---
title: "Group Coherence Meditation: What It Is, How It Works, Cited Research & Best Free Videos"
description: "Group Coherence Meditation is a heart-focused group practice in which participants cultivate calm, positive emotions and slow, coherent breathing together, intending to bring their heart rhythms into a shared, ordered pattern."
canonical: "https://insighttimer.com/techniques/meditation/group-coherence-meditation"
category: "Meditation"
last_reviewed: "2026-07-28"
---

# What is Group Coherence Meditation?

Group Coherence Meditation is a heart-focused group practice in which participants cultivate calm, positive emotions and slow, coherent breathing together, intending to bring their heart rhythms into a shared, ordered pattern (McCraty et al., 2012).

**Evidence: Indirect Evidence.** This reflects the delivered practice, calm positive emotion with slow coherent breathing, whose benefits for anxiety and stress hold at the meditation level: a meta-analysis of Transcendental Meditation reports moderate trait-anxiety reductions against both active comparators (d -0.50) and waitlist (d -0.62). No trial tests the group format directly, so support stays indirect, and the shared coherence-field idea is unsupported and held lightly by the page.

Last updated: 2026-07-28

We are still reviewing this page. Our research team checks every technique page for accuracy and evidence quality before final release. Details may change as that review completes. The evidence badge shows our current reading of the published research.

## Explore Group Coherence Meditation

- [1/10 Introduction To The Work That Reconnects](https://insighttimer.com/gaiaspeaking/guided-meditations/1-slash-10-introduction-to-the-work-that-reconnects-2) — Joanna Tomkins, Talks, 5 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Collective Earth Healing - Energetic Gridwork](https://insighttimer.com/michaelpyrtsch/guided-meditations/collective-earth-healing-energetic-gridwork) — Michael Pyrtsch, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Vagrein : Unity Meditation](https://insighttimer.com/jessie_vagrein/guided-meditations/vagrein-unity-meditation) — Jessie Herman, Guided, 18 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Creating A Sense Of Connection Within A Circle Of Love](https://insighttimer.com/DeniseCavner/guided-meditations/creating-a-sense-of-connection-within-a-circle-of-love) — Denise Cavner, Guided, 13 min, rated 5.0/5
- [8 Minutes Of Collective Coherence](https://insighttimer.com/Anahita7/guided-meditations/8-minutes-of-collective-coherence) — Anahita Sacred Healing, Guided, 8 min, rated 5.0/5

### Group Coherence Meditation effort level

#### How hard is Group Coherence Meditation?

**Moderate** (2 / 4). You breathe at the same slow heart rhythm as everyone else and keep returning to that shared cadence, meditating inside a group field rather than alone.

- **Mental Effort** (2 / 4): You settle attention on the heart, breathe around six times a minute, then widen to hold the group's common rhythm.
- **Emotional Depth** (2 / 4): Being part of a shared field brings mild openness, since you are practising with others instead of staying wholly private.
- **Physical Intensity** (1 / 4): Physical demand stays low, limited to easy posture and the slow paced breath that anchors the group.
- **Prior Knowledge** (2 / 4): Come with a clear sense of the shared anchor, the rhythm or intention everyone is coordinating around together.

## Recommended dose: How Much Group Coherence Meditation Should You Do?

### beginner

No study directly tests Group Coherence Meditation at a beginner dose, so this range is extrapolated from closely related coherence-oriented practices. An EEG study of the Transcendental Meditation technique used short twice-daily sessions over an initial two-week period, and an autogenic meditation course that raised heart coherence began with brief regular practice. A conservative 10–20 minute session on most days is a realistic entry point.

- Session length: 10–20 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 5–7 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

### intermediate

Typical protocols in related meditation trials cluster around a daily 20–30 minute commitment sustained over several weeks. Structured programs such as an 8-week autogenic course, a 4-week mindfulness intervention, and an 8-week, 2-hour-per-week passage meditation training support a regular near-daily practice at this level, though none test Group Coherence Meditation specifically.

- Session length: 20–30 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 5–7 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

### extended

Longer sessions and higher frequency reflect experienced-practitioner patterns in related traditions. Experienced Zen practitioners sustained roughly 40-minute sittings, and a twice-daily rhythm was used in TM practice; a Transcendental Meditation meta-analysis notes that duration and regularity of practice influence outcomes. This maintenance level is extrapolated from those overlapping techniques rather than direct testing of this practice.

- Session length: 30–45 minutes. How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.
- Frequency: 7–14 days per week. The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

*About this card.* All dose ranges are extrapolated from studies of closely related meditation techniques, as no trial has yet tested Group Coherence Meditation directly; treat them as informed starting points rather than validated prescriptions. These recommendations are not a substitute for personalised guidance from a qualified practitioner.

## Related techniques to Group Coherence Meditation

- [Collective Intention Setting](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/meditation/collective-intention-setting)
- [Partner Breathing](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/breathwork/partner-breathing)
- [Eye-Gazing](https://insighttimer.com/techniques/relationships/eye-gazing)

## Common questions about Group Coherence Meditation

### What does the research say about Group Coherence Meditation?

*evidence*

Most evidence comes from related meditation practices, not the group form directly. A small study found heart-focused meditation increases cardiac coherence, the smooth patterning of heartbeats. A meta-analysis of Transcendental Meditation showed reduced anxiety, and brief training lowered perceived stress. The shared 'coherence field' claim remains an early-stage, contested hypothesis.

### Who is Group Coherence Meditation good for?

*good for*

Adults who want to feel calmer and more connected at once suit Group Coherence Meditation, including people managing everyday stress, keyed-up worry, or a sense of isolation who value practising in company. It supports steadier calm and belonging, not treatment for diagnosed anxiety, depression, trauma, or a heart condition.

### Is Group Coherence Meditation safe?

*safety*

Most healthy adults can practise Group Coherence Meditation safely, since it is physically close to sitting quietly and breathing slowly. Because it cultivates warmth and care, strong emotions such as tears or grief can occasionally surface, mattering most for people working through recent loss or trauma. No documented adverse events were identified.

### How does Group Coherence Meditation work?

*how it works*

Group Coherence Meditation works through heart-focused attention paired with slow breathing at about six breaths a minute, which shifts the heart into a smoother rhythm called cardiac coherence and moves the body toward its rest-and-recovery state. Cultivating warm emotions like gratitude adds a caring dimension, felt as warmth spreading in the chest and softening reactivity.

## Group Coherence Meditation tracks & video

Explore guided sessions to deepen your Group Coherence Meditation technique.

- [Heart Of The Universe - CE5](https://insighttimer.com/andreevolving/guided-meditations/heart-of-the-universe-ce5) — Andre Cardoso, Guided, 17 min, rated 4.7/5
- [1/10 Introduction To The Work That Reconnects](https://insighttimer.com/gaiaspeaking/guided-meditations/1-slash-10-introduction-to-the-work-that-reconnects-2) — Joanna Tomkins, Talks, 5 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Feel This One In Your Soul: A Meditation To Shift Everything](https://insighttimer.com/danaretzlaff/guided-meditations/feel-this-one-in-your-soul-a-meditation-to-shift-everything) — Dana Retzlaff, Guided, 19 min, rated 4.9/5
- [Collective Earth Healing - Energetic Gridwork](https://insighttimer.com/michaelpyrtsch/guided-meditations/collective-earth-healing-energetic-gridwork) — Michael Pyrtsch, Guided, 12 min, rated 4.8/5
- [Vagrein : Unity Meditation](https://insighttimer.com/jessie_vagrein/guided-meditations/vagrein-unity-meditation) — Jessie Herman, Guided, 18 min, rated 4.8/5
- [40 Days Through The Wilderness Of Change Manifesting](https://insighttimer.com/saritasol/guided-meditations/40-days-through-the-wilderness-of-change-manifesting) — sarita sol, Guided, 20 min, rated 5.0/5
- [May Gratitude Session Excerpt & Meditation](https://insighttimer.com/SoulJourney_Wellness/guided-meditations/may-gratitude-session-excerpt-and-meditation) — Khadijih Mitchell, Guided, 32 min, rated 4.6/5
- [Clearing The Invisibles: Dissolving Unconscious Vows](https://insighttimer.com/astutimartosudirdjo/guided-meditations/clearing-the-invisibles-dissolving-unconscious-vows) — Astuti Martosudirdjo, Guided, 26 min, rated 5.0/5
- [Creating A Sense Of Connection Within A Circle Of Love](https://insighttimer.com/DeniseCavner/guided-meditations/creating-a-sense-of-connection-within-a-circle-of-love) — Denise Cavner, Guided, 13 min, rated 5.0/5
- [8 Minutes Of Collective Coherence](https://insighttimer.com/Anahita7/guided-meditations/8-minutes-of-collective-coherence) — Anahita Sacred Healing, Guided, 8 min, rated 5.0/5

## What does a Group Coherence Meditation session involve?

Group Coherence Meditation is a HeartMath-based group practice in which people cultivate calm, positive emotions and slow, coherent breathing together, intending to bring their heart rhythms into a shared, ordered pattern (McCraty et al., 2012).

Sessions typically open with an individual HeartMath technique such as Quick Coherence or Heart Lock-In, resting attention on the heart region, slowing the breath to roughly six breaths a minute, and generating a warm emotion such as appreciation. Awareness then expands to include the group and a shared intention to build synchronised heart-rhythm coherence across the circle. At larger scale, the Global Coherence Initiative gathers many people meditating at once, so the shape is a sequenced solo-then-shared ritual rather than free-form sitting.

Unlike silent solo meditation, the defining feature here is the deliberate group intention to synchronise heart rhythms, drawn from HeartMath's work on cardiac coherence. It is not the same as general loving-kindness meditation, though it shares warm-emotion cultivation, nor is it Transcendental Meditation, which supplies much of the related evidence. The distinctive 'group coherence field' premise is an interpretive idea still being explored, not an established mechanism, and the practice is a wellbeing support rather than a treatment.

### Not to be confused with

- **The 'Maharishi Effect' group TM field studies:** Both propose that group meditation can shift a wider collective, but they come from different traditions and mechanisms. Group Coherence Meditation rests on heart-rhythm coherence, while the TM field studies rest on mantra practice and population-level statistics that cannot establish cause.
- **General group meditation or sangha sitting:** Sitting in a room while others meditate is not the same practice. Group Coherence Meditation adds a specific heart-focused intention to build synchronised heart-rhythm coherence across the group, rather than each person simply meditating in parallel.
- **HRV biofeedback with a device or app:** HeartMath also markets biofeedback hardware, but the group practice itself is a breathing-and-attention exercise that needs no device. Biofeedback adds a live readout of your heart rhythm; the meditation can be done without any screen or sensor.

## How does Group Coherence Meditation work?

Group Coherence Meditation works mainly through heart-focused attention paired with slow breathing at about six breaths a minute, which shifts the heart into a smoother, more ordered rhythm known as cardiac coherence and moves the body toward its rest-and-recovery, parasympathetic state (Kim et al., 2013). In the body this tends to feel like warmth spreading in the chest, breathing steadying, and emotional reactivity softening. Cultivating warm emotions such as appreciation adds a caring dimension, exercising the same capacity for compassion that prosocial meditation practices train (Kreplin et al., 2018). The further idea that synchronised hearts create a shared coherence 'field' across the group is a hypothesis still being explored, not an established fact (McCraty et al., 2012).

### Possible mechanisms

**Heart-Focused Regulation**

Resting attention on the space around the heart while you breathe slowly and hold a warm feeling like gratitude tends to bring warmth or spaciousness to the chest and soften emotional reactivity into steadier calm. That felt shift lines up with cardiac coherence, a smoother and more ordered heart rhythm measured during heart-focused meditation (Kim et al., 2013); the further idea that synchronised hearts create a shared group 'field' is still an untested hypothesis (McCraty et al., 2012).

**Parasympathetic Activation**

Tension eases, breathing steadies, and a settled calm spreads through the chest as slow, even breathing at about six breaths a minute shifts the body toward parasympathetic activation, the rest-and-recovery branch of the nervous system that slows heart rate and lowers physical tension (McCraty et al., 2012). Related meditation practices have shown this kind of autonomic shift in controlled studies (Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006).

**Prosocial Emotion Cultivation**

A warm softening toward the people around you is the aim: the practice asks you to generate appreciation, care, and goodwill toward the group, exercising the same emotional muscles as compassion training (McCraty et al., 2012). Meditation of this kind has produced modest gains in compassion and empathy, though its effect on a felt sense of connection is less certain (Kreplin et al., 2018).

## What does Group Coherence Meditation do to the body?

The most reliably measured change is a rise in cardiac coherence, the smooth, regular patterning of the time between heartbeats, recorded during heart-focused meditation in a small study of 12 adults (Kim et al., 2013). Related meditation practices also show increased EEG coherence, more synchronised brain-wave activity, during practice, which practitioners tend to experience as attention gathering rather than scattering (Dillbeck & Bronson, 1981), (Gaylord et al., 1989), (Frederick et al., 2006). In a trial of a related technique, systolic blood pressure decreased modestly (p=0.04) while a heart-rate-variability measure trended upward without reaching statistical significance (p=0.07) (Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006). In the body, these shifts feel like the chest settling, breathing slowing, and a calm but wakeful steadiness taking hold. These measurements come from individual practice rather than the group version, which has not yet been recorded directly.

**Cardiac Coherence**

During heart-focused meditation, many people feel a warmth or settling in the chest as breathing and emotion steady together. That felt shift tracks with cardiac coherence, the smooth, ordered pattern in the beat-to-beat timing of the heart, which has been measured to rise during practice, though this comes from individual practice rather than the group version and rests on early, small-scale evidence (Kim et al., 2013).

**Frontal theta coherence**

When the mind settles, attention can feel gathered and absorbed rather than scattered. Studies of related meditation practices link that state to a rise in frontal theta coherence, a measure of how closely the slow theta brain waves fire in step across the front of the brain (Dillbeck & Bronson, 1981), (Gaylord et al., 1989), (Frederick et al., 2006). This has been recorded in individual meditators, not yet in group coherence practice specifically.

**Alpha wave coherence**

A restless, scattered mind can settle into a calm but awake steadiness during meditation. In the brain this shows up as alpha wave coherence, the slow alpha rhythms moving in step with one another, which has been measured to rise in people who meditate regularly (Dillbeck & Bronson, 1981), (Gaylord et al., 1989). So far this has been recorded in individual meditators, not in group coherence sessions specifically.

**Alpha wave activity**

The mind can settle into a quiet, wakeful stillness, alert but not drowsy. That state lines up with a rise in alpha brain-wave activity, the slower rhythm linked to being relaxed while still awake, recorded during related meditation practices (Dillbeck & Bronson, 1981), (Frederick et al., 2006). Direct measurement in Group Coherence Meditation itself is still limited, so this pattern is drawn from adjacent practices rather than the group protocol.

**Theta Wave Activity**

That drowsy, inward-turned quality that arrives once the mind stops racing lines up with theta wave activity, a slow brain rhythm tied to deeply relaxed, absorbed states. In studies of individual meditators, theta and slow-wave coherence rise during practice (Dillbeck & Bronson, 1981), (Gaylord et al., 1989), (Frederick et al., 2006), which people often feel as attention loosening its grip and the body settling into a quieter, dreamier stillness. This is early, adjacent-practice evidence, and it has not yet been recorded in the group coherence format itself.

**Blood Pressure**

Many people feel the body settle and become less pressured as the nervous system shifts toward rest. In a controlled trial of a closely related meditation practice, systolic blood pressure, the force of blood pushing against artery walls, dropped modestly against a health-education comparison, though this finding comes from a related technique rather than group coherence practice itself (Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006).

**Parasympathetic Tone**

A steadier, calmer body under pressure is roughly what higher parasympathetic tone feels like. In a controlled trial of a closely related meditation, blood pressure dropped and heart-rate variability trended upward toward this rest-and-recovery state, though the variability change did not reach statistical significance (Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006).

## What is Group Coherence Meditation used for?

Moderate but indirect evidence supports calmer anxiety and lower everyday stress, drawn from closely related meditation practices rather than the group form itself. A meta-analysis of Transcendental Meditation trials, not Group Coherence Meditation specifically, found reduced trait anxiety, the steady tendency to feel on edge across situations, with a Cohen's d of about -0.62 (95% CI -0.82 to -0.43) versus treatment as usual, a moderate effect meaning the average participant ended up calmer than roughly three-quarters of those who received usual care (Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013). Brief meditation training also lowered perceived stress and lifted mood in healthy adults (Lane et al., 2007). What is not yet established: any large trial of the group practice itself, durable long-term effects, and the claim that a shared 'coherence field' produces benefits beyond individual practice, which remains an early-stage hypothesis (McCraty et al., 2012).

**Calm Anxiety**

That keyed-up worry that lingers across the day, the steady background tension that follows you from one situation to the next, can ease with regular practice; in pooled controlled trials of a closely related heart-and-breath technique, the people who started out most anxious saw the clearest drop in this trait anxiety (Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013). This finding comes from Transcendental Meditation rather than Group Coherence Meditation itself, so read it as promising related context rather than proof for this exact group practice.

**Relieve Stress**

Feeling wound up and low can start to ease with regular meditation practice. In one study of a simple, non-religious meditation program, healthy adults who practised more often reported lower perceived stress and brighter mood (Lane et al., 2007), though this tested an individual practice rather than the group coherence form.

## What does the research say about Group Coherence Meditation?

Heart-focused meditation measurably increases cardiac coherence, the smooth patterning of the heartbeat, during practice, shown in a small study of 12 adults (Kim et al., 2013). The stronger outcome evidence comes from related meditation techniques, where a meta-analysis found reduced anxiety (Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013) and brief training lowered perceived stress and negative mood in healthy adults (Lane et al., 2007). The areas studied are heart-rhythm and brain-wave coherence, anxiety, stress, and blood pressure, mostly in individual rather than group practice. The main limits are directness and stage: almost all findings come from other meditation practices, samples are often small, some results are significance-only rather than full effect sizes, and the distinctive group-'field' claim, along with population-level 'field effect' studies, is preliminary and contested (McCraty et al., 2012), (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022).

- Meta-analyses: 2
- RCTs: 2
- Systematic reviews: 0
- Observational: 6
- Pilot: 3

### Studied populations

- healthy adults
- adults with coronary heart disease
- adults
- healthy adults
- meditation practitioners
- black students and adults
- general population

### Outcomes measured

- blood pressure, insulin resistance, hrv (autonomic tone)
- cardiac (heart) coherence and eeg alpha coupling
- frontal eeg alpha/theta coherence
- interpersonal/global electromagnetic coherence field
- perceived stress and negative mood
- population-level stress indicators (homicide, mortality)
- trait anxiety

### Effect sizes

| Outcome | Effect size | 95% CI | N | Comparator | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| systolic blood pressure | reported significant; p=0.04 | — | 103 | health education | Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006 |
| HRV high-frequency power | reported nonsignificant; p=0.07 (trend) | — | — | health education | Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006 |
| trait anxiety | Cohen's d = -0.50 | 95% CI -0.70 to -0.30 | — | active alternative treatment (10 studies) | Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013 |
| trait anxiety | Cohen's d = -0.62 | 95% CI -0.82 to -0.43 | — | treatment as usual / wait list (16 studies) | Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013 |
| anxiety (TM and PMR) | reported significant; p<0.0006 | — | 83 | baseline / across groups | Gaylord et al., 1989 |

### Limitations

- Some extracted statistics are significance-only (p-values) rather than full effect-size estimates.

Most support is indirect, drawn from related individual practices rather than the group form; samples are often small, some statistics are significance-only, and the group-'field' claim remains preliminary and contested.

## Which studies have tested Group Coherence Meditation?

**Dynamic correlations between heart and brain rhythm during Autogenic meditation**

n = 12

Finding: In a small study of 12 healthy adults who completed an eight-week autogenic meditation course, heart-rhythm coherence, meaning how orderly and steady the beat-to-beat rhythm becomes, rose measurably while they meditated, and this rise moved in step with brain activity linked to a calm, alert state, hinting at real coordination between heart and brain. For someone drawn to heart-focused practice, this suggests the body genuinely settles into a more organised rhythm during meditation rather than simply feeling calmer. Keep in mind the study was tiny and looked at a different, individually practised technique, so it speaks to the plausibility of heart-focused regulation in one person, not to any shared or group-level coherence effect.

`reported narratively`

**Field-Effects of Consciousness: A Seventeen-Year Study of the Effects of Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs on Reducing National Stress in the United States**

2022

Finding: This study tracked national statistics over time and reported that societal stress indicators, including homicide and mortality rates, dropped during periods when a large group was practising Transcendental Meditation together and rose again afterward. For someone drawn to group practice, it hints at the idea that meditating alongside others might ripple outward, but the design only shows things happening at the same time, not one causing the other. Because this is a correlational, population-level analysis from a single affiliated research group with many uncontrolled influences at play, it cannot show that group meditation actually reduced crime or death, and the broader "field effect" idea behind it remains early-stage and contested.

**Group Practice of the <i>Transcendental Meditation®</i> and <i>TM-Sidhi®</i> Program and Reductions in Infant Mortality and Drug-Related Death**

2017

Finding: Tracking US population data from 2007 to 2010, researchers affiliated with the Transcendental Meditation organisation reported that periods when a large group practised TM and TM-Sidhi together lined up with lower infant mortality and fewer drug-related deaths, with those indicators drifting back up when the group shrank. For someone drawn to group practice, this hints at a possible community-level ripple, but it is important to read it cautiously: this is a correlational study from a single research team, so it can only show that these trends happened at the same time, not that the meditation caused the change. Many other social and economic factors could explain the same pattern, and the proposed "field effect" mechanism has not been independently confirmed, so treat these findings as preliminary and contested rather than proof that group meditation improves societal health.

**Brief meditation training can improve perceived stress and negative mood.**

2007

Finding: In this study, 200 healthy adults enrolled in a brief mantra-based meditation program, and the 133 who completed it reported measurably less perceived stress and fewer negative moods, with improvements ranging from about 14% to 36% across the measures tracked. People who practised more often saw the bigger gains, which suggests that consistency matters more than intensity when you're starting out. Keep in mind this was a simple before-and-after study with no comparison group, so the results point to the general value of a regular meditation habit rather than proof of any effect unique to the group coherence approach.

**The Global Coherence Initiative: Creating a Coherent Planetary Standing Wave**

2012

Finding: This 2012 article lays out the thinking behind Group Coherence Meditation as developed by the HeartMath Institute and its Global Coherence Initiative: people first settle into a calm, steady heart rhythm through slow breathing and warm emotions like gratitude, then extend that state to a shared group focus. Rather than testing outcomes, the paper describes the practice and puts forward a hypothesis, that many people holding heart-coherence together might create a shared "field", and it reports no measurements confirming such an effect between people or across the planet. For someone considering the practice, the individual steps of calming your breath and heart rhythm are well grounded, but the idea of a measurable group coherence field is still an early-stage proposal being explored, not an established fact.

**The effects of the transcendental mediation technique and progressive muscle relaxation on EEG coherence, stress reactivity, and mental health in black adults.**

n = 83

Finding: In a randomised trial with 83 Black college students, staff and adults, people were assigned to Transcendental Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or cognitive-behavioural strategies; both the meditation and relaxation groups eased anxiety and lifted an overall measure of mental health, while the meditation group also showed a distinctive rise in coordinated brain-wave activity (frontal alpha and theta coherence) that the other two approaches did not produce. For someone drawn to meditation, this suggests it can calm anxiety at least as well as a standard relaxation routine, with an added shift in how synchronised brain activity becomes during practice. Keep in mind this trial studied Transcendental Meditation practised individually, not group coherence work, so it speaks to the underlying brain mechanism rather than confirming a group effect directly.

`reported significant; p<0.0006`

**Evaluating an online four-session loving-kindness and compassion meditation training on improving psychological well-being among healthcare professionals in Hong Kong: a pilot randomised controlled study**

2025

Finding: This early pilot study looked at whether loving-kindness and compassion meditation is practical and welcome for healthcare workers, a group that carries heavy workloads and a high risk of burnout. Rather than measuring long-term results, it focused on the first questions any new practice has to answer: can busy clinicians fit it in, and do they find it worthwhile enough to keep going. If you are drawn to this technique, treat it as a promising starting point rather than settled proof, since a feasibility pilot like this tells us the practice is workable and acceptable for this group, not yet how much it changes stress or mood over time.

**Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on Trait Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials**

2013

Finding: This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials pooled 1,295 people across 16 studies of Transcendental Meditation and found a moderate, consistent drop in trait anxiety, the kind of everyday background tension people carry, with the biggest gains among those who started out most anxious and no adverse effects reported. In practical terms, a regular mantra-style practice may leave you feeling less on-edge over time, especially if anxiety runs high for you. One important limit: this looked at Transcendental Meditation specifically, not Group Coherence Meditation, so it points to plausibility for heart- and mantra-based practice rather than direct proof for this technique.

`Cohen's d = -0.50`

**Effects of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Transcendental Meditation on Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in Subjects With Coronary Heart Disease**

n = 103

Finding: In this 16-week randomized trial, 103 adults with stable coronary heart disease practised Transcendental Meditation, a related but different technique, and saw their systolic blood pressure drop and their insulin sensitivity improve compared with a group given health education alone. A measure of nervous-system balance (heart-rate variability) shifted in a favourable direction too, though that particular change was not large enough to be certain it wasn't chance. Because this trial tested Transcendental Meditation rather than Group Coherence Meditation, and in a specific heart-patient population, it offers only indirect support for the idea that quieting practices can ease the body's stress load; it does not tell us how Group Coherence Meditation itself performs.

`reported significant; p=0.04`

**Short-Term Longitudinal Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on EEG Power and Coherence**

1981

Finding: In this small study of fifteen people learning Transcendental Meditation, brain-wave recordings showed a rise in frontal alpha coherence, a measure of how well the front regions of the brain fall into a synchronised rhythm, during and after practice; this synchrony turned out to be a more telling signal than the raw strength of the alpha waves themselves. For someone drawn to meditation, it points to a real shift in how the brain organises itself during practice, not just a subjective sense of calm. Keep in mind, though, that this was a very small group, the effect was seen in individuals rather than across a meditating group, and it came from a specific technique (TM) rather than group coherence practice, so it hints at a brain mechanism rather than proving one.

**Cross-sectional and longitudinal study of effects of transcendental meditation practice on interhemispheric frontal asymmetry and frontal coherence.**

2006

Finding: This early brain-wave study compared 13 people who practised Transcendental Meditation with 12 who did not, and tracked another small group over a full year. Meditators showed more coordinated activity across the front of the brain, and in the year-long group that coordination climbed steadily, reaching a high level after roughly two months of regular practice. In practical terms, this hints that consistent meditation may help different regions of the brain work more in sync, an effect that seems to build over weeks rather than appearing all at once. The samples were very small, and the work looked at individual Transcendental Meditation practitioners rather than a group-coherence technique, so it points to a plausible mechanism rather than proving one for this specific practice.

**Evaluating a Field Theory of Consciousness and Social Change: Group Practice of Transcendental Meditation and Homicide Trends**

2022

Finding: This study tracked large-group Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi practice alongside population-level stress indicators, and the authors reported that societal measures like homicide, infant mortality, and drug-related deaths dropped during periods when the meditating group was large enough, then climbed back afterward. For someone drawn to group practice, it is an intriguing pattern that points to a possible community-level effect worth exploring, but it is important to read it cautiously. The design only shows that these trends happened at the same time, not that meditation caused them, and the work comes from a single group of affiliated researchers with many other factors left unaccounted for, so it does not establish that group meditation reduces crime, mortality, or violence.

**The limited prosocial effects of meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis**

2018

Finding: This review pooled randomised trials of meditation in healthy adults and found a moderate boost to prosocial feelings overall, but the benefit was uneven: meditation increased compassion and empathy while showing no measurable effect on aggression, prejudice, or a felt sense of connectedness. The compassion gains also mostly appeared in weaker study designs, such as those with no active comparison group or where the meditation teacher had helped run the research, which suggests the real-world effect may be smaller than it looks. For someone drawn to group meditation to feel more warmth toward others, this points to genuine but limited support for building compassion and empathy; it does not back the idea that the practice reliably deepens social connection or eases loneliness.

## Where does Group Coherence Meditation come from?

Group Coherence Meditation grows out of the HeartMath Institute and its Global Coherence Initiative, which developed techniques like Quick Coherence and Heart Lock-In from research on cardiac coherence and social fields (McCraty et al., 2012). These roots help explain the practice's form, the sequencing from individual heart-focused breathing to a shared group intention, rather than proving its clinical effects. The idea of a collective 'coherence field' belongs to the HeartMath worldview and is presented there as a working premise, not an established fact.

## Is Group Coherence Meditation safe?

For most healthy adults, Group Coherence Meditation is a gentle, low-risk practice, closer in physical demand to sitting quietly and breathing slowly than to anything strenuous. Because it pairs heart-focused attention with deliberately cultivated warmth and care, strong feelings can sometimes rise to the surface, unexpected tears, tenderness, or grief welling up mid-practice. This is a practice-informed caution rather than a documented adverse event, and it matters most for people working through recent loss or trauma. Treat the practice as supportive wellbeing rather than a treatment for any cardiac, anxiety, depressive, or trauma-related condition. The evidence specific to the group format is still early-stage, with most support drawn from related individual practices (McCraty et al., 2012), (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022).

### Who should practise with care?

People processing grief, recent trauma, or a diagnosed mental-health condition may find that the warm-emotion and heart-focused stages bring buried feelings closer to the surface, so practising alongside a therapist or experienced facilitator and moving at a self-chosen pace is sensible. This is a practice-informed caution, not one drawn from harm data. Anyone managing a cardiac condition, unstable blood pressure, or another medical diagnosis should treat the practice as a complement to prescribed care, never a replacement for it, since the calming autonomic shifts described here were measured in related meditation rather than in this group format (Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006).

#### Grief, recent trauma, or a mental-health condition

*low* · *practice-informed*

Because Group Coherence Meditation pairs heart-focused attention with deliberately cultivated warmth and care, tender feelings can rise unexpectedly — tears, tenderness, or grief welling up mid-practice. This matters most for people working through recent loss or a diagnosed mental-health condition. It is a practice-informed caution, not documented harm data: no safety trial has tested the group format in these groups, and most support comes from related individual practices. If this applies to you, move at a self-chosen pace, know you can pause or open your eyes at any point, and consider practising where a therapist or experienced facilitator is on hand. Treat the practice as a complement to professional care, never a replacement for it (Kreplin et al., 2018), (McCraty et al., 2012), (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022).

#### A cardiac condition or unstable blood pressure

*low* · *practice-informed*

The calming autonomic shifts described for this kind of practice — slower breathing, easing tension, a settled steadiness in the chest — were measured in a related meditation with people who had stable coronary heart disease, not in the group format itself, so they cannot be promised for your situation. If you are managing a heart condition, unstable blood pressure, or another medical diagnosis, treat the practice as a complement to prescribed care rather than a replacement, ease in and out gently, and take a moment before standing after a longer session if you tend toward low blood pressure or feel light-headed. Check with your clinician before starting (Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006).

### How to practise safely?

Group Coherence Meditation is best approached as gentle supportive wellbeing rather than a treatment for anything, so if you are already in care for a cardiac, anxiety, depressive, or trauma-related condition, let this rest alongside that care rather than in place of it. A sensible starting format is a shorter sitting with a facilitator you trust, keeping attention resting lightly on the heart and breath and giving yourself full permission to soften or pause at any moment. Because holding warmth can bring tender feelings closer to the surface, it helps to have support on hand if you are working through recent loss.

1. **Frame it as support, not treatment.** Approach the practice as a way to feel calmer and more connected, not as care for a medical or mental-health condition. If you are being treated for anxiety, depression, a cardiac condition, or trauma, keep your existing care in place and let this sit alongside it rather than replacing it.
2. **Set your own pace and exit.** You can soften the practice or stop at any point. Let attention rest lightly on the heart and breath rather than forcing either, and open your eyes or pause if the practice starts to feel like too much.
3. **Have support on hand if strong emotion surfaces.** Holding warmth and care can bring up grief or tenderness, so choose a facilitator you trust, and if you are working through loss or trauma, consider practising where a therapist or experienced guide is available. Surfacing feeling is common and usually settles; support makes it safer to let it move.
4. **Ease in and out gently.** Begin with shorter sittings and let the breath slow gradually toward roughly six breaths a minute rather than straining for it. After a longer session, take a moment before standing, especially if you tend toward low blood pressure or feel light-headed when you rise.
5. **Keep expectations honest.** Notice warmth, steadiness, or a settled calm without demanding a particular outcome. Evidence specific to the group practice is still early, so hold the idea of a shared coherence field lightly and let your own felt experience guide how you engage.

### Medical disclaimer

This information is educational and is not medical advice. This practice is not a substitute for professional care and should not replace prescribed medication or treatment for any medical or mental-health condition. If you are managing a health condition or taking medication, talk with a qualified health professional before changing your practice. If you are in distress or crisis, seek professional support.

## How does Group Coherence Meditation compare to similar techniques?

| Technique | Best for | Use with care | Distinction |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Individual HeartMath coherence practice (Quick Coherence, Heart Lock-In) | Learning a portable self-regulation skill you can use alone, anywhere, without needing a group present. |  | These are the same building blocks done alone: resting attention on the heart region, breathing at roughly six breaths per minute, and holding a warm feeling such as appreciation, which shifts the heart rhythm toward a smoother, more ordered pattern. Group Coherence Meditation runs those individual techniques first, then widens awareness to a shared group intention, adding the collective 'field' premise that the solo version does not carry. |
| Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation | Deliberately building compassion, empathy, and self-compassion, often as a solo daily practice. | For people processing grief or trauma, sustained self-directed warmth can surface strong emotion; pace it and seek support. | Both cultivate warm, caring feelings on purpose, and both exercise the same prosocial emotional muscles. Loving-kindness practice generates goodwill toward yourself and others through repeated phrases or images, without the heart-rhythm focus, paced breathing near six breaths per minute, or the group-coherence premise that defines this practice. |
| Transcendental Meditation and group TM / TM-Sidhi practice | Someone wanting a well-studied mantra practice with a substantial trial base for anxiety and stress. | Population-level 'field effect' claims for group TM remain preliminary and contested; read them cautiously. | TM uses silent mantra repetition to let attention settle inward, and its large-group form makes its own 'field effect' claims about lowered societal stress. Group Coherence Meditation instead centres on heart-focused attention and synchronised heart-rhythm coherence; the two share a collective-field hypothesis but reach it through different mechanisms, and TM's individual outcome evidence is considerably larger. |
| Coherent (resonance) breathing at about six breaths per minute | A simple, secular way to downregulate arousal quickly when you feel wired or tense. |  | This shares the exact breathing mechanism at the core of Group Coherence Meditation: slow, even breaths near six per minute that shift the body toward its rest-and-recovery branch and can raise parasympathetic tone. On its own it is purely a breathing pace, without the heart-focused warmth cultivation or the group setting and shared intention. |

## Other questions readers ask

### What is Group Coherence Meditation?

Group Coherence Meditation is a HeartMath-derived group practice where each person steadies attention on the heart, breathes slowly at about six breaths a minute, and cultivates warm emotions like gratitude, then widens that focus to a shared group intention (McCraty et al., 2012).

Group Coherence Meditation is a shared, heart-focused practice developed from the HeartMath Institute and its Global Coherence Initiative (McCraty et al., 2012). Each person first runs an individual technique, resting attention on the heart region, breathing at roughly six breaths a minute, and generating warm feelings such as appreciation, before widening awareness to a shared intention to bring the group's heart rhythms into a synchronised, ordered pattern known as cardiac coherence. The idea that this creates a collective 'coherence field' linking people is a hypothesis still being explored, not an established fact (McCraty et al., 2012).

### Is the group 'coherence field' actually real?

Not established. Individual cardiac coherence, the smooth, ordered heart-rhythm pattern, is measurable, but the idea that synchronised hearts create a shared group field is a premise from the HeartMath worldview, not a proven fact (McCraty et al., 2012).

Not established. What is measurable is individual cardiac coherence, the smooth patterning of the heartbeat during heart-focused practice; the further claim that synchronised hearts generate a group-level field producing effects beyond individual practice remains early-stage and contested (McCraty et al., 2012). Population-level field-effect studies exist, but they rely on statistical time-series that cannot establish cause (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022). Treat the shared field as a working premise, not evidence of clinical benefit; most support for the practice comes from related individual meditation, not the group format itself (McCraty et al., 2012), (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022).

### Does Group Coherence Meditation actually help with anxiety and stress?

Indirectly, yes. No trial has tested the group form itself, but closely related meditation practices have reduced anxiety and everyday stress in controlled studies (Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013), (Lane et al., 2007). Expect steadier everyday calm, not a remedy for diagnosed anxiety or stress.

Indirectly, yes. The calming benefits are supported by related meditation practices rather than the group format directly: a meta-analysis of Transcendental Meditation trials found reduced trait anxiety (Cohen's d of about -0.62 versus usual care, a moderate effect) (Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013), and brief meditation training lowered perceived stress in healthy adults (Lane et al., 2007). No study has yet tested Group Coherence Meditation itself, so this evidence is suggestive rather than confirmed, and the shared coherence-field idea remains a preliminary one (McCraty et al., 2012). Treat it as support for steadier everyday calm, not treatment for a diagnosed condition.

### Has the group version itself been studied, or just individual practice?

Mostly individual practice. The group format itself has not been directly tested; the coherence and calming findings come from solo or related meditation practices, so the evidence here is preliminary rather than established (McCraty et al., 2012).

Mostly individual practice. Almost all the supporting research measures individual heart-focused or related meditation, not the synchronised group version, so claims about the group format are borrowed rather than directly tested (McCraty et al., 2012). Some population-level studies suggest large group meditation coincided with lower societal stress indicators, but these come mainly from a different tradition, group Transcendental Meditation, and remain preliminary and contested (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022), (Dillbeck & Cavanaugh, 2017), (Cavanaugh et al., 2022). Treat the group coherence field as an unproven claim, not an established effect.

### What does heart coherence feel like in the body?

Most people describe a settling warmth in the chest, breathing that slows on its own, and a calm but wakeful steadiness as emotional reactivity softens. These are subjective sensations that vary from person to person, not a certain outcome (Kim et al., 2013).

Most people notice warmth or spaciousness in the chest, breathing easing into a slower rhythm, and a steady, alert calm rather than drowsiness. The one change reliably measured so far is a rise in cardiac coherence, the smooth, ordered patterning of the time between heartbeats, recorded during heart-focused meditation in a small study of 12 adults (Kim et al., 2013). Those felt-sense descriptions are experiential and drawn from individual practice, so how strongly any of this arrives can differ from session to session.

### Is Group Coherence Meditation safe if I'm grieving or working through trauma?

Use care. Group Coherence Meditation is usually gentle, but its heart-focus and deliberately cultivated warmth can bring grief or tenderness closer to the surface. If you are grieving or working through trauma, move at your own pace, stop whenever you need to, and consider practising with a therapist or experienced facilitator (Kreplin et al., 2018).

Use care. For most people the practice is low-risk, but because it exercises warm, caring feelings, tender emotions can rise unexpectedly, which matters most when recent loss or trauma is present. This is a practice-informed caution rather than harm data: no safety trial has tested Group Coherence Meditation in grieving or trauma populations, and most support comes from related individual practices (McCraty et al., 2012), (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022). Treat it as a complement to, not a substitute for, professional care, and let a therapist or trusted facilitator be on hand if strong feeling surfaces (Kreplin et al., 2018).

### Can I do this if I have a heart condition or high blood pressure?

Check with your clinician first. For most healthy adults this is a gentle, low-demand practice, but it is not a treatment for or a replacement for cardiac care. If you have a heart condition or unstable blood pressure, treat it as a complement to your prescribed care and ask your doctor before starting (Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006).

Check with your clinician first. The calming shifts described for this kind of practice, which some people feel as slower breathing, easing tension, and a settled steadiness in the chest, were measured in a related meditation with people who had stable coronary heart disease, not in the group format itself, so they cannot be promised for your situation (Paul‐Labrador et al., 2006). Evidence specific to Group Coherence Meditation is still limited, with most support drawn from related individual practices (McCraty et al., 2012), (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022). You may feel warmth and calm, but keep your existing care in place and move at a pace you choose.

### How do I start Group Coherence Meditation as a beginner?

Start solo, then widen to the group. Rest attention on your heart, breathe slowly at about six breaths a minute, and call up a warm feeling like gratitude before including everyone in the room. Begin with short sittings, set your own pace, and treat it as support rather than treatment (McCraty et al., 2012).

Start with the individual building blocks before joining the shared field. First run a Quick Coherence or Heart Lock-In step alone, resting attention on the heart region, breathing slowly at roughly six breaths a minute, and generating a warm emotion such as appreciation or care, then widen your awareness to include the group and a shared intention (McCraty et al., 2012). Keep early sessions short, ease in and out gently, and know you can open your eyes or pause at any point; if you are working through grief or trauma, practise where a trusted facilitator or therapist can support you. Hold expectations lightly, because evidence specific to the group format is still limited, so let your own felt experience guide how you engage (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022).

### Do I need a group, or can I get the same benefit practising alone?

You can practise alone for the core benefits. The calming, heart-focused effects, settling, cardiac coherence, and a parasympathetic shift, are documented in solo and related practices, so a group is not required to obtain them. A group may add a felt sense of shared presence and belonging, but no trial shows it produces extra measurable benefit (McCraty et al., 2012).

You can practise alone. The measurable self-regulation effects at the heart of this practice come from the individual techniques, heart-focused attention with slow breathing, and are supported through solo and related meditation studies, so a group is not needed to feel calmer or steadier (McCraty et al., 2012). What a group adds is subjective: a sense of shared presence, belonging, and easier adherence for people who prefer company. The further idea that synchronised hearts create a shared coherence field delivering benefit beyond solo practice is an early-stage, contested hypothesis, not an established finding, and no head-to-head trial has shown the group format works better (McCraty et al., 2012), (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022).

### What's the difference between Group Coherence Meditation and Transcendental Meditation?

The main difference is mechanism: Group Coherence Meditation uses heart-focused attention and slow, coherent breathing to bring heart rhythms into a shared pattern, while Transcendental Meditation (TM) uses silent mantra repetition to settle attention inward (McCraty et al., 2012). Both propose a group field, but that idea stays unproven, and TM's individual research base is larger (Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013).

The main difference is how each practice works. Group Coherence Meditation centres on heart-focused attention paired with breathing at about six breaths a minute to generate cardiac coherence, whereas TM uses silent mantra repetition to let attention settle (McCraty et al., 2012). Both traditions carry a collective-field premise, but it remains preliminary and contested rather than established, and evidence specific to Group Coherence Meditation is still thin (Orme‐Johnson et al., 2022). TM has a considerably larger individual trial base, including a meta-analysis showing reduced anxiety (Orme‐Johnson & Barnes, 2013); neither, though, is a treatment for any diagnosed condition.

## Glossary

### Cardiac coherence

A smooth, ordered pattern in the beat-to-beat timing of the heart that tends to appear during slow breathing and warm, positive emotion. Practitioners often feel it as a settling or warmth in the chest.

An ordered, sine-wave-like heart-rate-variability pattern reflecting synchronised heart-rhythm oscillations and heart-brain coordination, measured during heart-focused meditation.

### Coherent (resonance) breathing

Breathing slowly and evenly at roughly six breaths per minute, a pace that helps the body settle into its rest-and-recovery mode.

### Quick Coherence and Heart Lock-In

The individual HeartMath techniques that begin the practice: resting attention on the heart region, breathing at a coherent pace, and generating a warm feeling such as gratitude or care before awareness widens to the group.

### Parasympathetic (vagal) tone

How active the body's rest-and-recovery branch of the nervous system is. Higher tone feels like tension easing, breathing steadying, and the body being able to unwind rather than stay on alert.

Activity in the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, largely vagally mediated and commonly indexed by high-frequency heart-rate variability.

### Heart-rate variability (HRV)

The natural variation in time between heartbeats. More variability generally signals a flexible, well-regulated nervous system, and it tends to rise as the body relaxes.

### EEG coherence

A measure of how closely brain-wave rhythms in different regions rise and fall in step with one another. Increases during meditation often accompany a gathered, absorbed quality of attention.

Cross-regional synchronisation of EEG oscillations (for example alpha and theta bands) reported to increase during and after meditation practice.

### Interpersonal neural synchrony

The tendency for two or more people in shared practice to fall into rhythm physiologically, felt as deep attunement or a sense of being on the same wavelength.

Bi-directional coupling of neural, cardiac, and respiratory rhythms between people during joint activity; still early-stage evidence in group meditation contexts.

### Prosocial emotion cultivation

Deliberately generating warm, caring feelings toward yourself and the group through structured emotional focus, felt as goodwill and a softening toward others.

### Global Coherence Initiative

A HeartMath project that gathers many people to meditate at the same time toward collective coherence, applying the group practice at large scale.

### Coherence field hypothesis

The idea that synchronised, coherent heart rhythms create a shared 'field' linking nearby people. In the supplied research this is presented as a working hypothesis, not an established fact.

## Full references

1. Daekeun Kim, Kyung-Mi Lee, Jongwha Kim, Mincheol Whang, Seung Wan Kang (2013). Dynamic correlations between heart and brain rhythm during Autogenic meditation. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00414 (observational)
2. David W. Orme‐Johnson, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, Michael C. Dillbeck, Rachael S. Goodman (2022). Field-Effects of Consciousness: A Seventeen-Year Study of the Effects of Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs on Reducing National Stress in the United States. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjss.v9n2p1 (observational)
3. Michael C. Dillbeck, Kenneth L. Cavanaugh (2017). Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation® and TM-Sidhi® Program and Reductions in Infant Mortality and Drug-Related Death. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017697164 (observational)
4. Lane James D, Seskevich Jon E, Pieper Carl F (2007). Brief meditation training can improve perceived stress and negative mood.. (other peer reviewed)
5. Rollin McCraty, Annette Deyhle, Doc Lew Childre (2012). The Global Coherence Initiative: Creating a Coherent Planetary Standing Wave. https://doi.org/10.7453/gahmj.2012.1.1.013 (other peer reviewed)
6. Gaylord C, Orme-Johnson D, Travis F, Carolyn Reane Gaylord, David W. Orme‐Johnson, Frederick Travis (1989). The effects of the transcendental mediation technique and progressive muscle relaxation on EEG coherence, stress reactivity, and mental health in black adults.. https://doi.org/10.3109/00207458908991618 (randomized controlled trial)
7. Dicken C. C. Chan, Lawrence H.F. Luk, Lyon Long Lik You, Dexing Zhang, Walter Bodhi Ngai, Samuel Yeung Shan Wong (2025). Evaluating an online four-session loving-kindness and compassion meditation training on improving psychological well-being among healthcare professionals in Hong Kong: a pilot randomised controlled study. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2025.2510737 (other peer reviewed)
8. David W. Orme‐Johnson, Vernon A. Barnes (2013). Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on Trait Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2013.0204 (meta analysis)
9. Maura Paul‐Labrador, Donna M. Polk, James H. Dwyer, Ivan Velasquez, Sanford Nidich, Maxwell Rainforth (2006). Effects of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Transcendental Meditation on Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in Subjects With Coronary Heart Disease. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.11.1218 (randomized controlled trial)
10. Michael C. Dillbeck, Edward C. Bronson (1981). Short-Term Longitudinal Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on EEG Power and Coherence. https://doi.org/10.3109/00207458108985827 (observational)
11. Travis Frederick, Arenander Alarik, Frederick Travis, Alarik Arenander (2006). Cross-sectional and longitudinal study of effects of transcendental meditation practice on interhemispheric frontal asymmetry and frontal coherence.. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207450600575482 (observational)
12. Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, Michael C. Dillbeck, David W. Orme‐Johnson (2022). Evaluating a Field Theory of Consciousness and Social Change: Group Practice of Transcendental Meditation and Homicide Trends. https://doi.org/10.5430/sass.v8n1p1 (observational)
13. Ute Kreplin, Miguel Farias, Inti A. Brazil (2018). The limited prosocial effects of meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20299-z (meta analysis)

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