Institute of OM Foundation Raises More Than $2 Million to Support Partnered Stimulation Practice Research
SANTA ROSA, Calif., May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the course of the last four years, the Institute of OM Foundation has raised more than $2 million to support rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific research into partnered stimulation and the physiological and psychological effects of Orgasmic Meditation ("OM"). These ongoing research programs continue to reveal that the practice of OM has promise as a potential treatment for depression, anxiety and trauma.
Among recent varieties of studies funded by the foundation is a project undertaken by Dr. Nicole Prause of UCLA and Dr. Greg Siegle of the University of Pittsburgh that is the very first partnered stimulation enquiry since William H. Masters and Victoria E. Johnson's pioneering research into human sexual response in the 1960s. This study, which included 125 volunteer couples in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, found that the practice of OM helps couples increase happiness, amusement, sexual arousal and closeness, while lowering anger and anxiety. Notably, the study found that these benefits were even more pronounced among people who had previously experienced sexual trauma.
"My colleagues and I are extremely grateful for the role of The Institute of OM Foundation in supporting this trailblazing research," said Dr. Prause, Ph.D. Prause and Dr. Siegle's study was published in the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy in March of 2021. "Ultimately, this research is about exploring the use of sexual stimulation to improve general health," she said.
The Foundation also provided support for a recent study conducted by Dr. Andrew Newberg, research director of the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Dr. Newberg's study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to analyze 20 couples as they engaged in OM, and found changes in the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes of the brain among both male and female participants. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology on Nov. 11, 2021.
"This study suggests the possibility of an important link between sexuality and spirituality," said Dr. Newberg. "It should also be emphasized that the findings may have implications for therapeutic applications in the future, helping with various neurological and psychological problems including emotional traumas, sexual dysfunction, and even depression."
In yet another study supported by the Foundation, researchers deployed a questionnaire developed to study "mystical experience" to determine how the practice of OM might trigger a substantial transcendent sensation in both participating partners, equivalent to a moderate dose of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in certain types of mushrooms. This study, published in July of 2021 in the journal F1000 Research, employed two different surveys.
The first survey included 780 participants who were asked to complete the questionnaire with "a single powerful OM in mind." The second survey included 56 couples, who were asked to complete the survey immediately following an OM session. Respondents to both surveys reported moderate mystical experiences.
"Given that OM apparently can trigger a mystical experience of similar power to psilocybin, and that psilocybin has shown promise in the treatment of mood and substance disorders, this study raises intriguing questions about whether OM might also be effective in the treatment of these disorders," said Vivian Siegel, Ph.D., the lead author of the study, and currently a lecturer in biology at MIT.
The Institute of OM Foundation is funded by gifts from several generous donors, including Ramani Ayer, a longtime practitioner of transcendental meditation and a retired executive from one of the nation's oldest insurance companies.
"I saw great changes in people as a result of their regular practice of OM, and I was inspired to support research exploring its potential health and wellness benefits," Ayer said. "I have always believed in science, and I am proud to support this research into a promising area where there has not been a great deal of prior research."
In addition to these published studies, the foundation is continuing to support additional scientific research, including an upcoming study exploring the potential impact of OM on dopaminergic function in participants with Parkinson's disease, and a study exploring the impact of OM as a potential aide in the cessation of smoking tobacco.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Allyson Gonzalez, Institute of OM
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1.888.604.6636
SOURCE The Institute of OM Foundation
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