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.
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The underlying question here seems to ask whether Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was, to put it crudely a 'con man' or genuinely enlightened. Most agree the TM techniques deliver positive results. I trained as a TM teacher in the early 70's and have been using them for nearly 40 years with many benefits - whether free or for sale is surely not an issue. Academic knowledge is for sale in universities and we don't question that - there are institutional costs and profits involved, however we should question the value of it. The problem is that the TM organisation is run as a financial and power pyramid - its 'my way or the highway'. There is no transparency so we will never know how much is pure profit.
Also much of the propaganda makes claims it cannot verify - 'the means justifying the end' as far as truth goes. So how much do we believe or reject - I don't know the answer. I think from my experience interacting with him that MMY was a genuinely enlightened man with 'supernormal abilities'.
However I have learnt not to blindly swallow everything he stated. I would say be very cautious when dealing with anyone, yogis priests etc. who claim to own the "truth" about everything and believe only what you can verify - but don't deny that there may be miraculous ideas out there or you may miss opportunities to expand your world. Its difficult, there is no simple truth.
I started meditating in the 70's and became a teacher of tm. I don't know how to explain this. I was meditating and Krishna appeared in my awareness... It still bothers me after 30 years, I still witness him. Krishna appeared not as just a man but, his upper half was man and his lower half was as a boar.
Remember these were my only mental visualizations. I've given my last name as it was before because I have a feeling each mantra stands for 1/2 man 1/2 creature.
Sometimes these visionary experiences take place. My own Buddhist teacher once had a vision of the Virgin Mary! We don't tend to place much significance on them, in the sense that they're not taken as being visions of something ontologically real (my teacher was not going to suddenly convert to Catholicism and, besides, he'd also had visions of Buddhist figures) but as symbolic imagery thrown up by the subconscious. Sometimes of course our subconscious perceptions can be accurate, but other times the images we're presented with are less meaningful. This particular vision may have been an expression of a growing doubt about your TM mantra (or the organization) rather than anything inherent in the mantra itself.
I started TM in 1971. I was never interested in the scientific studies; I just to find God. I went to residence course a few times (great results) and, in 1974, went to work at MIU (Santa Barbara/Goleta, California). We were told that for every two days we worked, we would earn one day toward teacher training (TT). After a few months, we were informed that the ratio of work to TT was "being changed to 3:1" instead of 2:1 respectively. A few of us protested, of course; a deal is a deal. Our protests were not heard (comparatively, there were only a few protesters--composed of an "underground"-- and we generally referred to movement yes-people as "fluff bunnies"). I and some of my peers tended to gag on "the movement's" airy-fairy pretentiousness and complete lack of realism. For not being willing to go along with all the fluffy nonsense and generally just doing what the hell we pleased, some of us were branded as troublemakers, avoided by the elite, and points we made in meetings were generally dismissed as "unstressing" (this was 1974 and, in those days, that was the favorite method of dismissing or invalidating someone who expressed anything one didn't agree with). Then came word that MIU had bought Parsons College in Iowa, and everyone started preparing to migrate. I remember helping to load large trucks with office furniture and all types of other material.
When we arrived at Parsons, I was assigned to be the "athletic director" and was asked to create a system of intramural teams for various sports. It was a fiasco, due to many dynamics (one of which was that no one wanted to waste breaths because "each person has only a certain number of breaths for each lifetime), and efforts to get people to sign up for teams failed miserably. Quite funny in retrospect, but I felt like I was failing Maharishi at the time (he had to write a letter specifically telling the fluffs to play sports).
In those days, there was a type of "caste system" of three groups (I'm sure it's much worse now). There was administration, which audaciously lorded it over everyone, considering themselves the elite; there were students and "forest academy" participants, who were generally unmolested; and the workers, who were the scum to be trodden on. No one but we scum would ever say this; everyone else was pretending these classes didn't exist. The final straw for me occurred during a meeting in the theater with about 100 people--many of which were "staff/workers"--when Al Bruhns, who was the sole occupant of the stage, said proudly: "At MIU, we all work together in a spirit of cooperation and equality. Here there is no upper or lower class, and--" I couldn't take it anymore. I had held back and silently tolerated the lying and pretending up to this point! I stood up and raised my hand respectfully and said, "Excuse me, sir, but that's not true. We do have different classes of--" I didn't get to finish, as, to my surprise, the place literally erupted! Everyone started talking at once, and some people were yelling. It was like a dam bursting; I think I said something that many people present (especially the scum) wanted and needed to say but wouldn't. Even the fluff bunnies (who generally acted like they were above ordinary mortals) joined in and argued. It was a monumentally cathartic incident. I don't believe, however, that the sheer inertia of the general atmosphere of pretense was even slightly altered.
I finished out my six months (the original time I agreed to spend working for the three months of TT), but was never able to get even a forest academy for that time spent, let alone TT. Oh damn! I just realized this is too long. I need to stop now. Suffice it to say I haven't thought much of "the movement" since MIU.
In response to John's comments above. I have heard similar stories and its an issue I have grappled with - not just in TM. For example the Vatican is basically a huge bank with the raw political power to make or break governments, so what does this have to do with the saintly people who emerged within the religion - we don't know.
All religious structures in this dualistic mind world will be flawed and this is the danger in setting up a TM organisation - but if you don't then you cannot spread what are useful and profound techniques (among all the others) for helping us "go home" to our true non dual state of consciousness. We need to understand this and let it be for now - maybe it will become different.
I think it should be noted, in regards to TM Yogic Flying, that to the meditating individual, it may very well feel exactly like flying. Our sense of time is irrelevant at that point, and our sense of "me" and "here" is changed. With the eyes closed and the mind "afloat," the split second you spend mid-air may in fact feel like flying. How should I know? I don't even meditate very well right now. But, rarely can the benefits of any spiritual teaching be taken on magical terms. We can't expect miracles. In at least some way, how we *perceive* the results is what's important, isn't it?
I have all my own doubts regarding TM, it's pricing, the goals of those who run all that money, etc. However, many things begin with good intentions. I won't pay for it, but I won't say it's a load of bull. I'll find my answers through myself and through those who teach for the sake of teaching--not for money.
OK. This is going to be my last comment. When I was teaching TM we always had one or two people who had an issue with what they learnt. We often heard later that it was about the money - maybe the real reason was that the technique resulted in a little discomfort for a while as stress got released, so they gave up. I mean who would go to a psychologist and not expect to pay. Yes its spiritual but money gives you the power to do things in this world - so its necessary, and TM never claimed it was not merchandising enlightenment. Anyone who thinks they don't pay to be part of some religion has to be joking - the cupped hands are always out even if they pretend that its charity. There is only one question - is it worth it. I have never regretted anything I ever paid. Furthermore I am convinced that this profound knowledge in this form was not available to the man in the street before TM came to the west in the early 60's.
It's a simple fact - the high cost of the TM technique made people value, want and commit to it more. If it was handed out for free, it would be taken for granted and not seriously applied.
The whole puja ceremony, no doubt, set up a suggestible, hypnotic atmosphere for the initiation. This, coupled with all the expectations accumulated by the introductory lectures, made for a possibility of self-hypnosis with positive effects.
Some can argue that there is something more that a mere psychological or hypnotic effect from all the spiritual (or occultic, if you will) window dressing of the TM movement. I guess you can leave this up to your world view - maybe the "gods" are at least as "real" as our minds - and they couldn't "exist" without your mind to begin with.
I got into TM in '75, when all the "scientific" evidence was promoted in the lectures. But, after a few years of the Sidhis at MIU, it is unquestionable that it mostly a Westernized, Vedantism with word substitutions.
Jai Guru Dev....I started Tm in 1968 and worked for the movement till 1975 in LA....then my life fell apart till I got into AA ..I tried to resume TM but could not...I now say the Jesus Prayer and my life is good...Take care be careful what you pray for and too...
As far as TM is concern it is effective but the part which has made this unpopuler is the way this organisation functions.Exept for the few of maharishi's relative mean nephews and one niece are having control over the entire funds,In India it is controlled by Maharishis nephew Prakash who is a person always behind money.The organisation in india is a bigg flop because of the policies.there is no sceintific accountibility of so called 600 researches.It is only said but once you pay a hefty fees to learn and sign all types of undertakings no body feels interested to go for return or any legal battle with them simply because osf money power.your evaluation seems to bre quite near to the truth.
TM can work for those who apply it consciously and don't jump into anyone's directions without careful "fitting" it on themselves first. ANY technique can work for you if you feel it suits you and you achieve something through it. Basic of ALL meditations is to go inwards into the dimension of mind, spirit, silence, emptiness.
For me, Zen-meditations worked best. I don't believe that "enlightenment" of any kind can be physically transmitted on you by "super-guru" if you didn't achieve some clarity and spiritual breakthrough by your own.