143-538: Maharishi School may refer to these institutions related to Indian religious teacher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi : Maharishi School, Lancashire , a secondary school in Lancashire, England Maharishi School (US) , a college preparatory school in Iowa, United States Maharishi School of Management, former name of Maharishi International University [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
286-574: A Catholic monk, said that TM "is what is called an open or receptive method" that can be described as giving up control and remaining open in an inner sense . In 1968, the Archbishop of Canterbury , Michael Ramsey , "came to the support of Maharishi's theory". William Jefferson wrote in 1976 that a Jewish Revivalist had called TM "an insidious form of worship" while Trappist monks in Spencer , Massachusetts, had found it useful. In 1984, Cardinal Jaime Sin ,
429-572: A Georgian rectory in Suffolk . In the United States, resorts and hotels, many in city centres, were purchased to be used as TM training centres. Doug Henning and the Maharishi planned a magical Vedic amusement park, Vedaland, and bought large tracts of land near Orlando, Florida , and Niagara Falls, Ontario , to host the park. The theme park was supposed to be a gateway into understanding the mysteries of
572-518: A United Church minister. Lay celebrities who have practised the technique include David Lynch , who was raised a Presbyterian, and Clint Eastwood who says he found "there were no religious aspects", comedian Andy Kaufman , political commentator and Roman Catholic Andrew Sullivan , Jerry Seinfeld , who has been practising the technique for 40 years, and Pulitzer Prize winning music critic Tim Page . Once asked if TM could substitute for religion, musician George Harrison replied that "It's not
715-484: A cafe and charges for visitors, although the site remains essentially a ruin. In 1968, the Maharishi announced that he would stop his public activities and instead begin the training of TM teachers at his new global headquarters in Seelisberg , Switzerland. In 1969, he inaugurated a course in his Science of Creative Intelligence at Stanford University , which was then offered at 25 other American universities. In 1970,
858-630: A degree in physics at Allahabad University in 1942, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became an assistant and disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (also known as Guru Dev), the Shankaracharya (spiritual leader) of the Jyotir Math in the Indian Himalayas. The Maharishi credits Brahmananda Saraswati with inspiring his teachings. In 1955, the Maharishi began to introduce his Transcendental Deep Meditation (later renamed Transcendental Meditation) to India and
1001-566: A guest on The Merv Griffin Show in 1975 and again in 1977, and this resulted in "tens of thousands of new practitioners" around the USA. In the mid 1970s, the Maharishi's U.S. movement was operating 370 TM centres manned by 6,000 TM teachers. At that time, the Maharishi also began approaching the business community via an organisation called the American Foundation for SCI (AFSCI), whose objective
1144-502: A half years to attune himself to the thinking of Brahmananda Saraswati and to gain "a very genuine feeling of complete oneness". At first Brahmachari Mahesh performed common chores but gained trust and became Guru Dev's "personal secretary" and "favored pupil". He was trusted to take care of the bulk of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati's correspondence without direction and was also sent out to give public speeches on Vedic (scriptural) themes. The Maharishi said his life truly began in 1940, at
1287-477: A mental-physical exercise of hopping while cross-legged, is a central aspect of the TM-Sidhi program. With the introduction of the TM-Sidhi program in 1976, it was postulated that a group of people practising the TM-Sidhi program twice a day, together in one place, would increase "life-supporting trends" in the surroundings, with the threshold for the group size being the square root of 1% of the area's population. This
1430-554: A million copies and was published in fifteen languages. The Maharishi's activities in 1966 included a course in India and a one-month tour in South America. He established Transcendental Meditation centers in Port of Spain, Trinidad; Caracas, Venezuela; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Porto Alegre, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; and Bogota, Colombia. In addition, in 1966
1573-455: A much smaller group of highly committed followers." Phelan writes that TM is "being opposed by many religious groups who believe that it is a religious practice", and that "the TM objectives and methods are congruous with the criteria of revitalization movements [as] defined by Anthony F.C. Wallace ... whose goal is to create a better culture." Charles H. Lippy writes that earlier spiritual interest in
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#17330860291931716-415: A new name, Bal Brahmachari Mahesh. Coplin refers to bala brahmachari as both a title and a name and considers that it "identified him as a fully dedicated student of spiritual knowledge and life-long celibate ascetic." Brahmananda insisted that before accepting Mahesh as a pupil he must first complete his university degree and get permission from his parents. The Maharishi recalls how it took about two and
1859-658: A physician and MIT-trained neuroscientist, as the king or Maharaja of the GCWP in 2000. The GCWP unsuccessfully attempted to establish a sovereign micronation when it offered US$ 1.3 billion to the President of Suriname for a 200-year lease of 3,500 acres (14 km ) of land and in 2002, attempted to choose a king for the Talamanca , a "remote Indian reservation" in Costa Rica . In 2001, Maharishi University Of Information Technology
2002-496: A picture of Maharishi's teacher, Guru Dev. The initiate observes passively as the teacher recites a text in Sanskrit . After the ceremony, the "meditators" are "invited to bow", receive their mantra and begin to meditate. On the day after the personal instruction session, the student begins a series of three 90-to-120-minute "teaching sessions", held on three consecutive days, called "three days of checking". Their stated purpose
2145-585: A public statement endorsing the Maharishi's goals and meditation technique. His Canadian tour was also well covered by the press. The Maharishi's fifth world tour, in 1964, consisted of visits to many cities in North America, Europe and India. During his visit to England, he appeared with the Abbot of Downside , Abbot Butler, on a BBC television show called The Viewpoint . In October of that year, in California,
2288-464: A religious initiation ceremony". Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh of the Greek Orthodox Church describes TM as "a new version of Hindu Yoga" based on "pagan pseudo-worship and deification of a common mortal, Guru Dev". In the book Cults and new religions , Cowan and Bromley write that TM is presented to the public as a meditation practice that has been validated by science, but is not
2431-1020: A religious practice nor is it affiliated with a religious tradition. They say that "although there are some dedicated followers of TM who devote most or all of their time to furthering the practice of Transcendental Meditation in late modern society, the vast majority of those who practice do so on their own, often as part of what has been loosely described as the New Age Movement." They say that most scholars view TM as having elements of both therapy and religion, but that it "has no designated scripture, no set of doctrinal requirements, no ongoing worship activity, and no discernible community of believers." They also say that Maharishi did not claim to have special divine revelation or supernatural personal qualities. George D. Chryssides and Margaret Z. Wilkins write in A reader in new religious movements that TM and other new religious movements have been criticised for "surreptitiously smuggling in forms of Eastern religion under
2574-403: A role in the history of mind–body medicine and encouraged neuroscience research focusing on the effects of meditation. Early studies examined the physiological parameters of meditation. Subsequent research included clinical applications, cognitive effects, mental health, medical costs, and rehabilitation. Beginning in the 1990s, research focused on cardiovascular disease. Research reviews of
2717-558: A section of a training bulletin for TM teachers called "Explanations of the Invocation" draws a "connection to Brahma, the Lord of Creation". A 1993 article in the Ottawa Citizen reported a partial translation of the puja as "Whosoever remembers the lotus-eyed Lord gains inner and outer purity. To Lord Naryan , to Lotus-born Brahman the creator, to Vaishistha , to Shakti , to Shankaracharya
2860-621: A sequence of predetermined steps. A 2007 research study reported that details of the training and knowledge imparted to teachers are kept private. In 1976, Janis Johnson wrote in The Christian Century that TM teachers sign a "loyalty-oath employment contract", saying "It is my fortune, Guru Dev, that I have been accepted to serve the Holy Tradition and spread the Light of God to all those who need it." Author William Bainbridge writes that
3003-516: A short puja ceremony performed by the teacher. The stated purpose of the ceremony is to show honour and gratitude to the lineage of TM "masters", or "Holy Tradition" that is listed in the Maharishi's translation and commentary of the Bhagavad-Gita. It is regarded as putting students in the right frame of mind to receive the mantra. The ceremony is conducted in a private room with a "little" white altar containing incense, camphor, rice, flowers and
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#17330860291933146-446: A substitute for religion. It is a religion." According to John Lennon , "You can make it with meditation if you're a Christian, a Mohammedan or a Jew. You just add meditation to whatever religion you've got." The technique has been variously described by sociologists and religious scholars as religious and non-religious. Its adherents says it is a non-religious, "scientific strategy", yet it appears to have "spiritual elements" such as
3289-580: A thousand campuses in the United States with similar growth occurring in Germany, Canada and Britain. The Maharishi International University was established in 1973 in the United States and began offering accredited degree programs. In 1977 courses in Transcendental Meditation and the Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI) were banned from New Jersey public high schools on religious grounds by virtue of
3432-467: Is 30 minutes, once per week for one month, and once per month thereafter. The purpose of the follow-up, or "checking sessions", is to verify the practice, give an opportunity for one-on-one contact with a TM teacher, and to address any problems or questions. Course graduates may access a lifetime follow-up program which includes consultations, "refresher courses", advanced lectures and group meditations. Advanced courses include weekend Residence Courses and
3575-536: Is a repackaged form of Eastern religious philosophy" and opposed its use in public schools while a member of the Pacific Justice Institute says practising Transcendental Meditation in public schools with private funding is constitutional. Transcendental Meditation has been utilised in corporations, both in the United States and in India, under the auspices of the International Foundation for
3718-463: Is compatible with "most drug treatment approaches" and could be incorporated into an overall treatment program. TM was first employed by the military in 1985, when the US Armed Forces conducted "a small pilot study" on Vietnam veterans. The Transcendental Meditation technique was taught to military personnel with post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) as part of two research studies conducted at
3861-528: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma , 12 January 191? – 5 February 2008) was the creator of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and leader of the worldwide organization that has been characterized in multiple ways, including as a new religious movement and as non-religious. He became known as Maharishi (meaning "great seer") and Yogi as an adult. After earning
4004-488: Is improving and that when suitable assessment criteria are applied, scientific evidence supports the therapeutic value of meditation. Reviewers Canter and Ernst assert that some studies have the potential for bias due to the connection of researchers to the TM organisation while TM researchers point to their collaboration with independent researchers and universities as signs of objectivity. Transcendental Meditation in education (also known as Consciousness-Based Education)
4147-521: Is listed as M.C. Srivastava , and an obituary says his name was "Mahesh Srivastava". Various accounts give the year of his birth as 1911, 1917 or 1918. Authors Paul Mason and William Jefferson say that he was born 12 January 1917 in Rajim , Central Provinces , British India ( Chhattisgarh , India ). The place of birth given in his passport is "Pounalulla", India, and his birth date 12 January 1918. Mahesh "most likely" came from an upper-caste family of
4290-442: Is not prescribed, and "the aim is a unified and open attentional stance". Other authors describe the technique as an easy, natural technique or process, and a "wakeful hypometabolic physiologic state". Practice of the technique includes a process called "unstressing" which combines "effortless relaxation with spontaneous imagery and emotion". TM teachers caution their students not to be alarmed by random thoughts and to "attend" to
4433-400: Is taught in a standardised seven-step course over six days by a certified TM teacher. Except for a requirement to refrain from using non-prescription drugs for 15 days before learning TM, all who want to learn are taught provided they can pay the course fee which as of 2023 , ranges from $ 420 for students to $ 980 for members of households with incomes of $ 200,000 or more. The technique
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4576-428: Is taught via private and group instruction by a TM teacher trained to instruct students and provide follow up. Instruction is given on separate days, beginning with a one-hour "introductory lecture" intended to prepare the student for subsequent steps. The lecture discusses mind potential, social relationships, health, and "promoting inner and outer peace". The second step is a 45-minute "preparatory lecture", whose topic
4719-457: Is that associated with Transcendental Meditation , developed by the Indian spiritual figure Maharishi Mahesh Yogi . It uses a private mantra and is practised for 20 minutes twice per day while sitting comfortably with closed eyes. TM instruction encourages students to be not alarmed by random thoughts which arise and to easily return to the mantra once aware of them. Advocates of TM claim that
4862-506: Is the application of the Transcendental Meditation technique in an educational setting or institution. These educational programs and institutions have been founded in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Africa and Japan. The Transcendental Meditation technique became popular with students in the 1960s and by the early 1970s centers for the Students International Meditation Society were established at
5005-473: Is the theory of the practice, its origins and its relationship to other types of meditation. This is followed by the third step: a private, ten-minute, personal interview, allowing the TM teacher to get acquainted with the student and answer questions. According to the TM web site, the personal instruction session takes 1–2 hours, and students are required to bring a clean handkerchief, some flowers and fruit, and their course fee. The initiation begins with
5148-404: Is to "verify the correctness of the practice" and to receive further instruction. The first day's checking meeting takes place in a group on the day following personal instruction, and gives information about correct practice based on each student's own experience. The second day of checking uses the same group format, and gives more details of the mechanics of the practice and potential results of
5291-565: Is useful to every man". The Maharishi's 1986 book, Thirty Years Around the World , gives a detailed account of his world tours, as do two biographies, The Story of the Maharishi , by William Jefferson, and The Maharishi by Paul Mason. The first world tour began in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar ), and included the countries of Thailand, Malaya , Singapore, Hong Kong and Hawaii. He arrived in Hawaii in
5434-850: The Today TV shows. He and the Beatles met in London in August 1967, when George Harrison and his wife Pattie Boyd urged their friends to attend the Maharishi's lecture at the Hilton on Park Lane . The band members went to study with the Maharishi in Bangor , Wales , before travelling to Rishikesh, India, in February 1968 to "devote themselves fully to his instruction". Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen left after 10 days, Paul McCartney and Jane Asher left after five weeks;
5577-587: The Archbishop of Manila , wrote a pastoral statement after Ferdinand Marcos , then president of the Philippines, invited more than 1,000 members of the TM movement to Manila , saying that neither the doctrine nor the practice of TM is acceptable to Christians. In 2003, the Roman Curia published a warning against mixing eastern meditations, such as TM, with Christian prayer , though a 2013 statement suggests that eastern meditations can be useful. Clergy who practice
5720-775: The City of Hope Foundation in Los Angeles gave the Maharishi their "Man of Hope" award. By 1971, the Maharishi had completed 13 world tours, visited 50 countries, and held a press conference with American inventor Buckminster Fuller at his first International Symposium on SCI at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts. From 1970 to 1973, about 10,000 people attended the Maharishi sponsored symposia on his modern interpretation of Vedanta philosophy, called Science of Creative Intelligence. During these conferences, held at universities,
5863-693: The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment . This "dismantled" the TM program's use of government funding in US public schools but "did not constitute a negative evaluation of the program itself". Since 1979, schools that incorporate the Transcendental Meditation technique using private, non-governmental funding have been reported in the United States, South America, Southeast Asia, Northern Ireland, South Africa and Israel. A number of educational institutions have been founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ,
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6006-626: The Kayastha caste , a caste of scribes in India. The birth name and the birth dates of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi are not known with certainty, in part because of the tradition of ascetics and monks to relinquish family connections. Many accounts say he was born Mahesh Prasad Varma into a Kayastha family living in the Central Provinces of British India . A different name appears in the Allahabad University list of distinguished alumni, where he
6149-534: The Netherlands in 2007, which renewed their friendship. The New York Times and The Independent reported that the influence of the Maharishi, and the journey to Rishikesh to meditate, steered the Beatles away from LSD and inspired them to write many new songs. In 2009, McCartney commented that Transcendental Meditation was a gift the Beatles had received from the Maharishi at a time when they were looking for something to stabilise them. The Beatles' visit to
6292-647: The Tantric , rather than Vedic tradition, and that bija mantras are "traditionally associated with particular deities and used as a form of worship". According to Needleman, many mantras come from the Vedas or Vedic hymns, which are "the root for all later Hindu scripture", while the 1977 court case Malnak vs. Yogi accepted the TM mantras as meaningless sounds. Likewise, philosophy of science scholar and former Maharishi International University professor Jonathan Shear writes in his book The Experience of Meditation: Experts Introduce
6435-954: The Transcendental Meditation movement and its supporters. These institutions include several schools offering public and private secondary education in the United States ( Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment ), England ( Maharishi School ), Australia (Maharishi School), South Africa (Maharishi Invincibility School of Management), and India ( Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools ). Likewise, Maharishi colleges and universities have been established including Maharishi European Research University (Netherlands), Maharishi Institute of Management (India), Maharishi University of Management and Technology (India), Maharishi Institute (South Africa) and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic University (India). According to an article in Newsweek , "critics believe that TM
6578-680: The University of Colorado and Georgetown University in 2010. In 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it was "studying the use of transcendental meditation to help returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars" and the Department of Defense funded a $ 2.4 million grant to Maharishi University of Management Research Institute and the San Diego Veterans Administration Medical Center to further investigate
6721-466: The " Raam " as a currency "dedicated to financing peace promoting projects". In 2003, David Lynch began a fundraising project to raise US$ 1 billion "on behalf of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi" to build a meditation centre large enough to hold 8,000 skilled practitioners. The Maharishi ordered a suspension of TM training in Britain in 2005 due to his opposition to prime minister Tony Blair 's decision to support
6864-482: The " euphonics " of mantras are important. Sociologist Stephen J. Hunt and others say that the mantra used in the Transcendental Meditation technique "has no meaning", but that "the sound itself" is sacred. In Kerala , India, in 1955, the Maharishi spoke of mantras in terms of personal deities, and according to religious studies scholar Cynthia Ann Humes , similar references can be found in his later works. According to authors Peter Russell and Norman Rosenthal ,
7007-472: The "learned classes". According to William Jefferson, in 1958, the Maharishi went to Madras to address a large crowd of people who had gathered to celebrate the memory of Guru Dev . It was there that he spontaneously announced that he planned to spread the teaching of TM throughout the world. Hundreds of people immediately asked to learn TM. In 1959, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi began his first world tour, writing: "I had one thing in mind, that I know something which
7150-634: The 1980s, the organisation continued to expand and his meditation technique continued to attract celebrities, despite its "outlandish claims" and accusations of fraud from disaffected former disciples. The TM organization made a number of property investments, buying a former Rothschild mansion in England, Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire, Roydon Hall in Maidstone , Swythamley Park in the Peak District , and
7293-517: The 22nd Judicial Circuit of St Louis , Missouri , began ordering convicted felons to attend a TM course as one of their conditions for parole. The program was administered by the non-profit Enlightened Sentencing Project and received endorsements from federal judge Henry Autrey and other members of the Missouri district, federal, and supreme courts. In 2010, the Doe Fund of New York City began offering
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#17330860291937436-601: The Age of Enlightenment". The Maharishi said the purpose of the inaugural tour was to "go around the country and give a gentle whisper to the population". He visited Ottawa during this tour and had a private meeting with Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, during which he spoke about the principles of TM and "the possibility of structuring an ideal society". That same year, the Pittsburgh Press reported that "The Maharishi has been criticised by other Eastern yogis for simplifying their ancient art." The Maharishi appeared as
7579-644: The Beatles ", though he was already well-known among young people in the UK and had already had numerous public appearances that brought him to the band's attention. Following the Beatles' endorsement of TM, during 1967 and 1968 the Maharishi appeared on American magazine covers such as Life , Newsweek , Time and many others. He gave lectures to capacity crowds at the Felt Forum in New York City and Harvard 's Sanders Hall. He also appeared on The Tonight Show and
7722-456: The German term for these organisations variously translated as "psychogroups" and "psychotheraphy groups". These organisations, including TM, filed lawsuits trying to block the reports. The courts ruled that the booklets must only include factual information and exclude speculation, rumours, and matters that are unclear, and the booklets were re-released primarily containing quotations from materials of
7865-535: The Iraq War. The Maharishi said that he did not want to waste the "beautiful nectar" of TM on a "scorpion nation". He lifted the ban after Blair's resignation in 2007. During this period, skeptics were critical of some of the Maharishi's programmes, such as a US$ 10 trillion plan to end poverty through organic farming in poor countries and a US$ 1 billion plan to use meditation groups to end conflict. TM-Sidhi program The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique
8008-592: The Maharishi began dictating his book The Science of Being and Art of Living . In Rishikesh, India, beginning on 20 April 1962, a forty-day course was held for "sadhus, sanyasis, and brahmacharis" to introduce TM to "religious preachers and spiritual masters in India". The Maharishi toured cities in Europe, Asia, North America and India in 1963, and also addressed ministers of the Indian Parliament . According to his memoirs, twenty-one members of parliament then issued
8151-710: The Maharishi began teaching the first Advanced Technique of Transcendental Meditation to some experienced meditators. While travelling in America, the Maharishi met with Robert Maynard Hutchins , the head of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions , and U Thant , the Secretary General of the United Nations . During this same year, the Maharishi finished his book The Science of Being and Art of Living , which sold more than
8294-512: The Maharishi called Washington, D.C. a "pool of mud" after a decade of attempts to lower the rate of crime in the city, which had the second-largest TM community in the US. He told his followers to leave and save themselves from its "criminal atmosphere". The Maharishi is believed to have made his final public appearance in 1991, in Maastricht , the Netherlands. Deepak Chopra , described as "one of
8437-422: The Maharishi for teaching a simple technique and making it available to everyone and for abandoning traditional concepts of suffering and concentration as paths to enlightenment. At the end of 1968, the Maharishi said that after ten years of teaching and world tours, he would return to India. In 1967, the Maharishi's fame increased and his movement gained greater prominence when he became the "spiritual advisor to
8580-455: The Maharishi founded the Students' International Meditation Society ("SIMS"), which The Los Angeles Times later characterised as a "phenomenal success". In the 1970s, SIMS centres were established at "over one thousand campuses", including Harvard University , Yale University, and UCLA . In 1967, the Maharishi gave a lecture at Caxton Hall in London, which was attended by Leon MacLaren ,
8723-401: The Maharishi held a TM teacher training course at a Victorian hotel in Poland Springs, Maine , with 1,200 participants. Later that year, he held a similar four-week course with 1500 participants at Humboldt State College in Arcata, California . In 1970, after having trouble with Indian tax authorities, he moved his headquarters to Italy, returning to India in the late 1970s. That same year,
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#17330860291938866-435: The Maharishi his technique requires no preparation, is simple to do, and can be learned by anyone. The technique is described as effortless and without contemplation or concentration Author Peter Russell says trying to control the mind is like trying to go to sleep at night, it won't work. He says instead, the TM technique utilises the tendency of the mind to move toward greater satisfaction. According to TM advocates,
9009-420: The Maharishi invited government leaders to interact with his organization called "World Government". In January 1988, offices at the Maharishinagar complex in New Delhi were raided by Indian tax authorities, and the Maharishi and his organisation were accused of falsifying expenses. Reports on the value of stocks, fixed-deposit notes, cash and jewels confiscated vary from source to source. The Maharishi, who
9152-503: The Maharishi relocated his headquarters from Seelisberg , Switzerland, to a former Franciscan monastery in Vlodrop , the Netherlands , which became known as MERU, Holland , on account of the Maharishi European Research University (MERU) campus there. During his time in Vlodrop, he communicated to the public mainly via video and the internet. He also created a subscription-based, satellite TV channel, called Veda Vision, which broadcast content in 22 languages and 144 countries. In 1991,
9295-400: The Maharishi spoke with "leading thinkers" of the day, such as Hans Selye , Marshall McLuhan , and Jonas Salk . The Maharishi announced his World Plan in 1972, the goal of which was to establish 3,600 TM centres around the world. That year, a TM training course was given by the Maharishi at Queen's University and was attended by 1,000 young people from the US and Canada. At the start of
9438-443: The Maharishi stayed at the home of author Helena Olson, and during this period he developed a three-year plan to propagate Transcendental Meditation to the whole world. Though most of his audience consisted of average middle class individuals, he also attracted a few celebrities, such as Efrem Zimbalist Jr. , Nancy Cooke de Herrera and Doris Duke . When the Maharishi came to the U.S. in 1959, his Spiritual Regeneration Movement
9581-540: The Maharishi visited the United States, Austria, Sweden, France, Italy, Greece, India, Kenya, England, and Canada. While in England, he appeared on BBC television and gave a lecture to 5,000 people at the Royal Albert Hall in London, organised by Leon MacLaren of the School of Economic Science . In April 1961, the Maharishi conducted his first Transcendental Meditation Teacher Training Course in Rishikesh , India, with sixty participants from various countries. Teachers continued to be trained as time progressed. During
9724-422: The Maharishi's ashram coincided with a thirty-participant Transcendental Meditation teacher training course that was ongoing when they arrived. Graduates of the course included Prudence Farrow and Mike Love . Although the Rishikesh ashram had thrived in its early days, it was eventually abandoned in 2001. By 2016, some of it had been reclaimed with building repairs, cleared paths, a small photo museum, murals,
9867-484: The Maharishi's motives. The TM-Sidhi program is a form of meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1975. It is based on, and described as a natural extension of the Transcendental Meditation technique. The goal of the TM-Sidhi program is to accelerate personal growth and improve mind–body coordination by training the mind to think from what the Maharishi has described as a fourth major state of consciousness called Transcendental Consciousness. Yogic Flying ,
10010-439: The Maharishi's organization built the largest wooden structure in the Netherlands without using any nails. The building was the Maharishi's residence for the last two decades of his life. In later years, the Maharishi rarely left his two-room quarters in order to preserve his health and energy. He used videoconferencing to communicate with the world and with his advisors. Built to Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architectural standards,
10153-465: The Maharishi's top assistants before he launched his own career", wrote that the Maharishi collapsed in 1991 with kidney and pancreas failure, that the illness was kept secret by the Maharishi's family, and that he tended to Maharishi during a year-long recovery. According to Chopra, the Maharishi accused him, in July 1993, of trying to compete for the position of guru and asked him to stop travelling and writing books, which led to Chopra's decision to leave
10296-424: The Maharishi, "bubbles of thought are produced in a stream one after the other", and the Transcendental Meditation technique consists of experiencing a "proper thought" in its more subtle states "until its subtlest state is experienced and transcended". Because it is mantra based, the technique "ostensibly meets the working definition of a concentration practice". The TM organisation explains that "focused attention"
10439-666: The Major Traditions that the mantras used in the TM technique are independent of meaning associated with any language , and are used for their mental sound value alone. Fred Travis of the Maharishi University of Management writes in a 2009 article published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology that "unlike most mantra meditations, any possible meaning of the mantra is not part of Transcendental Meditation practice". The Transcendental Meditation technique
10582-643: The Netherlands, Italy, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa. While in Manchester , England, the Maharishi gave a television interview and was featured in many English newspapers, such as the Birmingham Post , the Oxford Mail and the Cambridge Daily News . This was also the year in which the Maharishi trained Henry Nyburg to be the first Transcendental Meditation teacher in Europe. In 1961,
10725-672: The Science of Creative Intelligence and the Maharishi Development Corporation. As of 2001, US companies such as General Motors and IBM were subsidising the TM course fee for their employees. A number of Indian companies provide the TM technique to their managers. These companies include AirTel , Siemens , American Express , SRF Limited , Wipro , Hero Honda , Ranbaxy , Hewlett Packard , BHEL , BPL Group , ESPN Star Sports , Tisco , Eveready , Maruti , Godrej Group and Marico . The Sunday Times Herald reports that there are more than 100 Japanese companies where TM
10868-700: The Spiritual Development Movement, but renamed it the Spiritual Regeneration Movement in 1957, in Madras , India, on the concluding day of the Seminar of Spiritual Luminaries. According to Coplin, in his visits to southern India, the Maharishi spoke English rather than the Hindi spoken in his home area to avoid provoking resistance among those seeking linguistic self-determination, and to appeal to
11011-701: The TM teacher training course in more modern times consists of six months in-residence, and includes courses in Maharishi Vedic Science, extended meditation practice and becoming the "custodian" for an "ancient Vedic tradition". Additionally, TM teachers are trained to speak on the Transcendental Meditation program, teach it to others, provide "personal checking" of their students' meditation, create lectures on related topics, organise and lead advanced TM courses and programs. The Maharishi trained his teachers to "make logical presentations in language suitable to their audiences", and teachers lead their students through
11154-459: The TM technique and find it compatible with their religious beliefs include: Catholic priest Len Dubi; Orthodox rabbi Abe Shainberg; Irish Jesuit William Johnston; Donald Craig Drummond, a Presbyterian minister; Raphael Levine , the emeritus rabbi of Temple De Hirsh Sinai; Placide Gaboury, a Jesuit priest who teaches at the University of Sudbury ; Kevin Joyce, a Catholic priest; and Keith Wollard,
11297-639: The TM technique as a "Hindu meditation practice ["stripped"] of its religious baggage" offered "as a systematic, stress-reducing, creativity-building technique". Martin Gardner , a mathematician, has referred to TM as "the Hindu cult". According to author R.S. Bajpai, the Maharishi "secularized the TM [ sic ] by purging it of all the religious rites and rituals and spiritual mysticism". Some religious leaders and clergy find TM to be compatible with their religious teachings and beliefs, while others do not. Wayne Teasdale ,
11440-696: The TM technique to its residents, and homeless men were given instruction in the TM technique through an organisation called Ready, Willing and Able . In 2010, the Superintendent of Prisons announced that the TM technique was being offered to inmates at the Dominica State Prison. In 2011, the technique was taught to about 65 individuals at the Children of the Night shelter for teen prostitutes in Los Angeles. Psychiatry professor Norman E. Rosenthal says that TM
11583-506: The TM-Sidhi program. According to the TM organisation, TM course fees cover "initial training and the lifetime follow-up" program, while helping to "build and maintain TM centers" and schools in India and around the world. The fees also reportedly provide TM scholarships for special-needs groups, as well as grants and scholarships through TM's Maharishi Foundation, a government-approved 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational organisation. The fees may "vary from country to country", depending on
11726-495: The TM-Sidhi programme. His initiatives include schools and universities with campuses in several countries, including India, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The Maharishi, his family and close associates created charitable organisations and for-profit businesses, including health clinics, mail-order health supplements and organic farms. The reported value of the Maharishi's organization has ranged from
11869-461: The Transcendental Meditation technique as worthy of research and has awarded more than $ 25 million in funding from different branches of the National Institutes of Health for scientific analysis of the effects of TM on high blood pressure. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs sees it as a potential tool for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans of
12012-475: The United Nations U Thant . In the 1970s, courses in the TM technique were conducted at 47 military installations around the world (including eight in the U.S.), with 150 enrolling in the course at the West Point military academy. The TM technique was also taught at five U.S. federal prisons, and three in Germany and Canada. During this period, ten U.S. senators and more than 100 Congressional staff members learned
12155-797: The Worlds of Jules Verne, the Ancient Chinese City and even Canada's Wonderland when it was first being planned. The Maharishi commissioned plans from a prominent architect for the world's tallest building, a Vedic-style pyramid to be built in São Paulo , Brazil, and to be filled with Yogic Flyers and other TM endeavours. The Maharishi founded Maharishi Ved Vigyan Vishwa Vidyapeetham, a self-described educational institution located in Uttar Pradesh , India, in 1982. The institution reports that it has trained 50,000 pundits in traditional Vedic recitation. In 1983,
12298-575: The cost of living, and have changed periodically during the 50-year period that the course has been taught. The Maharishi has drawn criticism from yogis and "stricter Hindus" who have accused him of selling "commercial mantras". At the same time, the Maharishi's "promises of better health, stress relief and spiritual enlightenment" have drawn "devotees from all over the world", despite the fees. According to The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Religions , by Brandon Toropov and Father Luke Buckles, insistence on fees for TM instruction has caused criticism of
12441-561: The course, the Maharishi began to introduce additional knowledge regarding the development of human potential and began writing his translation and commentary on the first six chapters of the ancient Vedic text, the Bhagavad Gita . His 1962 world tour included visits to Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand. In Britain, he founded a branch of the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. The year concluded in California, where
12584-504: The course, the Maharishi encouraged the attendees to improve their appearance by getting haircuts and wearing ties. He also persuaded the U.S. Army to offer courses in TM to its soldiers and made videotaped recordings of what was thought to be the West's first comprehensive recitation of the Rig Veda . In March 1973, the Maharishi addressed the legislature of the state of Illinois. That same year,
12727-507: The decade 2003 to 2013 have been reported to be practitioners. The TM technique consists of silently repeating a mantra with "gentle effortlessness" while sitting comfortably with eyes closed and without assuming any special yoga position. The mantra is said to be a vehicle that allows the individual's attention to travel naturally to a less active, quieter style of mental functioning. TM meditators are instructed to keep their mantra secret to ensure maximum results, to avoid confusion in
12870-418: The early 1960s, and by 1978, there were 7,000 TM teachers in the United States. In 1985, there were an estimated 10,000 TM teachers worldwide, and by 2003, there were 20,000 teachers, and a reported 40,000 teachers in 2008. Notable individuals trained to teach the Transcendental Meditation technique include Prudence Farrow , John Gray , Mitch Kapor , and Mike Love . The first teacher training course
13013-402: The effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique have yielded results ranging from inconclusive to clinically significant. More research is needed to determine the therapeutic effects of meditation practices and sources vary regarding their assessment of the quality of research. Some cite design limitations and a lack of methodological rigour , while others assert that the quality
13156-413: The emancipator, hailed as Krishna , to the Lord I bow down and down again. At whose door the whole galaxy of gods pray for perfection day and night". Scientists have been conducting research on meditation, including TM, since the late 1960s and hundreds of studies have been published. Transcendental Meditation has become one of the most widely researched meditation techniques. TM research has played
13299-543: The episode. Lennon originally wanted to title the song "Maharishi", but changed the title at Harrison's request. Harrison commented years later, "Now, historically, there's the story that something went on that shouldn't have done – but nothing did." In 1992, Harrison gave a benefit concert for the Maharishi-associated Natural Law Party and later apologised for the way the Maharishi had been treated, by saying, "We were very young" and "It's probably in
13442-443: The features traditionally associated with religion". Liebler and Moss write that "unlike some forms of meditation, the TM technique does not require adherence to any belief system". Religious studies scholars Michael Phelan, James R. Lewis and Tamar Gablinger say that TM participants "may meditate for relaxation, but otherwise have no contact with TM", and that TM "attracts a large number of people with low levels of commitment around
13585-573: The feet of his master, when he learned the secret of swift and deep meditation. Brahmachari Mahesh remained with Swami Brahmananda Saraswati until the latter died in 1953, when he moved to Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand in the Himalayas , where he undertook a reclusive life for two years. Although Brahmachari Mahesh was a close disciple, he could not be the Shankaracharya's spiritual successor, because he
13728-506: The first time in 25 years that the Maharishi had appeared in the mainstream media, he said "Transcendental Meditation is something that can be defined as a means to do what one wants to do in a better way, a right way, for maximum results". It was occasioned by the reissue of the Maharishi's book The Science of Being and Art of Living . That same year, the Maharishi Global Financing Research Foundation issued
13871-584: The founder and leader of the School of Economic Science (SES). He also lectured at UCLA, Harvard, Yale and Berkeley. That year, an article in Time magazine reported that the Maharishi "has been sharply criticised by other Indian sages, who complain that his programme for spiritual peace without either penance or asceticism contravenes every traditional Hindu belief". Religion and culture scholar Sean McCloud also reported that traditional Indian sages and gurus were critical of
14014-409: The group's most dedicated students, Harrison and John Lennon , departed with their wives 16 days later. During their stay, the Beatles heard that the Maharishi had allegedly made sexual advances towards Mia Farrow . On 15 June 1968, in London, the Beatles formally renounced their association with the Maharishi as a "public mistake". " Sexy Sadie " is the title of a song Lennon wrote in response to
14157-501: The guise of some seemingly innocuous technique of self improvement or health promotion". Chryssides went on to say in Exploring new religions that although one can identify the yogi's Hindu background, Hindu lineage, mantras and initiation ceremony, TM is unlike religion in its "key elements": "there is no public worship, no code of ethics, no scriptures to be studied, and no rites of passage that are observed, such as dietary laws, giving to
14300-574: The high-status Kayastha caste, whose traditional profession is writing. Mahesh studied physics at Allahabad University and earned a degree in 1942. While a few sources say that he worked at the Gun Carriage Factory in Jabalpur for some time, most report that in 1941 he became an administrative secretary to the Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math , Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (also known as Guru Dev, which means "divine teacher") and took
14443-404: The history books that Maharishi 'tried to attack Mia Farrow' – but it's bullshit, total bullshit." Cynthia Lennon wrote in 2006 that she "hated leaving on a note of discord and mistrust, when we had enjoyed so much kindness from the Maharishi". Asked if he forgave the Beatles, the Maharishi replied, "I could never be upset with angels." McCartney took his daughter Stella to visit the Maharishi in
14586-523: The legislature passed a resolution in support of the use of Maharishi's Science of Creative Intelligence in Illinois public schools. Later that year, he organized a world conference of mayors in Switzerland. In that same year, he also addressed 3000 educators at an American Association of Higher Education (AAHE) conference on quality of life and higher education. In 1974, Maharishi International University
14729-407: The mantra for their student. In his 1963 book The Science of Being and Art of Living , the Maharishi writes that words create waves of vibrations, and the quality of vibration of a mantra should correspond to the vibrational quality of the individual. Likewise, religious studies scholar Thomas Forsthoefel writes, "the theory of mantras is the theory of sound". Author William Jefferson writes that
14872-452: The mantra. Scottish chess grandmaster Jonathan Rowson has said that his TM practice gives "a feeling of serenity, energy and balance", but does not provide "any powerful insight into your own mind". Laura Tenant, a reporter for The Independent , said that her TM experience includes going "to a place which was neither wakefulness, sleeping or dreaming", and becoming "detached from my physical self". Worldwide, four to six million people over
15015-486: The meditator and suit his/her "nature and way of life". Author George D. Chryssides writes that according to the Maharishi, "using just any mantra can be dangerous"; the mantras for "householders" and for recluses differ. According to Chryssides, many mantras – such as "Om" – commonly found in books are mantras for recluses and "can cause a person to withdraw from life". Former TM teacher and author Lola Williamson reports that she told her TM students that their mantra
15158-582: The millions to billions of U.S. dollars; in 2008, the organization placed the value of their United States assets at about $ 300 million. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Maharishi achieved fame as the guru to the Beatles , the Beach Boys , and other celebrities. In the late 1970s, he started the TM-Sidhi programme , which proposed to improve the mind–body relationship of practitioners through techniques such as Yogic flying . The Maharishi's Natural Law Party
15301-487: The mind of the meditators, and as a "protection against inaccurate teaching". The Maharishi is reported to have standardised and "mechanized" the mantra selection process by using a specific set of mantras and making the selection process "foolproof". Professor of psychiatry Norman E. Rosenthal writes that during the training given by a certified TM teacher, "each student is assigned a specific mantra or sound, with instructions on its proper use". The Maharishi said that
15444-585: The movement in January 1994. As part of a world plan for peace, the Maharishi inaugurated the Natural Law Party (NLP), calling it a "natural government". His adherents founded the NLP in 1992. It was active in forty-two countries. John Hagelin , the NLP's three-time candidate for U.S. president, denied any formal connection between the Maharishi and the party. According to spokesman Bob Roth, "The Maharishi has said
15587-596: The organisations themselves. In 1996 a commission appointed by the German government concluded that new religious movements and "psychotherapy groups" did not present any danger to the state or to society. In 1987, an Israeli government report defined TM as a "cult group ... targeted by anti-cult activists". The 1995 report of the Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France included Transcendental Meditation in its list of cults. The U.S. government has characterised
15730-472: The party has to grow to encompass everyone." Critics charged that the party was an effort to recruit people for Transcendental Meditation, and that it resembled "the political arm of an international corporation" more than a "home-grown political creation". The Indian arm of the NLP, the Ajeya Bharat Party, achieved electoral success, winning one seat in a state assembly in 1998. The Maharishi shut down
15873-401: The political effort in 2004, saying, "I had to get into politics to know what is wrong there." In 1992, the Maharishi began to send groups of Yogic Flyers to countries like India, Brazil, China and the United States of America in an effort to promote world peace through "coherent world consciousness". In 1993 and 2003, he decided to raise the fees for learning the TM technique. In 1997,
16016-416: The poor, or pilgrimages." Psychiatry professor Norman E. Rosenthal , author of Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation , wrote that "Maharishi extracted the TM technique from its religious context and distilled it to its essence, which he believed could be of value to people of all creeds." In 1968, the Maharishi conducted a one-hour meeting with Secretary General of
16159-439: The potential effect of the TM technique on PTSD. Other initiatives to teach the TM technique to war veterans at risk for PTSD, were underway as of 2010. The technique has been taught to students at Norwich University , a private military academy, as "part of a long-term study" on meditation and military performance. Characterizations of the TM technique vary amongst scholars, clergy, practitioners and governments. According to
16302-448: The practice, based on student experiences. The third day of checking focuses on subjective growth and the potential development of higher stages of human consciousness , and outlines the follow-up programs available as part of the course. New meditators later return for private follow-up sessions to confirm that they are practising the technique properly, a process called "personal checking". The preferred schedule for follow-up classes
16445-401: The puja ceremony performed during the TM instruction. Religious studies scholar Eugene V. Gallagher writes that, "practitioners describe TM as a science rather than a religious discipline", but its "principles were clearly derived from Hindu practice". In the book Cults and New Religious Movements , author Roy Wallis characterises TM as a "world affirming new religion" that "lacks most of
16588-485: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about schools, colleges, or other educational institutions which are associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maharishi_School&oldid=1220695379 " Category : Educational institution disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
16731-411: The selection of a proper thought or mantra "becomes increasingly important when we consider that the power of thought increases when the thought is appreciated in its infant stages of development". He said that mantras chosen for initiates should "resonate to the pulse of his thought and as it resonates, create an increasingly soothing influence", and that the chosen mantra's vibrations "harmonize" with
16874-488: The sounds used in the technique are taken from the ancient Vedic tradition, have "no specific meaning", and are selected for their suitability for the individual. Nevertheless, the Maharishi mentions that sometimes it is beneficial for the Mantra to be associated with a specific meaning in order to suit one's own private psychological background. Author Lola Williamson writes that the bija, or seed mantras, used in TM come from
17017-585: The spring of 1959, and the Honolulu Star Bulletin reported: "He has no money, he asks for nothing. His worldly possessions can be carried in one hand. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is on a world odyssey. He carries a message that he says will rid the world of all unhappiness and discontent." In 1959, the Maharishi lectured and taught the Transcendental Meditation technique in Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, New York and London. While in Los Angeles,
17160-489: The structure, according to the Maharishi, is said to have helped him infuse "the light of Total Knowledge" into "the destiny of the human race". In 2000, the Maharishi founded the Global Country of World Peace (GCWP) "to create global world peace by unifying all nations in happiness, prosperity, invincibility and perfect health, while supporting the rich diversity of our world family". The Maharishi crowned Tony Nader ,
17303-466: The technique being "in use" in some American prisons, mental institutions and drug rehabilitation centers. In 1975, the Maharishi met with Pierre Trudeau to discuss "the possibility of structuring an ideal society" through TM. In 1977 a U.S. district court in New Jersey held that a curriculum comprising the Science of Creative Intelligence and TM was religious in nature ( Malnak v Yogi ). The decision
17446-440: The technique faded in the 1970s, and "it became a practical technique ... that anyone could employ without abandoning their religious identification." On the other hand, Bainbridge finds TM to be a "... highly simplified form of Hinduism, adapted for Westerners who did not possess the cultural background to accept the full panoply of Hindu beliefs, symbols, and practices", and describes the TM puja ceremony as "... in essence,
17589-473: The technique is "purely a mechanical, physiological process", the "two-minute ceremony" invokes no deities, the mantras are "sounds without meaning" and the technique "pre-dates Hinduism by 5,000 years". Anthony Campbell , author of the book Seven States of Consciousness , writes that TM requires no "special circumstances or preparations" and does "not depend upon belief". A 2011 article in Details characterises
17732-430: The technique promotes a state of relaxed awareness, stress-relief, creativity, and efficiency, as well as physiological benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure . The technique is purported to allow practitioners to experience higher states of consciousness . Advanced courses supplement the TM technique with the TM-Sidhi program . The methodological quality of scientific research on
17875-542: The technique was renamed Transcendental Meditation. It was also then that he was first publicly known with the name "Maharishi", an honorific title meaning "great sage", after the title was given to him according to some sources from "Indian Pundits"; according to another source the honorific was given along with Yogi by followers in India. Later in the west, the title was retained as a name. He traveled around India for two years interacting with his "Hindu audiences" in an "Indian context". At that time, he called his movement
18018-575: The technique. In 1972, the Maharishi met with the Governor of Illinois ( Daniel Walker ) and received a standing ovation when he addressed the Illinois state legislature before they passed a resolution characterising Maharishi's Science of Creative Intelligence as useful for Illinois public schools. In 1974, TM was cited in two Congressional records regarding the SCI course being offered at 30 American universities and
18161-518: The therapeutic benefits of meditation in general is poor, because of the varying theoretical approaches and frequent confirmation bias in individual studies. A 2012 meta-analysis published in Psychological Bulletin , which reviewed 163 individual studies, found that Transcendental Meditation performed no better overall than other meditation techniques in improving psychological variables. A 2014 Cochrane review of four trials found that it
18304-567: The universe. According to the Maharishi's official Vedic city website, "Entering Veda Land through a secret cave on a windswept plateau high in the Himalayas the adventure starts as one travels through a waterfall that leads to a forest where an ancient Vedic civilization awaits to reveal the deepest secrets of the universe (sic)". These plans were never executed and, for Niagara Falls, Veda Land turned out to be just another theme park proposal that never materialized, joining an eclectic list that includes
18447-609: The wardens at 31 prisons signed a proclamation recommending that TM be offered throughout the entire system. More recently, the TM technique has been introduced to prisoners in the Oregon Correctional System and a research study is underway to record the effects of the program. Since the late 1980s the TM technique has been offered as part of the programs at Fundacion Hogares Claret sanctuary for homeless and orphaned children in Medellin , Colombia. In 1996, several judges of
18590-505: The world. His first global tour began in 1958. His devotees referred to him as His Holiness , and because he laughed frequently in early TV interviews, he was sometimes referred to as the "giggling guru." The Maharishi trained more than 40,000 TM teachers, taught the Transcendental Meditation technique to "more than five million people" and founded thousands of teaching centres and hundreds of colleges, universities and schools, while TM websites report that tens of thousands have learned
18733-560: Was "headquartered in Switzerland" at the time, reportedly moved to the Netherlands "after the Indian government accused him of tax fraud". ) Following an earthquake in Armenia, the Maharishi trained Russian TM teachers and set up a Maharishi Ayurveda training centre in the Urals region. Beginning in 1989, the Maharishi's movement began incorporating the term "Maharishi" into the names of their new and existing entities, concepts and programmes. In 1990,
18876-439: Was appealed and in 1979 the 3rd Circuit opinion affirmed the decision and held that although SCI/TM is not a theistic religion, it deals with issues of ultimate concern, truth, and other ideas analogous to those of well-recognized religions and it therefore violated the Establishment Clause . Beginning in 1979 the German government released a number of booklets about problems arising for seven new religious movements in Germany, with
19019-570: Was called Transcendental Meditation. That same year, he began the International Meditation Society and other organizations to propagate his teachings, establishing centres in San Francisco and London. For years, the sole teacher of Transcendental Meditation in America was a San Diego woman named Beulah Smith. In 1960, the Maharishi traveled to many cities in India, France, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Germany,
19162-585: Was called the "Extended Maharishi Effect", referring to the "Maharishi effect" with a threshold of 1% of the population. These effects have been examined in 14 published studies, including a gathering of over 4,000 people in Washington DC in the summer of 1993. While empirical studies have been published in peer-reviewed academic journals this research remains controversial and has been characterised as pseudoscience by sceptics James Randi , Carl Sagan , and others. The Maharishi began training TM teachers in
19305-484: Was chosen for them based on their personal interview, while sociologist Roy Wallis and religious scholar J. Gordon Melton write that the mantras are assigned by age and gender. In 1984, 16 mantras were published in Omni magazine based on information from "disaffected TM teachers". According to Chryssides, TM teachers say that the promised results are dependent on a trained Transcendental Meditation teacher choosing
19448-514: Was founded at Lucknow , Uttar Pradesh India. In 2001, followers of the Maharishi founded Maharishi Vedic City a few miles north of Fairfield, Iowa , in the United States. This new city requires that the construction of its homes and buildings be done according to the Maharishi Sthapatya Veda principles of "harmony with nature". In a 2002 appearance on the CNN show, Larry King Live ,
19591-536: Was founded at the site of the former Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa. In October 1975, the Maharishi was pictured on the front cover of Time magazine. He made his last visit to the Spiritual Regeneration Movement centre in Los Angeles in 1975, according to film director David Lynch , who met him for the first time there. In 1975, the Maharishi embarked on a five-continent trip to inaugurate what he called "the Dawn of
19734-413: Was founded in 1992 and ran campaigns in dozens of countries. He moved to near Vlodrop , the Netherlands, in the same year. In 2000, he created the Global Country of World Peace , a non-profit organization, and appointed its leaders. In 2008, the Maharishi announced his retirement from all administrative activities and went into silence until his death three weeks later. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi belonged to
19877-549: Was held in India with 30 participants in 1967 and 200 participants in 1970. A four-month teacher training course was also held in the United States that year. The first part was four weeks long and was offered in both Poland, Maine and Humboldt, California with the final three months being held in Estes Park, Colorado . About 300 people completed the training. In 1973, the TM teacher training course consisted of three months in-residence. A 2007 TM web page and 2009 book, report that
20020-402: Was impossible to draw any conclusions about whether TM is effective in preventing cardiovascular disease , as the scientific literature on TM was limited and at "serious risk of bias". A 2015 systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 studies found that TM may effectively reduce blood pressure compared to control groups . The technique is recommended for 20 minutes twice per day. According to
20163-591: Was introduced at induction. The TM technique has been incorporated in US social programs for criminals, the homeless and war veterans. In 1979, it was offered to inmates at Folsom prison , San Quentin and the Deuel Vocational Institute . According to a TM representative, meditation has been included at "over 25 prisons and correctional institutions" in the United States. In Senegal , more than 11,000 prisoners and 900 correctional officers in 34 prisons received instruction in TM between 1985 and 1987, and
20306-456: Was not a Brahmin. The Shankaracharya, at the end of his life, charged him with the responsibility of travelling and teaching meditation to the masses, while he named Swami Shantananda Saraswati as his successor. In 1955, Brahmachari Mahesh left Uttarkashi and began publicly teaching what he stated was a traditional meditation technique learned from his master Brahmananda Saraswati, and that he called Transcendental Deep Meditation. Later
20449-456: Was to eliminate stress for business professionals. His TM movement came to be increasingly structured along the lines of a multinational corporation . The teaching of TM and the Science of Creative Intelligence in a New Jersey public school was stopped when a US court, in 1977, declared the movement to be religious, and ruled adoption of TM by public organisations to be in breach of the separation of church and state ( First Amendment ). During
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