i International University Fairfield, Iowa, U . S . A .

Abstract A cross-sectional, longitudinal study was conducted comparing 15 students of Maharishi International University (MIU) with 15 students from a nearby college on measures of psychological health and development over a nine-month period. Psychological health was assessed by a comprehensive instrument, Hermans' self-investigation method, in which subjects depict the aspects of life they value most. This method contains a cognitive and an affective component. The cognitive elements were analyzed on five central characteristics of psychological health: unifying ability, autonomy, intrinsic spirituality, creativity, and directedness. The affective components studied were measures of well-being and integration. The MIU students scored significantly higher on all measures at pretest, and increased significantly more during the experimental period on autonomy, spirituality, creativity, well-being, and integration. Trends (p<.10) in the hypothesized direction were found in unifying ability and directedness. To prevent bias, non-meditating interviewers and raters were employed, and double-blind procedures were used in the evaluation process. Furthermore, subjects and interviewers were not informed about the purpose of the study until after the posttest. Testimonies of several MIU students were considered in an attempt to identify the causal agents of their improved psychological development. The outcomes of the study suggest that Maharishi's Unified Field Based Integrated System of Education is a practical means to fulfill the need of present-day education.

Introduction he p u r p o s e of education is to help students grow to b e c o m e wise, happy, successful individuals and ideal citizens of their country. Educators feel it is their task not only to equip pupils with skills and knowledge, but also to nurture them into mature, responsible individuals w h o will u s e their new c o m p e t e n c i e s in an integrated way for the benefit of society. T h e conclusion of a recent study conducted by the Carnegie Foundation for the A d v a n c e m e n t of Teaching is that present-day education d o e s not fulfill this goal. T h e study argues that "[the] nation's c o l l e g e s . . . d r i v e n by c a r e e r i s m and professional e d u c a t i o n . . . a r e m o r e successful in credentialing than in providing a quality
Address correspondence to: Department of Psychology, MIU, Fairfield, Iowa 52556 Modern Science and Vedic Science, Volume 1, Number 4, 1987 1987 Maharishi International University

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e d u c a t i o n " (Bowen, 1986). T h e students do not develop into thoughtful citizens, but are very narrowly trained toward a specialized career. S o m e of the basic causes indicated by the study are a "disjointed" curriculum whose "disciplines have fragmented into smaller and smaller pieces, unrelated to an educational w h o l e , " and a d i s a g r e e m e n t and confusion over goals (Boyer, 1986). Bowen (1986) notes that the C a r n e g i e report is far from the only o n e to sound the a l a r m . For instance, Secretary of Education William J. Bennett told H a r v a r d faculty and students in a speech on c a m p u s in O c t o b e r 1986 that "its undergraduate school, like many others, failed to manifest a clear educational p u r p o s e . . . and did not provide a solid m o r a l education." A widely praised b o o k by University of C h i c a g o professor and p h i l o s o p h e r Allan B l o o m (1987), analyzing the present state of education, speaks of a "spiritual malaise," which has led to "impoverished souls" in today's students; the students lack the capacity to know themselves. B l o o m s u m m a r i z e d his thesis in a recent interview: " T h e university was founded for freedom of m i n d . T h e n it forgot what the m i n d w a s " (Brock, 1987, p. 10). T h e implication is that education provides students with skills and c o m p e t e n c i e s but that the students themselves, as individuals, are hardly cultured in the process. M a h a r i s h i M a h e s h Yogi, by founding M a h a r i s h i International University ( M I U ) , has added a fundamental missing aspect to e d u c a t i o n . M a h a r i s h i o b s e r v e s : If we look into the process of gaining knowledge we find there are two sides of knowledge: the object of knowledge, that which we seek to know, and the subject of knowledge, the knower. What the present system of education provides is knowledge of the object; what it misses is knowledge of the subject, knowledge of the knower in his infinite capacity. When the knower is ignorant about himself, the whole structure is as if baseless. (American Association for Ideal Education [AAIE], 1985, p. 5) M a h a r i s h i suggests that for education to be c o m p l e t e , k n o w l e d g e about s o m e discipline alone is not sufficient: students have to learn about themselves also; they must develop as h u m a n beings. W h a t the student needs to k n o w is his or h e r ultimate basis, w h i c h M a h a r i s h i identifies as "transcendental c o n s c i o u s n e s s , " a state of self-referral consciousness, that is, it has no other object of experience than itself. B e c a u s e at this level c o n s c i o u s n e s s is fully aware of itself, it is also referred to as the state w h e r e knower, k n o w n , and the p r o c e s s of knowing that connects the two are fully integrated and unified. In the Vedic literature of ancient India this unified field of c o n s c i o u s n e s s is seen not only as the underlying basis of subjective existence, but as the basis of all objective p h e n o m e n a as well ( M a h a r i s h i M a h e s h Yogi, 1986). T h e r e is currently s o m e support from theoretical physics for such an understanding of reality. In the last few years physicists have developed unified field theories, most recently in the form of the heterotic superstring theory, w h i c h postulates a unified field that contains within its structure all the fundamental forces of nature (Hagelin, 1987). This theory indicates that the unified field of all the laws of nature is a self-referral, self-interacting reality existing at the unmanifest basis of creation. Hagelin (1987) presents evidence that the unified field of m a t t e r is indeed the field of transcendental consciousness. T h e existence of one u n d e r l y i n g , transcendental field that structures subjective life as well as o b jective creation would imply that if one could function from this level, one spontaneously would act in a c c o r d a n c e with the laws of nature governing one's own life and that of the e n v i r o n m e n t . T h i s would result in a way of thinking and behaving that is most supportive a n d evolutionary for oneself as well as the e n v i r o n m e n t , that is, a s u p r e m e level of moral

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d e v e l o p m e n t . M a h a r i s h i (1986) explains that transcendental c o n s c i o u s n e s s can easily be tapped t h r o u g h the practice of Transcendental Meditation ( T M ) : The unified field is the unmanifest basis of the whole creation, the creator and governor of the whole universe. Through Transcendental Meditation it is simple to open our awareness to this state of transcendence. Spontaneously, the conscious mind identifies itself with the self-referral unified field, the fountainhead of all the streams of activity in nature. As we gain more and more familiarity with that self-referral performance, our thoughts and actions spontaneously begin to be as orderly and evolutionary as all the activity of nature, (p. 97) T h e possibility of creating holistically developed individuals inspired Maharishi to design an educational p r o g r a m that, in addition to offering the traditional disciplines, offers the study of "oneself" through the Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field. This technology of c o n s c i o u s n e s s includes the TM technique, a simple p r o c e d u r e practiced twice a day for twenty m i n u t e s , w h i c h allows o n e to experience the unified, self-referral field of c o n sciousness. A m o r e advanced c o m p o n e n t of the technology is the T M - S i d h i p r o g r a m , t h r o u g h w h i c h the student b e c o m e s familiar with the self-interacting d y n a m i c s of c o n sciousness and learns to function from the unified field on a m o r e p e r m a n e n t basis. Having the e x p e r i e n c e of the unified field, the c o m m o n basis of k n o w e r and k n o w n , provides the students with a fundamental understanding of the basic m e c h a n i c s of nature's functioning. In addition to e x p e r i e n c i n g the u n d e r l y i n g w h o l e n e s s of the unified field during the TM and T M - S i d h i programs, the students in M a h a r i s h i ' s Unified Field Based Integrated System of E d u c a t i o n are further r e m i n d e d of t h e integration of all fields of life in t h e c l a s s r o o m . T h e c o n n e c t e d n e s s between the subject u n d e r study and the discipline as a w h o l e is p r e s e n t e d , and also the relationship of the w h o l e discipline to the unified field of natural lawone's own selfis explained ( A A I E , 1985). As a consequence, the students feel m o r e at h o m e with any subject matter; nothing is really foreign to t h e m . This is a practical solution to the p r o b l e m of the "disjointed" c u r r i c u l u m that the C a r n e g i e study noted. M a h a r i s h i ( A A I E , 1985) s u m m a r i z e s the o u t c o m e of unified field based e d u c a tion as follows: As a result of this educational approach the student grows in the awareness that all streams of knowledge are but modes of his own intelligence. The knower finds in himself the totality of natural law; because of this the knower is no longer lost in the wilderness of knowledge. He comes to feel at home with everyone and everything. With increasing confidence and self-sufficiency his creative genius blossoms. He ceases to violate natural law and enjoys the fruit of all knowledgethe ability to accomplish anything, and spontaneously to think and act free from mistakes. (p.5) M a h a r i s h i ' s Unified Field Based Integrated System of E d u c a t i o n is exemplified at M a h a r i s h i International University, Fairfield, Iowa. M I U , accredited at the P h . D . level, is devoted to both a c a d e m i c excellence and the full development of the inner potential of the student. At M I U the TM a n d T M - S i d h i p r o g r a m s are an integral part of the e d u c a tional p r o g r a m . All students, faculty, and staff collectively practice the M a h a r i s h i Technology of the Unified Field. Several studies conducted on the TM technique have found positive effects on cognitive abilities such as intelligence (Shecter, 1978), field-independ e n c e (Dillbeck, A s s i m a k i s , R a i m o n d i , O r m e - J o h n s o n & Rowe, 1986), concept-learning (Dillbeck, Orme-Johnson & Wallace, 1981), and improved academic performance (Kember, 1985). In addition, positive development of the personality has b e e n found: decreased

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anxiety (Dillbeck, 1977) and neuroticism (Berg & Mulder, 1976), and e n h a n c e d selfregard (Turnbull & N o r r i s , 1982), happiness (Weiss, 1975), self-actualization ( S e e m a n , Nidich & Banta, 1972), and moral development (Nidich, Ryncarz, A b r a m s , Orme-Johnson & Wallace, 1983). Recently, an orientation toward positive values in several perceptual and cognitive m o d e s has b e e n found in M I U students ( G e l d e r l o o s , G o d d a r d , A h l s t r o m & Jacoby, 1987). A l s o , several studies have indicated that the collective practice of the M a h a r i s h i Technology of the Unified Field has a positive effect on the environment at large, as indicated by d e c r e a s e d c r i m e rate and traffic fatalities (Dillbeck, Cavanaugh, G l e n n , O r m e - J o h n s o n & Mittlefehldt, 1987). It has b e e n found as well that this collective practice, w h e n p e r f o r m e d in sufficiently large g r o u p s , neutralizes the stress in world consciousness and thus may contribute directly to the creation of world peace ( O r m e Johnson & Dillbeck, 1987). T h e aim of the p r e s e n t study is to test the hypothesis that M a h a r i s h i ' s unified field based educational system truly contributes to the personal development of the students. T h e study investigates, cross-sectionally and longitudinally within a nine-month interval, the psychological health of M I U students in c o m p a r i s o n to students at a nearby college. Since the characterizing elements of psychological health are not easily captured by traditional p a p e r - a n d - p e n c i l instruments designed for the general population, a c o m p r e h e n sive o p e n - e n d e d a p p r o a c h was c h o s e n , the self-investigation m e t h o d of H e r m a n s (1981, 1987). H e r m a n s (1976) sees personality as an organized experiential process e m e r g i n g from a person's functioning in a particular place in t i m e and space. T h e different aspects of spatio-temporal situations, that is, all aspects of a person's life, are b r o u g h t together in o n e structure, in w h i c h every aspect is part of a c o m p o s i t e , integrated w h o l e . According to H e r m a n s , experiences are fully integrated with, and gain their identity from, the specific interactions of the e x p e r i e n c e r and the situation. G e l d e r l o o s (1987) p r o p o s e d to expand this m o d e l to include as well the ultimate basis of the e x p e r i e n c e r himself, the unified field. T h e c o n s c i o u s e x p e r i e n c e of the unified field should also exert a significant influence on the w h o l e personality. H e r m a n s (1976) asserts that the t h o r o u g h study of the experiences a p e r s o n values in his life provides a significant and c o m p r e h e n s i v e assessment of his personality. T h e s e experiences, called valuations, have an underlying affective structure and a cognitive orientation c o m p o n e n t . Valuations can be defined as those aspects of reality to w h i c h the p e r s o n is affectively oriented; they may include, for instance, m e m o r i e s , significant others, precious experiences, goals, ideals, hopes. Valuations have an internally differentiated and externally delimited m e a n i n g , each valuation representing a specific integrated quality that can be discriminated from others. The assessment of the valuation systems t h r o u g h the self-investigation m e t h o d s e e m e d a very a d e quate a p p r o a c h for the study of an elusive c o n c e p t such as positive psychological health in a special p o p u l a t i o n . It is a highly p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l instrument w h i c h leaves optimal freedom for subjects to depict their p h e n o m e n a l world, and at the same t i m e lends itself to various quantitative analyses.

Method Subjects The experimental group consisted of 15 M I U students, five males and ten females. Twelve were freshmen and three were first-year graduate students. M e a n age was 23.9 years

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(SD = 7.4), and m e a n n u m b e r of m o n t h s practicing the TM t e c h n i q u e was 61.1 (SD = 5 2 . 5 ) . All of the subjects at pretest were applying to learn the m o r e advanced T M - S i d h i p r o g r a m . T h e control g r o u p consisted of 15 u n d e r g r a d u a t e students, 12 freshmen and 3 seniors, from D r a k e University, D e s M o i n e s , Iowa. T h e r e w e r e three m a l e s and twelve females in this g r o u p ; the m e a n age was 23.0 years (SD = 7.8). N o n e of the controls were practicing meditation or other techniques for personal development. At posttest twelve subjects of t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l g r o u p (all but o n e of w h o m had b e e n instructed in the T M Sidhi p r o g r a m ) , a n d eleven subjects of the control g r o u p w e r e available. Instrument T h e i n s t r u m e n t employed was the self-investigation m e t h o d of H e r m a n s (1976, 1987), which aims at the c o m p r e h e n s i v e assessment of the subject's valuation system. T h e valuations are elicited from t h e subject through a standard set of open-ended questions, and formulated in individual statements. Subsequently, the subject is given a standard list of positive and negative affects (such as happiness, energy, a n x i e t y ) , and rates the degree to w h i c h he or she associates each affect with the different valuations. T h e selfinvestigations yield a cognitive aspect (the subjects' statements or cognitive orientations) and an affective r e s p o n s e . T h e cognitive aspect can be content-analyzed on features relevant to the study, and for the affective part a set of indices h a s b e e n developed by H e r m a n s (1976). Procedure T h e interviews w e r e c o n d u c t e d by five trained interviewers, two of w h o m were not practicing the TM or T M - S i d h i p r o g r a m , and only the investigator, w h o was one of the interviewers, knew the p u r p o s e of the e x p e r i m e n t . For the present study, five contentanalysis d i m e n s i o n s w e r e designed from the perspective of psychological health as d e scribed by major authors such as Rogers (1961), Jung (1954), F r o m m (1968), Allport (1961), Maslow (1968), and Frankl (1962). For each dimension, seven-point scales were developed from -3 to + 3 , with detailed descriptions at every level and +3 signifying a total expression of the d i m e n s i o n . T h e positive poles of the d i m e n s i o n s were as follows: 1. Unifying ability: a high potential for integration of self w i t h , for instance, others, work, ideals, or " d e e p e r " levels of self. 2. Autonomy: a high level of self-sufficiency, self-reliance, self-referral, self-determinism, freedom and i n d e p e n d e n c e , and control or m a s t e r y over t h e situation. 3. Intrinsic spirituality: reported experience of a relationship to the "Absolute," trans c e n d e n c e , or G o d , and a strong orientation towards h i g h e r values in life. 4. Creativity: a high level of originality, spontaneity, liveliness, d y n a m i s m , or increasing growth or d e v e l o p m e n t . 5. Directedness: an articulated a n d differentiated purposefulness; a clear conception of w h e r e o n e is going a n d what o n e is doing. Reviewers such as J a h o d a (1958), Heath (1977), C o a n (1977), and Sawrey and Telford (1971) found similar concepts when they studied these and other authors, including authors from different cultures and t i m e - p e r i o d s , although each reviewer used slightly different labels a n d categorizations. Five double-blind raters, two of w h o m did not practice the TM or T M - S i d h i p r o g r a m , were given a standardized, o n e - h o u r training session in analyzing the statements.

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T h e affective associations were evaluated on well-being and integration of the valuation system with indices developed by H e r m a n s (1976) and the present author.

Results Cross-sectional Findings C o g n i t i v e c o m p o n e n t . T h e intercorrelations of the content-analyses a m o n g the five raters were satisfactory given the large n u m b e r of valuations (N = 6 4 9 ; average r's: unifying = .732, a u t o n o m y = .580, spirituality = .503, creativity = .660, directedness = .433), and statistically highly significant in all cases. T h e relatively low directedness correlations were probably d u e to the dual nature of this scale, i.e., the raters could use the content as well as the form of the statements in allocating scores. T h e ratings were analyzed with chi-square tests, whereby in most cases the extreme categories + 3 , - 2 , -3 had to be collapsed with the adjacent values d u e to low n u m b e r s in those cells. On unifying ability the experimental g r o u p was rated significantly higher on the top categories ( x ( 4 , N = 6 4 9 ) = 22.94,p < .0001, Figure 1), signifying m o r e "devotion," "communion," "affection," "integration," and "acceptance."
2

U n i f y i n g Ability

TM Group

Control Group

F i g u r e 1. Joint Frequency Distribution of U n i f y i n g Ability Ratings. Pretest. T h e g r o u p s scored significantly differently o n unifying, with the T M g r o u p scoring higher o n the " 2 " category, signifying m o r e d e v o t i o n , c o m m u n i o n , affection, integration, and a c c e p t a n c e .

A critical test was to see if these differences were solely caused by " T M - v a l u a t i o n s , " that is, references to the TM or T M - S i d h i p r o g r a m or any other related concepts that would have been recognizable by the raters; in o r d e r to control for this all TM-valuations were excluded in a second analysis. Again the s a m e distribution was found, with significant differences ( x ( 4 , N = 594)
2

12.46, p<.014).

On a u t o n o m y a c o m p a r a b l e distribution e m e r g e d , with the experimental g r o u p mainly

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scoring higher on the top category, indicating high levels of self-reliance and independence ( x ( 3 , N = 649) = 3 0 . 4 5 , p < . 0 0 0 1 , Figure 2 ) . Excluding the TM-valuations yielded the same o u t c o m e s ( x ( 3 , N = 594) = 18.49, p < . 0 0 1 ) .
2 2

Autonomy

TM Group

Control Group

F i g u r e 2. Joint Frequency Distribution of Autonomy Ratings. Pretest. The groups scored significantly differently on autonomy, with the TM g r o u p scoring higher on the " 2 " category, indicating more self-sufficiency, selfreliance, self-referral, s e l f - d e t e r m i n i s m , and independence.

Intrinsic Spirituality

TM Group

Control Group

F i g u r e 3. Joint Frequency Distribution of Spirituality Ratings. Pretest. T h e g r o u p s scored significantly differently on spirituality, with the TM g r o u p scoring higher on the " 2 " category, indicating explicit references to the A b s o l u t e and t r a n s c e n d e n c e , as well as a strong motivation towards higher values in life.

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The joint frequency distribution of intrinsic spirituality also showed significant differences

(x (3, N = 649) = 22.02, p<.0001, Figure 3). T h e experimental g r o u p scored

higher mainly on the " 2 " category, signifying explicit references to the Absolute or transcendence, or a strong orientation toward higher values in life. Exclusion of the TM-valuations yielded significant differences (x (4, N = 594) = 7.93, ated with T M . Creativity was rated significantly differently
2

p<.048),

sug-

gesting that the o u t c o m e s on spirituality were also not solely dependent on areas associ-

(x (4, N = 649) = 47.22, p<.0001, Figure

2

4), with the experimental g r o u p scoring higher on the top category (liveliness, spontaneity, originality). Without the TM-valuations the s a m e level of significance was found (x (4,

N = 594) = 35.06, p<.0001).

Creativity

TM Group

Control Group

F i g u r e 4. Joint Frequency Distribution of Creativity Ratings, Pretest. T h e g r o u p s scored significantly differently on creativity, with the TM g r o u p scoring higher on the " 2 " category, signifying more liveliness, s p o n taneity, originality, and new ideas and plans.

Finally, directedness was also rated significantly differently p<.0001,

2

x ( ( 4 , N = 649) = 50.30,

Figure 5), with the experimental g r o u p scoring higher on " d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , "

"precision," and "articulateness." Exclusion of the TM-valuations yielded the same results

(x (4, N = 594) = 33.42, p<.0001).

One a r g u m e n t that might be raised regarding the results of the content-analyses is that the outcomes could mainly have been caused by a few very high- or low-scoring individuals in the respective g r o u p s (aggregation e r r o r s ) , or that the a s s u m p t i o n of i n d e p e n d e n c e of observations was violated by considering several valuations p e r individual, even though valuations a r e c o n s i d e r e d to be independent meaning-units ( H e r m a n s ,

1987). As a way

to control for these objections, analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were r u n , which would adjust for a small set of outliers, and the within-subject variance was taken as the e r r o r term, with the average n u m b e r of valuations per person as the n u m b e r of levels, which controls for any bias caused by intra-subject correlations (Myers,

1966). Again, significant

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Directedness

TM Group Figure 5.

Control Group

Joint Frequency Distribution o f D i r e c t e d n e s s Ratings, Pretest. T h e g r o u p s scored significantly dif-

ferently on d i r e c t e d n e s s , with the TM g r o u p scoring higher on the " 2 " category, indicating a higher level of d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , structure, articulateness. and differentiation.

differences in the same directions were found in all five cases (unifying: F ( l , 22) = 6.99, p<.015; a u t o n o m y : F(l, 22) = 9.38, p<.006; spirituality: F ( l , 22) = 8.19, p<.009; creativity: F ( l , 22) = 7.86, p<.010; directedness: F ( l , 22) = 9 . 9 3 ; p < . 0 0 5 ) , excluding the possibility that the o u t c o m e s were due to statistical artifacts. H e n c e , we conclude that the TM g r o u p a p p e a r e d to express in their valuations many more elements considered to be characteristic of psychological health than the non-TM group. Affective C o m p o n e n t . T h e affects were analyzed with ANOVAs because the s u m m a rized variables appeared to behave very m u c h as normal distributions along an interval scale. T h e coefficients alpha of the basic affect scales (P = sum of all positive affects, N = s u m of all negative affects) were both above .90, indicating a satisfactory level of inter-item reliability. W h e n taking into account all valuations, a much higher level of wellbeing (the relative proportion of positive affects) was found in the experimental g r o u p (F(l. 760) = 65.54, p<.0001, Figure 6, Table 1). T h e well-being scores were also c o n trolled for aggregation and n o n - i n d e p e n d e n c e e r r o r s , but the unbiased F, which is a very conservative test due to the substantial loss of degrees of freedom, was again highly significant in the s a m e direction (F(l,26) = 14.22, p < . 0 0 0 8 ) . It is possible that these higher levels of well-being were caused by a tendency in the experimental group to deny negative elements in their lives. As a control for this hypothesis, the subjects were presented with a list of proverbs of which they had to choose the one they liked most and the o n e they liked least. T h e subjects then rated the degree to which they associated the standard set of affects to the proverbs. H e r m a n s (1981) theorizes that affective denial or " d i s s o c i a t i o n " could be expressed through a lowered " i n v o l v e m e n t " and an uncharacteristic positive response on the chosen disliked proverb. Such a distinctive

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MEANS AND STANDARD E R R O R S OF A F F E C T I V E MEASURES AT P R E T E S T

Well-Being, Pretest

F i g u r e 6. T h e e x p e r i m e n t a l g r o u p scored significantly higher on w e l l - b e i n g than the control group at pretest.

pattern could not be detected in the experimental g r o u p . In fact, the control group showed a m o r e positive r e s p o n s e to the p r o v e r b than the experimental subjects, although not significantly so ( F ( l , 2 7 ) = 2 . 3 0 , p<.141), indicating that possible bias toward affective denial w a s slightly m o r e evident in the c o n t r o l s . H o w e v e r , the controls scored on a c o m p a r a b l e level with the experimental g r o u p on involvement ( F ( l , 27) = 0 . 0 2 , p<.891), refuting the dissociation hypothesis in the control g r o u p as well. A n o t h e r affective m e a s u r e r e g a r d e d integration of the valuation system: h o w m u c h the valuations of a subject w e r e centered a r o u n d one fundamental valuation, in t e r m s of a " u n i f y i n g philosophy of l i f e , " proposed by Allport (1961) to be o n e of the central features of a m a t u r e personality. F o r this p u r p o s e a set of questions w a s added to the standard sets used by H e r m a n s , regarding the most important thing in life, or that which gave m e a n i n g to life. T h e affective structures of the individual valuations w e r e then correlated with the affective structure of the m e a n i n g valuation. T h e absolute values of the

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correlations (not taking into account the directionality) w e r e analyzed with A N O V A s . T h e TM g r o u p s h o w e d significantly higher correlations with the meaning valuation than the controls (F(l, 728) = 100.46, p < . 0 0 0 1 , F i g u r e 7, T a b l e 1), indicating m o r e integration of diverse aspects of the personality. Controlling for intra-person d e p e n d e n c y through use of the within-subject variance as the e r r o r term in the A N O V A yielded a highly significant result in the same direction (F( 1,25) = 9.17, p<.006, excluding violation of the i n d e p e n d e n c e a s s u m p t i o n as a basis of these o u t c o m e s .

Integration, Pretest

TM Group Figure 7.

Control Group

T h e T M g r o u p s c o r e d significantly higher on correlations with the meaning-to-life valuation, s i g -

nifying m o r e integration of the personality.

Longitudinal Findings Because of the highly idiosyncratic nature of the self-investigations material, analyses were m a d e of the material only from the subjects w h o participated in both testings. To make direct c o m p a r i s o n s in the changes between the two g r o u p s , ANCOVAs were employed, with the average pretest scores per individual as covariates. T h e average was taken b e c a u s e the n u m b e r of valuations at posttest usually varied from pretest. On three of the five scales, significantly larger gains were m a d e by the experimental g r o u p (autonomy: t(567) = 2 . 5 3 3 , p < . 0 0 6 ; spirituality: t(567) = 2.662, p<.004; creativity t(567) = 1.981, p < . 0 2 4 , all one-tailed), while in the case of unifying (t(567) = 1.356, p < . 0 8 8 , one-tailed) and directedness (t(567) = 1.401, p < . 0 8 1 , one-tailed) trends in the hypothesized direction w e r e found. In Table 2 and Figure 8 the adjusted posttest scores are represented covaried for pretest scores, signifying the relative gains in the groups. T h e well-being scores were covaried with the average pretest score per individual. T h e gain in the experimental g r o u p was significantly larger than in the control group (t(662) = 1.791, p < . 0 3 7 , one-tailed, Table 2, Figure 9 ) .

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i

TABLE 2 MEANS, ADJUSTED MEANS, AND STANDARD E R R O R S OF ALL MEASURES AT POSTTEST Mean Unifying Ability TM Group Control Group Autonomy TM Group Control Group Intrinsic Spirituality TM Group Control Group Creativity TM Group Control Group Directedness TM Group Control Group Well-Being TM Group Control Group Integration TM Group Control Group 4.84 3.52 6.15 4.49 4.94 3.59 5.91 4.06 6.17 4.79 78.99 63.55 .750 .524 Adj. Mean 4.45 3.97 5.75 4.93 4.60 3.98 5.41 4.63 5.69 5.32 73.64 69.54 .700 .581 Std. E r r o r 0.24 0.26 0.21 0.22 0.15 0.16 0.25 0.27 0.17 0.18 1.46 1.56 .014 .015

Posttest Ratings

Unifying Figure 8. 482

Autonomy

Spirituality

Creativity

Directedness

T h e T M g r o u p increased m o r e than the control g r o u p o n the characteristics o f p s y c h o l o g i c a l health.

PSYCHOLOGICAL GROWTH AT MIU

W e l l - B e i n g , Posttest

TM Group Figure 9.

Control Group

T h e T M g r o u p increased significantly m o r e on w e l l - b e i n g during the experimental period.

C o m p a r i n g the c h a n g e s in the absolute correlations with the m e a n i n g valuation of the g r o u p s with A N C O V A , while controlling for the a v e r a g e pretest score per individual, yielded a highly significantly larger gain of integration in the e x p e r i m e n t a l g r o u p (t(637) = 5.393, p<.0001, one-tailed, F i g u r e 10, T a b l e 2 ) . Discussion

T h e subjects at M I U a p p e a r e d to score h i g h e r on psychological health at pretest, cognitively as well as affectively. In this light, the o u t c o m e s of the longitudinal part of the study are even m o r e r e m a r k a b l e . T h e M I U students showed significantly higher gains over the experimental period in ratings for a u t o n o m y , intrinsic spirituality and creativity as c o m p a r e d to the control g r o u p , while in the case of unifying ability and directedness trends in the hypothesized direction w e r e found. T h e already higher well-being scores in the e x p e r i m e n t a l g r o u p increased significantly m o r e than those of the control g r o u p during the nine-month e x p e r i m e n t a l period, and the experimental g r o u p s h o w e d significantly m o r e d e v e l o p m e n t t o w a r d integration of the valuation s y s t e m s . H e n c e , we conclude that all aspects m e a s u r e d in this longitudinal e x p e r i m e n t , generally considered to be the major indicators of psychological health, improved m o r e in the TM g r o u p than in the control g r o u p . T h e central issue to be addressed here is that of causality. W h a t m a d e the e x p e r i m e n tal g r o u p develop so much more in psychological health? First we have to consider whether the g r o u p s w e r e c o m p a r a b l e at the beginning. Although the g r o u p s w e r e c o m p a r a b l e in a g e , level of a c a d e m i c c a r e e r , and gender distribution, the experimental subjects had

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F i g u r e 10. T h e integration m e a s u r e s at posttest, adjusted for pretest s c o r e s , w e r e significantly higher for the TM g r o u p than the control g r o u p , indicating a larger relative gain in the TM g r o u p .

practiced the TM technique for quite a few y e a r s , and b e c a u s e of the beneficial results of their practice, may have been m o r e attracted to the educational system offered at M I U . In this sense it w a s a highly self-selected g r o u p oriented t o w a r d personal g r o w t h and already scoring much higher on psychological health. With these higher scores at pretest, h o w e v e r , a further i m p r o v e m e n t would in general be m o r e difficult to obtain due to ceiling effect. T h u s , if there had been any influence due to the different initial level of psychological health, it should have w o r k e d in the direction opposite to the hypothesis. Secondly, the difference in e n v i r o n m e n t may have played a role. M I U is located in a small town (10,000 population), and Drake University is in Des Moines (200,000 population). A l t h o u g h there a r e obvious differences b e t w e e n living in rural or metropolitan a r e a s , the influences w o u l d not be predicted to be on the o r d e r of the magnitudes of o u t c o m e s of the present studyprimarily because both t o w n s are located in I o w a , in general c o n s i d e r e d to be a low-stress state. T h i r d l y , the M I U students could have been biased toward a positive o u t c o m e of the study. A l t h o u g h this is a possibility, it is not likely to have significantly influenced the outcomes. T h e purpose of the study was not revealed to the subjects (nor the interviewers) until after the posttest. F u r t h e r m o r e , the ratings of the statements w e r e done in accordance with criteria which w e r e u n k n o w n to the subjects (and i n t e r v i e w e r s ) . T h u s the goal of the cognitive part of the test was fully disguised. Also, the affective integration measure was beyond conscious manipulation. The well-being measure was more liable to response tendencies t o w a r d social desirability. H o w e v e r , the results on well-being agreed with the results on the disguised cognitive and integration m e a s u r e s , suggesting that the effect of bias t o w a r d a particular o u t c o m e of the study w a s negligible. T h u s the differences

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in g r o w t h rate seem to be related to M a h a r i s h i ' s unified field based educational system. It is w o r t h w h i l e to analyze the e l e m e n t s in M a h a r i s h i ' s Unified Field Based Integrated S y s t e m of E d u c a t i o n that could c o n t r i b u t e to this r e m a r k a b l e personal g r o w t h . To p r o v i d e s o m e insight into this issue we w o u l d like to present s o m e material from a study in p r o g r e s s ( K e n n y , in p r e p a r a t i o n ) , in which M I U students w e r e asked (in a selfinvestigation format) w h a t they felt w e r e the significant aspects of their university. F o u r e l e m e n t s repeatedly a r o s e in the a n s w e r s of these 35 r a n d o m l y chosen students. F o r illustrative p u r p o s e s we will quote s o m e of the a n s w e r s . F i r s t , the students m e n t i o n e d the profound rest induced by the TM and T M - S i d h i p r o grams, and the structure of the daily routine: [Practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi] programs. It gives me a chance to always come back to settling down and getting rest, and that gives me a broader awareness and ability to maintain perspective. The [TM and TM-Sidhi] programs, the routine, the balance of rest and activity lets me use my full potential. S e c o n d l y , students m e n t i o n e d that k n o w l e d g e w a s taught in a holistic structure integrating all d i v e r s e aspects of life: The way of gaining knowledge so that knowledge is always related to the basis of our lives. That makes it fulfilling to gain the knowledge. The fact that everything in class and during the lectures always connects to the whole. It makes studying meaningful. T h i r d l y , they referred to the c o m m o n e m p h a s i s on personal g r o w t h and d e v e l o p m e n t : People are actively pursuing a better life. There's a lot more support for me as a person pursuing a better life or wanting more out of life, because everyone is moving in that direction. That the emphasis here is on change. Having the attention on personal development. At other places you are not expected to change, but here all your instructors and peers are open to see growth in you. A n d finally, the interpersonal relationships b e t w e e n the students and b e t w e e n students and faculty w e r e mentioned in m a n y c a s e s : The quality of the professorsthey are human and dedicated; without them I couldn't develop and change. They connect things nicely, they're open in their opinions, and strong within. This lets me be myself. They don't make me feel different from them, and that allows connectedness with them. I think there's a lot of heart as well as intellect between the teachers and students. The peoplethe atmosphere here is different. People are the strongest influence on each other's psychology; here everyone is truthful, friendly and very supportive and that contributes to my development. On the basis of these reports of t h e students, it seems likely that no one individual e l e m e n t is responsible for personal g r o w t h . It s e e m s rather to be the o u t c o m e of all the v a r i o u s elements together: the practice of the Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field, the presentation of k n o w l e d g e in a holistic and integrated way relevant to the life of the

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student, the a t m o s p h e r e o f m u t u a l s u p p o r t and u n d e r s t a n d i n g , and t h e e n c o u r a g e m e n t o f d e v e l o p m e n t b y fellow s t u d e n t s a n d t e a c h e r s . These students' remarks, which were obtained in an open-ended interview format by a fellow s t u d e n t , a r e in c l e a r c o n t r a s t w i t h t h e i n t r o d u c t o r y r e m a r k s in this p a p e r a b o u t the unfulfilled state of p r e s e n t - d a y e d u c a t i o n . T h i s suggests that t h e r e is no r e a s o n for e d u c a t i o n t o d a y not to a c h i e v e its o r i g i n a l goal of d e v e l o p i n g holistic, w e l l - i n t e g r a t e d individuals a s well a s p r o v i d i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l t r a i n i n g . T h e p r e s e n t study c o n f i r m s that MIU students do indeed develop into psychologically more mature individuals. M a h a r i s h i ' s Unified F i e l d B a s e d I n t e g r a t e d S y s t e m of E d u c a t i o n s e e m s to fulfill its pro m i s e o f d e v e l o p i n g m a t u r e , well-integrated i n d i v i d u a l s . T h i s n e w e d u c a t i o n a l a p p r o a c h w a r r a n t s s e r i o u s c o n s i d e r a t i o n by all e d u c a t o r s , p s y c h o l o g i s t s , scientists, a n d all o t h e r s s i n c e r e l y i n t e r e s t e d in i m p r o v i n g h u m a n life f r o m a f u n d a m e n t a l level.

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