Five finals to study for, three term papers to write, design projects to finish, presentations to prepare for — it will soon be Finals Week 1995 and Iowa State students everywhere may be having trouble coping.

Though there are many ways to relieve the stress, one group on campus — the Transcendental Meditation Club — says it may have a technique that will rid every student of their anxieties.

Susan Ruby, treasurer of the ISU Transcendental Meditation Club, said transcendental meditation is a program to not just relieve the stress, but to eliminate it.

The ISU Transcendental Meditation Club has 35 members, Ruby said, and the club is growing in popularity. She believes this is a national trend.

“The primary benefits of the club are just to let people know there is something to relieve stress and make their lives happier,” Ruby said.

The process is a simple. Natural mental procedures are practiced in the morning and the evening for 15 to 20 minutes every day.

“Transcendental meditation is proven to be the most effective when dealing with anxiety, which is the first symptom of stress,” Ruby said.

Christopher Osher, a graduate student in journalism, said he has been practicing transcendental meditation for more than 20 years.

“It’s something I do off and on. I like to try to do it twice a day, 20 minutes in the morning and afternoon,” Osher said.

He said the process for him is finding a comfortable chair, closing his eyes and letting things settle for a few minutes.

This particular type of meditation was started in India by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1959. Ruby, who learned the process in 1973, said the Maharishi traveled around the world for many years teaching transcendental meditation to people of all cultures.

Ruby said it is not something that people can read about and learn. It needs to be taught individually to fit each person’s needs.

Some benefits, Ruby said, are: greater energy and alertness, improved memory, grades and concentration, reduced anxiety and better mental and physical health.

For students interested in learning more about transcendental meditation, a free, introductory program will be held at 8 p.m. tonight in Room 244 of the Memorial Union.