Transcendental Meditation in Veterans and First Responders With PTSD

For people ages 18-80

General Inclusion Criteria:

1. Prior or current military service OR prior or current work as a first responder (law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS)
2. Active and primary diagnosis of PTSD with symptom duration ≥ 3 months
3. CAPS-5 score ≥ 25 at intake assessment
4. Age 18 - 80
5. Able to give consent, English literate

General Exclusion Criteria:

1. Previous or current treatment with Transcendental Meditation, Present Centered Therapy, or any current psychotherapy.
2. Current severe alcohol/cannabis use disorder or any other current substance use disorder except nicotine (i.e., nicotine use disorder and mild-moderate alcohol/cannabis use disorder are allowed)
3. History of or present psychiatric diagnosis of psychotic episode, psychotic disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder
4. Current diagnosis of bipolar disorder
5. Active suicidal or homicidal ideation or suicide attempt within two years of study enrollment
6. Psychiatric hospitalization in the past six months
7. Intent to change or begin new psychotherapy or other meditation therapy during 3-month study treatment
8. Intent to enroll in another research study testing an experimental intervention during three-month period of study intervention
9. Recent psychotropic medication dosage change or initiation within the three months prior to study enrollment
10. Intent to change dosage of or initiate new psychotropic medication during the three-month period of study intervention
11. Medical illness that could interfere with assessment of diagnosis, such as organic brain impairment or unstable thyroid disease
12. Current unstable medical illness

MRI Inclusion Criteria:

1. Prior or current military service OR prior or current work as a first responder (law enforcement, firefighters, and/or EMS)
2. Active and primary diagnosis of PTSD with symptom duration ≥ 3 months
3. CAPS-5 score ≥ 25 at intake assessment
4. Age 18 - 80
5. Able to give consent, English literate
6. Right handed

MRI Exclusion Criteria:

1. Previous or current treatment with Transcendental Meditation, Present Centered Therapy, or any current psychotherapy.
2. Current severe alcohol/cannabis use disorder or any other current substance use disorder except nicotine (i.e., nicotine use disorder and mild-moderate alcohol/cannabis use disorder are allowed)
3. History of or current psychiatric diagnosis of psychotic episode, psychotic disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder
4. Current diagnosis of bipolar disorder
5. Active suicidal or homicidal ideation or suicide attempt within two years of study enrollment
6. Psychiatric hospitalization in the past six months
7. Intent to change or begin new psychotherapy or other meditation therapy during 3-month study intervention
8. Intent to enroll in another research study testing an experimental intervention during three-month period of study intervention
9. Recent psychotropic medication dosage change or initiation within the three months prior to study enrollment
10. Intent to change dosage of or initiate new psychotropic medication during the three-month period of study intervention
11. Paramagnetic metallic implants or devices contraindicating magnetic resonance imaging or any other non-removable paramagnetic metal in the body.
12. Medical illness that could interfere with assessment of diagnosis, such as organic brain impairment or unstable thyroid disease
13. Current unstable medical illness
14. Any condition that would exclude clinical MRI exam (e.g. pacemaker, paramagnetic metallic prosthesis, surgical clips, shrapnel, necessity for constant medicinal patch, some tattoos)
15. Significant claustrophobia that would preclude ability to remain calm within the MRI scanner
16. Females who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant during the period of the study.