Pamela Peeke, MD, explains why she learned Transcendental Meditation
by Global Good News staff writer

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8 February 2013

Pamela Peeke, MD, first heard about Transcendental Meditation from her longtime colleague, eminent psychiatrist Dr Norman Rosenthal. Dr Peeke is a distinguished expert physician, scientist, and author in the fields of nutrition, stress, fitness, and public health.

Dr Rosenthal, clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School and author of the bestselling Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation, preceded Dr Peeke as a featured speaker on the programme at a recent medical conference, The New Science of Meditation and Self-Healing: Transcendental Meditation and Mind-Body Medicine, hosted by the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland, USA.

Dr Rosenthal had learned Transcendental Meditation as a medical student years ago, but didn't practice regularly and didn't continue. He was reintroduced to the technique a few years ago by a patient who mentioned that the medicines he had been prescribed seemed to be working—but even better was the benefit he was gaining from Transcendental Meditation.

That conversation led Dr Rosenthal to restart his meditation practice and begin a new era of his research, on the application of Transcendental Meditation in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health issues, which he described at the conference.

Following Dr Rosenthal's presentation, Dr Brian Berman, founder and director of the Center for Integrative Medicine, introduced Dr Peeke as assistant professor of medicine at University of Maryland School of Medicine, chief lifestyle expert for WebMD TV, and chief medical correspondent for nutrition and fitness for Discovery Health TV. Early in her professional career Dr Peeke conducted research in the newly evolving field of integrative medicine.

Dr Rosenthal and Dr Peeke had been colleagues for a number of years, and she explained that when his most recent book, Transcendence, was about to be released he let her know that he was involved in something completely new—Transcendental Meditation, an exciting new science.

Even more importantly, he told Dr Peeke, she needed to learn Transcendental Meditation herself. Having had an earlier experience with a relaxation technique that 'did not work at all' for her, she told Dr Rosenthal she could not work it into her busy schedule.

However, when she received a galley proof of Transcendence from Dr Rosenthal, she could not put it down. She was especially inspired that with the regular practice of Transcendental Meditation, in her words she could 'get smarter' and develop more integrated brain functioning. This ultimately prompted her to learn Transcendental Meditation at the local centre in Bethesda, Maryland.

The first time she practised the technique she had an 'extraordinary' experience, Dr Peeke said, and ever since, for nearly three years, she has been practising regularly 20 minutes twice a day. Before learning the practice she felt her 'meditation' was during athletics—a run, a swim, or a bike ride. These are great and have fruitful effects on mental and physical heath, she acknowledged, but after learning Transcendental Meditation she realized those experiences were not at all what Dr Rosenthal was talking about in Transcendence.

Renowned for being a highly dynamic, high-achieving, and self-described 'Type AAA' personality, Dr Peeke now jokes that she is the 'poster child' for Transcendental Meditation—because 'if I can do it, anyone can', she said.

Global Good News will feature more about Dr Pamela Peeke's conference presentation at the Center for Integrative Medicine.

Copyright © 2013 Global Good News Service



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