Much of the stress, tension and anxiety experienced by college students could be avoided by simply spending 40 minutes a day in meditation, according to Dr. Paul Roochnik (FLL ’93).

Speaking on campus Wednesday, Roochnik, along with colleague Kathleen Skevington, encouraged the use of transcendental meditation to alter the nature of the mind and ultimately experience more fulfillment from life.

“It has restored my happiness and balance and enabled me to derive pleasure from my everyday life,” Roochnik said.

According to Roochnik, transcendental meditation is a simple, effortless technique practiced by five million people worldwide. Although it has only been in existence for 50 years, TM is based on the ancient Vedic tradition of India. Having no religious or philosophical affiliations, it requires neither specific beliefs nor adoption of a certain lifestyle, he says.

However, the rewards of regularly practicing TM only begin with stress relief. “Research shows that as this internal awareness grows, you will have an increased sense of intelligence, creativity, perception and memory and self-actualization,” Skevington said. “Not to mention, your mind will be less cluttered and your body will have a higher resistance to disease.”

On an even larger level, TM has been credited with affecting the well-being of society as a whole. According to Skevington, several studies have suggested a direct correlation between the number of individuals meditating and the reduction of crime and violence.

“The history of humanity is a history of war. As long as the atmosphere continues to be saturated with strain and stress, violence will plague the human family,” Roochnik said. “Transcendental meditation is able to promote world peace by neutralizing the incoherence of society. It’s a scientifically proven program that can cool down conflict.”

The actual procedure involves meditating in a comfortable position with the eyes closed for 20 minutes, twice a day, using a designated mantra. A mantra, chosen by each individual, with the guidance of an instructor, is an inaudible sound used to transcend the thought process.

“We use only five to 10 percent of our mental capabilities. The mantra allows us to tap into that unbounded potential of the mind,” Skevington said.

Both instructors report tremendous success with all of their students.

“Across the board, everyone says it reduces the chaos of life. It gives us a tremendous edge on everything we do,” Skevington said.

In 1972, while a freshman at Clark University, Roochnik began the TM program to bring a greater focus to his own life. He found that although the distractions of college didn’t change, he was suddenly able to better direct his concentration.

“Initially, I did it to improve my grades, but it ended up bringing so much more to my life. I find that I can meet the challenges of my profession and family life with great ease and satisfaction,” he said.

Roochnik and Skevington offer a seven-step program to learn TM at the Maharishi Vedic Center in Bethesda, Md. Open for 15 years, the school has provided personal instruction to several thousand students.