Postcript: About Transcendental Meditation
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Just about everyone has heard of “Transcendental Meditation,” to the extent that it’s often the first thing people think of when the word “meditation” is mentioned.
Transcendental meditation is simply mantra recitation, although the mantras are typically much shorter than those you have been introduced to here. TM is loosely based on the Hindu religion and was brought to the West in 1959 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who was a devotee of Swami Brahmanand Saraswati Maharij, a well-known and highly respected Indian guru.
In the 1960’s the Maharishi gained substantial publicity by attracting some famous followers, most notably Mia Farrow and the Beatles. TM has now grown into a substantial movement that makes some rather grandiose claims about the effects of their practice, including the claim that TM can help you to levitate. They formed a political party — the Natural Law Party — which sought to establish world peace through the spread of TM. The party folded in 2004, but seems to have morphed into what is called “The US Peace Government,” organized by the same person who had founded the US Natural Law Party.
The organization now has its own University and its own town — Maharishi Vedic City in Iowa.
The TM organization is rumored to be worth between $2 and $3 billion.
The TM movement claims that its secret mantras are chosen specifically for the individual, who must not reveal his or her mantra to anyone else, or even discuss their meditation practice. However, there are web sites revealing all the TM mantras, which appear to be allotted by means of a simple formula based on the age and sex of the student.
Initially, (in the early 1960’s) there were only two TM mantras, “Ram” for males, and “Shiriram” for females. There are now around 16 of them, as well as some “advanced” mantras, such as “shri shri aing namah namah.” These mantras invoke the names of Hindu deities.
A complete list of the “secret” TM mantras can be found here.
The Transcendental Meditation movement has often generated controversy. In 1977 the United States District Court, District of New Jersey, in the case of Malnak v. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, ruled:
That the Science of Creative Intelligence/Transcendental Meditation and the teaching thereof, the concepts of the field of pure creative intelligence, creative intelligence and bliss consciousness, the textbook entitled Science of Creative Intelligence for Secondary Education–First Year Course–Dawn of the First Year of the Age of Enlightenment, and the puja ceremony, are all religious in nature within the context of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, and the teaching thereof in the New Jersey public schools is therefore unconstitutional.
In addition, New Jersey education authorities were “permanently enjoined”
From the practice of Transcendental Meditation or of the puja ceremony as heretofore practiced or performed (or the substantial equivalent of either)
Many scientific studies that have examined the effects of meditation have used TM, partly because TM is a commonly-known form of meditation and possibly because the TM movement naturally sees scientific studies as bolstering its credibility and has heavily promoted them. Many studies have shown TM to be beneficial, although some tests have reportedly shown negative or neutral results.
The mantras in our site are from the Buddhist tradition rather than the Hindu tradition, and are not related in any way to TM.
Comments
Comment from Arpad Joo
Time: December 15, 2007, 11:30 am
The origin of the TM Bija mantras (seed sounds) are to be found in the so called “Hoda Chakra” which is printed and reprinted in virtually all the published astrological almanachs in India. The Hoda Chakra lists 108 seed sounds, each one allotted to the 4 padas of the 27 star constellations (Nakshatras).All this is well known in India. Mostly it is used in the selection of Names,based on the Moon’s position in a particular Nakshatra Pada. In an advanced version of the TM, this astrological information (position of the Moon at birth) is used also for selecting the seed sounds.Actually, what is known and practiced as the TM is part of the a large and complex system. Perhaps less than 1% of this has filtered through the contemporary TM movement.
Comment from Pearl Cawley
Time: June 9, 2008, 9:24 am
I took the TM course back in the early 70s. I thought the method miraculous. Practicing TM changed my attitude and therefore my life in many ways. I don’t think I hallucinated the energy, patience and clarity of mind that followed after my initiation. However, it did bother me that I had to pay anything at all to learn such a simple technique. I paid $125.00 –which involved being given my mantra and guided as to relaxe as I “thought” the mantra repeatedly for 2 20 minute periods. The time after my very first meditation was unforgettable. I rode the subway home feeling free, self assured and eneragized. This feeling went on for around three years, during which time I quit my job, got my GED diploma and went to a community college and eventually earned a BA in English. I ate healthier, excercised and was in great shape.
Unfortunately, the “magic” dissipated. It stopped working. Every now and then I try to meditate using my old mantra, but I don’t even feel relaxed afterward. In fact I am more irritated and impatient than I’ve ever been before. So I wonder. Was I somehow brainwashed during the initiation period which took less than a half hour? I don’t think so. In fact I volunteered at the TM center in Manhattan and witnessed “before” and “afters” in most initiates. I was the receptionist at the front desk, taking payments in cash from new initiates who sat nervously in the waiting room. The TM teachers and those who over was in charge left me and the other person who worked there pretty much in charge of the place and the money. I had opportunity to steal the cash, since we were not at all monitored. The point I’m leading to is that before learning TM, I would have taken the money and run. I also smoked pot and took acid and stopped those activities entirely. Notably, I was very trustworthy with the cash flow in the place. As were the other volunteers. The relaxation technique works. That part is or was not a load of bull in my experience. I got friends into TM. They too had positive beneficial results. There is somehting to it. Today it costs thousands to learn a very simple method. The method should be free and available to everyone instead of being run by such greed and exaggerated claims–such as levitation. As far as world peace goes, the truth is, if world leaders felt as clear and energetic and pateint as I did in the early days, then such a thing would ideally not be so impossible.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: June 9, 2008, 9:33 pm
Hi Pearl,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I have no reason at all to think that TM doesn’t work — in fact common-sense would suggest it does, for the simple reason that if we’re not engaged in our normal unhelpful (anxious, angry, craving) thinking then the mind is going to quiet down. Like you I’m suspicious of the large amount of money they charge.
It’s interesting that the technique stopped working for you. I could only guess why that might be.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Mike Traster
Time: October 21, 2008, 10:15 am
Around 1972, I took TM in Boston Ma. The instructor was very encouraging, and I got a great deal from the technique.
I found the peace that came with the meditation to be a wonderful surprise. How could one know that such a thing resides
within ones self and was created by God… like our hands and feet?
Over a period of perhaps 3 to 5 years, I found that the meditation ceased to be easy to do.
Checks were less and less helpful, and finally didn’t seem to really work very well . My last check was about 4 years ago
and I think it lasted a day or so.
MY impression is that the mantras are designed to work with the spirit and central nervous system at
a certain age, and as we move into another age group they are less and less appropriate.
As far as the advanced techniques and siddhis program, I looked into them and to me they
seem incredibly misleading. For example the siddhis/powers are said to enable students to
achieve “levitation” . This seems to be quite a full LOAD! The photos I’ve seen involve students
“floating” in the air… but their hair it flying wildly… they are in fact bouncing on their backsides
on a bloody TRAMPOLINE!!!
Nearly all of the TM practitioners that I’ve been around embrace a far left wing political philosophy
as a part of their identity uniform. The number seems very skewed. I have found a lot of these
folks to take on a tragic air of “superiority” which really speaks poorly of the TM organization
and culture. The thread of intolerance for other points of view is tragic.
So, my basic thought… the initial training is good.. research the net and find your own mantras
and keep up with them by age. The “training fee” last time I looked for even the basic “technique”
is outrageous…from my point of view.
The real meditation is natural, good, and already within us and we need to find a way to get to it.
Comment from Cat33
Time: November 19, 2008, 5:20 pm
I have been meditating for 30 year and, not unlike a lot of the people who posted comments, I have had experiences of profound bliss. But, at least for me, the real result of TM is seen in daily activity. Over time I have become more settled, more peaceful and calm, I can handle stressful situations without been overwhelmed. And when I begun practicing the TM-Sidhi program, I discovered that this effect increased manifold. I felt more blissful, calm, was more successful in my daily life. To me, the impulses that come from such depth while practicing the technique are just so incredibly powerful, healing, creative. Our potential, as humans, is incredible, and achieving it is our birthright. It’s no surprise to me that the TM-Sidhi program is practiced by over 100,000 people around the globe; and, by the way, though no one has claimed to be levitating yet, actual levitation is no stranger to many cultures and religions: St. Teresa of Avila and St. Joseph of Copertino, to name a few, but there have been recorded instances in virtually every major religion.
Comment from Ed McGuigan
Time: February 16, 2009, 3:42 pm
I learned TM in the early 90s. As others have suggested the initiation ritual was quite a powerful psychological experience but I also remember thinking “AIM – that’s it, that’s what I paid you 180 pounds sterling for.”
TM helped me out of a major depressive hole but I was uncomfortable with the cultish nature of the organization and the Maharishi did spout a load of absolute nonsensical twoddle. I remember watching videos with devotees thinking “Is it just me or does this guy not make any sense at all?”
What bothered me what that they made no mention of the breath and I found that my mental repetition of the mantra fell in with the breath. Since they would not acknowledge this as correct I felt conflicted about the technique.
Bottom line is that sitting quietly in one place and focusing the mind on something simple is going to be good for you, so I totally accept that there is a validity in the technique. The down side is that I was left very suspicious of all Eastern techniques and organizations and was kind of shocked that Buddhist teachings are so straightforward and accessible.
Comment from Pearl
Time: February 18, 2009, 5:11 pm
To Ed McGuigan: When I learned TM in the 70s, they mentioned breathing, in the sense that breathing settled down to a pacified quietude while thinking the Mantra. At the time I did not find it cultish. I was not pulled to change my beliefs or lifestyle in any way other than taking time out to meditate. I understand cultism as something that pulls one away or separates one from society. You sound conflicted in that you are suspicious, yet you don’t deny it was of benefit to you. As other have stated in this blog, TM is derived from Hinduism. I agree that Maharishi made no sense and bounced with much giddy laughter–Laughing from the millions I guess. My problem is the expense for a technique that should be free and available to everyone. I mean Catholicism doesn’t charge to teach the Hail Mary. Also, the problem for me and friends with whom I was initieated , is that after a while the benefits of TM seem to dissipate. The chocolate loses its taste. After the first few years, I no longer got the burst of energy, nor the patience that made practicing TM so initially convinceng. I do try to meditate on occasion, but I come away feeling angry and impatient and not at all energized. Still, I can’t deny it changed my life for the better. I got a GED diplopma, went to college and got my degree. Which led me to get better paying jobs , where I met mys husband of today, had 2 beautiful kids and wrote a book that will probably never be published–but–I completed it! I ascribe that to the disciplinary changes derived from TM. Or perhaps I just matured. Who knows?
Don’t see why you’re shocked that Buddhist teachings are accessible. Religious teachings of all major religions are straightforward and accisible if one takes the time to study respective doctrines.
Comment from Brian Hanson
Time: June 22, 2009, 9:57 am
Just a few comments as a meditator (not a TM meditator):
Pearl, the “magic” not working is probably a sign of what Buddhists like to call “obstacles.” I hope you’re still meditating, as this is a normal part of the purification process.
Also, to all with comments about the improbability of levitation, we should be cautious to dismiss it as impossible. It’s commonly listed as one of the siddhis (powers) associated with spiritual practice. Tantric Buddhists speak about it quite openly, although they stress the common siddhis aren’t important except insofar as they help you along to the ultimate siddhi, full enlightenment.
My view is that the TM technique is simply a form of manasik japa (internal, silent mantra repetition) using bija mantras, which are highly efficient. Although quantity isn’t stressed here, it’s worth noting that your average practitioner probably repeats their mantra at least 1 million times per year. I think it can’t help but effect some substantial changes.
Of course the price is absurd! I’m not defending that aspect.
Final comment — thanks for bearing with me if you’ve made it this far. There is some debate about the origin of the bija mantras. Clearly they’re a part of Hinduism now, as well as a part of Tantric Buddhism. But some say they pre-date Hinduism and later become associated with the qualities of certain deities. Who can really know?
Write a comment