Following the death of his mentor Guru Dev, Marahrishi Mahesh Yogi founded a movement dedicated to taking his teachings to the western world. He began by going on a series of lecture tours in the early 1960's, spreading his teachings to anyone who was willing to learn. His fame spread as well reaching a peak when the Beatles learnt TM¹

The Transcendental Meditation Technique, also known as TM

The first part of the ancient Vedic teachings that was introduced to the West was a simple relaxation technique. It consists of silently thinking a sound, known as a Mantra based on a Sanskrit word. It is usualy a single sylable with one sound extended. It is important that the mantra is thought, not forced, if the mind strays you need to gently bring it back to the mantra. After some time the mind will be emptied of all thoughts and mantras and a state of peace will overcome the body. This state is known as transcending. Adult meditators are supposed to practice TM for 20 minutes twice a day; children can learn the technique at the age of 10 and begin with 10 minutes twice a day increasing by a minute each year until the age of 20.

There is a great amount of scientific literature published in favour TM, there is a little published evidence against it. There is also a large Marahrishi University that publishes this evidence on a regular basis. The opinion of the medical establishment is that meditation may have a positive effect on health as a relaxation technique, and perhaps and increase in attention span for children at school. There are studies to back up the other claims but these are not accepted by the mainstream scientific establishment.

Learning Transcendental Meditation (TM) Today

Anyone can learn TM today by attending a course at a local TM Centre. First there is an introductory lecture where the principles of TM are explained, then those that choose to proceed are invited a course that takes place over three evenings. In the first evening course participants are told that TM is a simple relaxation technique, none religious that does not require belief and that practising it for the right amount of time can lead to endless benefits to your health and well being. Practising it removes stress and can elevate you to a higher state a consciousness, helping to achieve enlightenment. People who practise these techniques are guided through nature to make better decisions. These claims, you are told, are validated by scientific evidence.

On the night of the initiation the participants are asked to bring along a handkerchief, a piece of fresh fruit and a flower. The teacher will then place these on a table covered with a white cloth decked with pictures of Guru Dev and small dishes of rice. A puja, (the reciting of some Sanskrit words in praise of a Hindu god) is said and the teacher gives the new meditators a mantra and they meditate together. Before this session a fee is charged. This varies from time to time, but is always consistent throughout the country. At the time of writing it cost around £500

The next day the group meets up again, for a "checking" session. This consists of a repetition of the instruction in not forcing the mantra, of that nature of transcending and finally a group meditation. For many practicing meditators "checking" is performed on a regular basis, and is an important part of the practise.

The TM Sidhi Programme and Yogi Flying

For dedicated meditators many choose to learn an advanced technique known as the TM Sidhi programme. This consists of some extra mantras known as sutras, a reading from the Rig Veda/Baghavad Gita/or one of the Mandelas, either from a translation or from the original Sanskrit. Finally a "Sidhi" is performed. These are special mantras that claim to be able to make the participant fly, have the strength of an elephant, make one invisible or walk through walls. The one most commonly used is the flying mantra. It is said that there are stages of flying: hopping, hovering and full flight. So far no one has progressed beyond hopping. Flying is performed in the Lotus position, or cross-legged for the less flexible meditators.

A cynic may say that the reason that the flying mantra is taught is that it is possible to fake the first stages of flying, it is not possible to fake the first stages of making oneself invisible. Interestingly, a disgruntled former member once sued the TM movement for damages as he claims the hopping that occurred was not the same as the flying that had been promised in return for the substantial course fee. He won.

The Sidhis ²are taught on a number of residential courses each lasting for two weeks. This can cost several thousand pounds to learn. However some people choose to work within the community for up to two years to pay for the course.

Living

Many meditators choose to take their practice to a further stage and move to a community of practitioners. For families with children and single people who wish to retain some form of contact with the outside world they may choose to live in a community of meditators. In the UK there is a community in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, known officially as Maharishi European Sidhaland, while Fairfield Iowa, is home to a larger community in the USA.
The centre of both communities is The Dome, the place where the adults of the community gather to practise the Sidhis or meditate twice a day. It is also the centre of many of the social activities.

Some people choose to take things further and spend long lengths of time in celibacy and meditation, known as Purushu for men and Mother Divine for women. Unlike becoming a monk or a nun this is a temporary commitment, after a while many people decide that it is not longer for them.

Other aspects of Vedic Knowledge that Marahrishi has introduced to his followers

Sthapatya Ved

This is the art of designing houses in a way that affects the occupants. It is believed that an entrance that faces East will lead to the owner enjoying enlightenment, affluence and fulfilment. Entrances in the other directions will have other effects.

Gandharva Veda Music

Described by TM Scotland's website as 'the rhythms and melodies of nature expressed in music 'Gandharva Veda Music is either playing on a flute, sitar or tabla or sung. Certain scales and melodies are played at certain times of day; when purchased there is often an indication of when it should be played. Some music is reputed to bring on certain weather conditions, such as rain. There is a rumour that when rain-making music first went on sale in the Skelmersdale community it rained non-stop for three days. A cynic may point out that rain is not an uncommon occurrence in Skelmersdale.

Maharishi Ayurveda

Many meditators use this health care system which is based on ancient vedic knowledge. It is based on the balance between the three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha imbalances are rectified by using a combination of diet, herbal remedies and massage. The majority of TM practitioners will use products made by Maharishi Ayra Veda International, and consult a practitioner who is also part of the movement.

However, many people who are not TM practitioners do use Ayurveda health care, and not all Ayurvedic practitioners will be associated with the movement. When most meditators fall seriously ill they choose to consult a conventional Doctor in addition to an Ayurvedic practitioner.

In 1991 the GMC in London struck off³ two doctors who prescribed Maharishi Ayurvedic products to a patient with AIDS. They also happened to be the public faces of the Maharishi Ayurvedic movement in the UK. The objection of the GMC was not to Ayurvedic treatment per se, but to a number of other factors. These included that there was not adequate scientific trials to support the prescription of this particular substance, and the Dr's did not know the contents of the products prescribed, and also the publication of a document on Ayurveda and AIDS, which amongst other things advised patients to stop using modern medicine and contained misleading claims about success rates.

Maharishi Jyotish and Yagyas

Jyotish is a form of astrology; it claims in can predict the future in a vague manner using the position of the stars at the time of birth. It claims to be completely accurate however the Jyotis are reluctant to give out exact information on such matters as dates of death, until after it has occurred. It also gives a sound which should be included in the child's name for a positive effect⁴.

It is based on the belief that the human body is made up of virbrating particles and that vedic liturature has taught us that the future of these

If negative energy is predicted then there are two possible remedies, there wearing of a pure form of gem near the skin, or the performance of a Yagya, a ritual that takes place by experts in India. A charge is made for both these services.

The Natural Law Party

Two weeks before the 1992 General Election in the UK Maharishi asked his followers to form a political party that could field candidates in as many seats as possible. The policies of the Natural Law Party were to implement Maharishi's recommendations for daily life in as many places as possible. Amid assurances that they would soon be in Parliament many people stood for parliament, providing their own deposits in the process. At the first election there was some media interest. Whilst the other parties announced minor changes to taxation at their press conferences, Geoffrey Clements, the party leader, was pictured in lotus position, bouncing up and down on a piece of foam in front of the Golden Dome.

The voters however were not convinced, in the 193 seats that were fought they won on average 0.4% of the vote, in 1997 they did marginally worse with 0.3%. In 2001 they did not fight the election, blaming inadequate media coverage, the system that required deposits and voter cynicism.

Criticism of TM

There are a number of (mainly American) organisations, such as tracenet that are critical of the movement, accusing them of a number of allegations.

TM is not non-religious as claimed

Many opponents claim that far from being a practice that does not require belief TM is a religion/cult/form of Hinduism, that pretends to be scientific to spread it's neo Hindu message around the West. They point to the fact that part of the TM Sidhi programme is spend reading from the Hindu Holy books, that the puja said at initiation literally translates to praise of Hindu gods, and that dietary advice in Ayruveda is against the eating of meat.

However there are many meditators, Sidhas and teachers of TM who are actively involved in other religions and do not find that there is a conflict.

TM has dangerous side affects

Many people who practise TM, find themselves slightly dazed afterwards. Whilst in a dazed state people may find themselves expressing anger at an event from the past, the anger may have been previously repressed.

Teachers of TM state that this is in response to releasing of repressed stresses and is particularly common when if a person has just started meditating and has a lot of stress to release, and that if they continued to meditate then they would find that the affects decreased. Indeed when mediators meet for a retreat of intensive mediation, known as a rounding course, then they are advised not to make life changing decisions as they may be more dazed than usual. Opponents state that as meditation is the cause of the problem then continuing to meditate will only make the problem worse and put the participant in a state when they are more likely to be brainwashed into parting with more money for the Sidhi programme.

If they are genuinely doing this for the good of humanity then why do they make a charge?

The charge for learning TM is a large one to most people, even with any reductions. The movement claims the reason for the charge is that people will value something they have paid for more than something that is free. There are from time to time schemes to teach TM to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and besides, considering the health benefits it should be available on the NHS⁵.

It should be remembered that not every meditator will choose to get this involved. Some will choose to use conventional medicine, some to buy a house with a south entrance, some such as William Hauge ⁶ will retain their former political allegiances. Many meditators feel that meditation may be a positive thing without believing in some of the more dubious claims.