A statistical meta-analysis conducted at Stanford University of all available studies - 146 independent outcomes - indicated that the effect of Transcendental Meditation on reducing anxiety as a character trait was much greater than that of all other meditation and relaxation techniques, including muscle relaxation. This analysis also showed that the positive Transcendental Meditation result could not be attributed to subject expectation, experimenter bias, or quality of research design. Reference: Differential effects of relaxation techniques on trait anxiety: A meta-analysis, Journal of Clinical Psychology 45: 957-974, 1989 - See more at: http://tmsw.org.uk/tmhampshiremic.org.uk/index.php/proven-benefits/research-on-the-body#sthash.IYPENMAZ.dpuf