Difference Between Vedic And Transcendental Meditation

Thinking about the difference between Vedic and Transcendental Meditations? Even though they might sound similar, they are different in many ways. Wondering how? Read this article to find out more.

“Meditation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body.” 

– Deepak Chopra

Meditation is known to be a form of mental as well as a spiritual discipline. It is the practice of thinking deeply in silence to make you and your mind calm and relaxed. So, if you ever feel lost or that you need some time by yourself, try meditating, it can surely help you connect to your inner self and give you peace of mind like never before. It also influences the positive growth of mental states such as affection and kindness.

Including meditation sessions in your daily schedule can help you in many ways. This will aid you with the energy to perform your chores energetically and make better decisions as well. As we look into the depths of the difference between Vedic and Transcendental meditation, it is important to note that Transcendental meditation has a specific mantra designed for the meditator. Whereas, in Vedic meditation, you are centered around the mantra using vibration and sound, which further causes a drift in your psyche. 

11 Reasons Why You Should Try Vedic & Transcendental Meditation?

Since ancient times to date, these two forms of meditation have been proved to work as a treatment for the prevention of many stress-related conditions. [1]

Besides that, meditation also offers enormous advantages such as

  • Increasing the creativity levels of your mind.
  • Making your immune system function well. 
  • Helping you achieve a precise and peaceful state of mind. 
  • Increasing your patience and tolerance.
  • Enhancing your memory. 
  • Increasing your pain tolerance level.
  • Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations.
  • Increasing self-awareness.
  • Being in the present moment.
  • Eliminating negative emotions.
  • Increasing productivity.

Apart from the above-given benefits, there are 10 Health Benefits of Daily Yoga that are assured when practiced daily. Several different types of meditation have been practiced in this modern era. Some of them are Vedic meditation, transcendental meditation, Vajrayana meditation, mindfulness meditation, spiritual meditation, focused meditation, movement meditation and mantra meditation.  

The most important fact is that not all meditation styles are suitable for everyone. Each one of these practices requires different skills as well as different mindsets. But how to know which meditation is suitable for you? 

Let’s take a look in detail at the two popular meditation practices – Vedic Meditation and Transcendental Meditation. You might be wondering that they sound kind of similar, so what exactly is the difference between Vedic and transcendental meditation? To begin with, let’s have a look at them in detail.

Vedic Meditation

Vedic meditation is an ancient form of meditation practice. The roots of Vedic meditation lie deep down the Vedas. Vedas include a series of texts that form the basis of Indian philosophy, all branches of yoga, and the science behind Ayurvedic medicine. 

Vedic meditation is centered on a mantra, a phrase repeated either loudly or silently in your mind. The word “Mantra” is clubbed together by two Sanskrit words: “man”, which means mind, and “tra”, which means vehicle or transport. So, a mantra is a vehicle in disguise that takes your mind from one place to another. 

Thus, Vedic meditation helps take you away from the busy activity of your day-to-day mind to a place that is deeper and quieter, affirming you a calm and deep state of mind. 

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental meditation is a form of silent, mantra meditation. This form of meditation is a technique that helps you avoid distracting thoughts, thereby promoting you to reach a state of relaxed awareness. [2] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced us to transcendental meditation in India in the mid-1950s. 

Transcendental meditation is a straightforward and natural yet effortless way of meditation. This form of meditation lets you settle down your mind into an extraordinarily calm and wise state of rest. 

It involves silently repeating and rehearsing a mantra for 15–20 minutes a day and is commonly done sitting with the eyes closed. To obtain the best effects from meditation, we recommend you regularly practice two times a day. This meditation alone can help deal with many disorders one of them being PTSD. [3]

Vedic Meditation vs Transcendental Meditation

These two forms are known to be the best forms of meditation and are found to be practiced by many in today’s time as well. 

Vedic meditation is one of the readily available meditation forms at the moment in all places around the world. Transcendental meditation is the most original form of meditation.

The main difference between Vedic meditation and Transcendental Meditation is that Vedic meditation is more of a general form of meditation. In contrast, Transcendental Meditation is a specific form of meditation with specific mantras designed for each meditator. The mantra in Vedic meditation centers around both vibration and sound. On the other hand, in Transcendental Meditation, the mantra to be rehearsed in your brain is ordinarily a Sanskrit sound. This could be either gained from an instructor or ancient scriptures and dialects.

To practice Vedic Meditation, you can subside into a suitable position and turn your consideration close to your body. However, in Transcendental Meditation, you need to sit in a proper seat with your feet on the ground and hands in your lap, leaving your legs and arms uncrossed. Then close your eyes, and take a couple of full breaths to loosen up the body. Please open your eyes, and afterward, close them once more.

Finally, after around 20 minutes of Vedic meditation, you can move back into your actual body. Whereas after following 20 minutes of Transcendental Meditation, you can start to move your fingers and toes to move back into the world.

Are Vedic And Transcendental Meditation The Same?

Up to a certain extent, yes! Transcendental Meditation, in short, is a branded form of Vedic meditation. However, both meditation forms involve rehearsing a mantra to settle down your mind and block out unnecessary thoughts. These forms allow you to dive your mind quickly into a deep meditative state without feeling the necessity to labor or struggle within. 

The goals of both forms of meditation are the same – to provide you with a sense of calm, peace, and balance. Still, when looked over from a general perspective, both the Vedic and Transcendental Meditation are the same. Research has suggested that practicing any of the two forms of meditation helps you: [4]

  • Reduce blood pressure
  • Reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
  • Treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia 
  • Cut down Ulcerative Colitis
  • Regulate the immune system
  • Increase the brain’s efficiency in executing attentional network

These forms of meditation might have empowering effects on your mind. Sometimes, they might even appear to you in the form of colors while meditating. The different kinds of meditation colours and their meanings range from a widely positive to an immensely negative vibe. They might even act as guiding lights in your path of life, helping you make life-altering decisions.

Adverse Effects Of Meditation

The Negative effects of meditation include prompting negative thinking and can make you lose some of your motivation. [1] It can even alter your sensory perception. Side effects like headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and weakness can arise from meditation. 

Not everyone who practices meditation is prone to adverse side effects. But we recommend you to have a detailed analysis of the same to assure that it has a significant positive impact on your mind, body, and soul.

FAQs

How Is Vedic Meditation Different?

The reason why Vedic Meditation tends to stand out is that it contains mantras. On the other hand, not all meditations need a mantra to be recited while being practiced. 

When words like “love” and “compassion” are repeated continuously, we tend to put our attention on these words. So, naturally, these attributes develop a tendency to grow within us. Although, this is a very different practice of meditation. But as we think of love in our head, it happens to stimulate our thoughts. 

How Do You Do Vedic Meditation?

Vedic Meditation is one of the easiest practices of ancient meditation. 

  • Make sure you do it two times a day.
  • Each of your sessions should be at least 20 minutes long. 
  • Sit down, obtain a comfortable position and close your eyes.
  • Try to relax, and calm your mind by deep breathing a few times.
  • Repeat a mantra in your mind. 
  • If you tend to get distracted, try bringing your mind back to the mantra gently. 
  • Make sure to be neutral with whatever your mind tends to do or wherever your mind tends to wander during the meditation session. 

Is Transcendental Meditation The Same As Mantra Meditation?

Yes, Transcendental meditation is quite similar to Mantra meditation. The main reason why transcendental meditation stands out from the rest is because of its mantra. The mantra you are asked to repeat during the meditation session empowers your whole process of transcendental meditation. 

In transcendental meditation, the mantra that is repeated again and again is a sound that is said to be used as a vehicle to help your mind travel to a calm state and quiet mind and settle down. 

Why Is Transcendental Meditation Harmful?

It is observed that sometimes Transcendental meditation happens to bring up negative emotions and memories to the surface. This can make you relive them and you might even become more antisocial. 

Some physical side effects were also seen to occur, like

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness

Wrapping Up

Solely designed for boosting the feeling of happiness and calmness, meditation increases your ability to stay calm, and composed under pressure conditions. Regular meditation offers several health benefits, such as reducing your stress levels and anxiety. 

However, meditation is something that you must practice with greater discipline and awareness in your life to obtain positive results. Else, meditation can also cause psychological and spiritual well-being problems. We recommend you choose a particular form of meditation practice and then follow it correctly. It is also recommended to practice meditation daily for better performance and to boost productivity.

References

  1. U.S. National Institute of Health. “Meditation: In-Depth”. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. 
  2. National Coverage Determination. “Transcendental Meditation”. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 
  3. U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Transcendental Meditation and PTSD”. ClinicalTrials.gov 
  4. Hari Sharma. “Meditation: Process and effects”.  Ayu vol 36(3) (2015): 233-237
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