Transcendental Meditation

History, Background, Cost

Transcendental Meditation is both a technique and a business. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi popularized TM, a meditation technique derived from ancient Hindu meditation practices, through his ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Maharishi visited the United States and England in the late 1950's and early 1960's to lecture and teach on Hinduism and an early form of Transcendental Meditation. TM became popular in the west after the Beatles, Mia Farrow, Donovan and other stars of the 60's and 70's visited Maharishi's ashram in India and brought the meditation technique back with them. Maharishi and TM played a strong role in the peace movement of the 1960's and 1970's, establishing a new level of interest in meditation.

In 1971 Maharishi founded the Maharishi International University in Los Angeles, later moved to Fairfield, Iowa and now known as the Maharishi University of Management. The university offers traditional college degree programs such as business, health and technology, based on the principles and practice of TM.

By the late 1990's, Maharishi's meditation empire, including meditation centers, the university and TM product sales, was valued at more than $3 billion (Britannica Concise). Maharishi currently lives in the Netherlands, where his followers claim his presence (the "Maharishi Effect") has caused a significant drop in crime and violent behavior.

Currently, official Transcendental Meditation is offered only at approved Maharishi Enlightenment Centers, Maharishi Peace Palaces, and through qualified instructors, with a cost of $2,500 for the basic course.

Scientific Validation of TM

The TM organization claims that 600 studies have validated TM over the last 40 years. These studies have shown the benefit of TM in relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, relieving pain, and enhancing healing. Many of these effects are attributable to meditation in general, and may not be specific to TM.

Critics discount many of the studies claimed by TM, stating that only approximately 50 of the 600 are legitimate studies. These are limited to the effect of TM on stress. Some show TM to be superior to other meditation methods, though the comparisons have been said to be unfair: TM is a simple technique and using beginning meditators it was compared to more complicated meditation styles. When compared to similar techniques, such as Deepak Chopra's Primordial Sound Meditation or Silva Mind Control, the advantage of one system over another is less clear.

Basic Technique

The learning of Transcendental Meditation is highly structured, and follows the same seven step pattern no matter where it is taught:

• Two introductory lectures (steps 1 and 2)
• A personal interview (step 3)
• A two-hour instruction session given over four days (steps 4 through 7)

During the course of instruction, the student is given a mantra (a word to use as a meditation focus) to use in future meditation practice. Mantra meditation, repeating the personal mantra silently for 10-15 minutes twice per day, is the basic TM practice.

Where to learn TM

To find a TM training facility or teacher in your area, visit www.tm.org, and use the "Where to Learn" tool to find Maharishi Enlightenment Centers, Maharishi Peace Palaces and qualified teachers by state or zip code.