Shrink Rap: Meditation Is More Than What You Think

Dr. Hendlin, I am an avid reader of your columns, and think they are really great. I have taken a transcendental meditation course and found that it has made me very calm and more objective. I'm thinking of taking some advanced meditation courses. Do you think meditation aids trading? If so, how? -- A.A.

Shrink Rap: Let me begin by disclosing my position: the half-lotus. Over the last 30 years, I've spent thousands of hours sitting on a meditation cushion in this cross-legged position. I've published many articles and a book on various aspects of meditation and psychotherapy. And I'm sometimes quoted in the media on this topic.

I state this background not because I'm shamefully immodest but to make my experience and bias clear: I'm a big fan of meditation in its various forms, not only for trading but also in the broader living of one's life. Here are some of the effects of meditation practice that are useful for traders: ...