Transcendental Meditation movement - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Transcendental Meditation movement (also referred to as Transcendental Meditation (TM), "Maharishi's worldwide movement", and the Transcendental Meditation organization) is a world-wide organization, sometimes characterised as a neo-Hindu

Neo-Hindu

"Neo-Hindu" refers to Hinduism-inspired new religious movements,* in India, see Hindu revivalism* in the West, see Hinduism in the West-See also:*Hindu denominations#Newer movements*List of new religious movements...

new religious movement

New religious movement

A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...

, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...

in the 1950s. Estimated to have tens of thousands of participants, with high estimates citing as many as several million, the global organization also consists of close to 1,000 TM centers, and controls property assets of the order of USD 3.5 billion (1998 estimate).

The term Transcendental Meditation movement refers to programs and organizations connected to the Transcendental Meditation technique that were developed and or introduced by the founder. These programs include the TM-Sidhi program

TM-Sidhi program

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...

, Maharishi Ayurveda and Maharishi Sthapatya Veda

Maharishi Sthapatya Veda

Maharishi Sthapatya Veda is a set of architectural and planning principles assembled by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi based on "ancient Sanskrit texts" Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture is also called "Maharishi Vastu" architecture, "Fortune-Creating" buildings and homes, and "Maharishi Vedic...

. The TM-Sidhi program is an advanced form of Transcendental Meditation and includes "Yogic flying". Maharishi Ayurveda is an alternative system of health care that aims to restore balance in the physiology, eliminate impurities, and awaken the body's natural healing mechanisms. Maharishi Sthapatya Veda is a system of architectural and planning principles based on "ancient Sanskrit texts" The movement also operates numerous schools and universities, offers monastic programs called Mother Divine and Thousand Headed Purusha, operates health centers such as The Raj and Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center, assorted businesses such as Maharishi Ayurveda Products International and several TM-centered communities.

The first organization of the Transcendental Meditation movement was the Spiritual Regeneration Movement, founded in India in 1958. The International Meditation Society and Student International Meditation Society (SIMS) were founded in the US in the 1960s. The organizations were consolidated under the leadership of the World Plan Executive Council in the 1970s. In 1992, a political party, the Natural Law Party

Natural Law Party

The Natural Law Party was a transnational party based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was active in up to 74 countries, and ran candidates in at least ten. Founded in 1992, it was mostly disbanded in 2004 but continues in India and in some U.S. states.The NLP viewed "natural law" as...

(NLP) was founded based on the principles of TM and it ran candidates in ten countries before disbanding in 2004. The Global Country of World Peace

Global Country of World Peace

The Global Country of World Peace was declared by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder and guru of the Transcendental Meditation movement, on Vijayadashami , October 7, 2000. He described it as "a country without borders for peace loving people everywhere"...

is currently one of the primary organizations.

The TM movement has been described as a spiritual movement, as a new religious movement

New religious movement

, and a "Neo-Hindu

Neo-Hindu

" sect. It has been characterized as a religion, a cult

Cult

The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...

, a charismatic movement, a "sect", "plastic export Hinduism", a progressive millennialism organization and a "multinational, capitalist, Vedantic Export Religion" in books and the mainstream press, with concerns that the movement was being run to promote the Maharishi's personal interests. Other sources assert that TM is not a religion, but a meditation technique; and they hold that the TM movement is a spiritual organization, and not a religion or a cult. Participation in TM programs at any level does not require one to hold or deny any specific religious beliefs; TM is practiced by people of many diverse religious affiliations, as well as atheists and agnostics.

Participants

In 1977, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

reported that the movement said there were 394 TM centers in the U.S., that about half of the 8,000 trained TM teachers were still active, and that one million Americans had been taught the technique.

The movement reached its peak in the 1970s, then began losing followers, reportedly put off by Yogic flying, a technique in which practitioners claim they can levitate.

There are no reliable estimates of the number of TM practitioners. Low estimates give numbers in the tens of thousands, while high estimates in the 1990s gave numbers as high as three million. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 2000s reportedly claimed to have five million followers. A obituary of the Maharishi in 2008 suggested that the global organization consists of close to 1,000 TM centers and four million practitioners. As of 1998, the country with the largest percentage of TM practitioners is Israel, where 50,000 people have learned the technique since its introduction in the 1960s, according to observers and people within the movement. In 2008, the Belfast Telegraph reported an estimated 200,000 Britons practice TM.

Leading meditators, who are trained as TM teachers and in the TM-Sidhi program, are called "Governors of the Age of Enlightenment". Ordinary meditators are called "Citizens".

Keeping the teaching pure

The Maharishi and the TM movement have valued allegiance and purity of teaching. The “purity of the teaching” according to the Maharishi ensures that the TM technique as it was originally taught is available and effective over time. For example, to help maintain this purity, the Maharishi was committed to ensuring the quality of his teachers, and to establishing physical locations where the technique could be practiced and taught in a silent environment. Peter Russel says the Maharishi’s desire to bring the TM technique to the world cannot be separated from his desire to continue the teaching of an accessible adaptation of ancient thought to western minds in as pure a way as possible. He says, inevitably over time knowledge is distorted and lost. The Maharishi took steps designed to maintain the integrity of the technique which included video taping his lectures, systematizing the teaching of the technique since even slight modifications can affect effectiveness, insisting the technique not be mixed with even valuable other techniques, since the TM technique is believed to be complete in itself, and separating the technique from other possibly legitimate point of views and practices which might confuse understanding of the TM technique. While small adjustments in the technique may be negligible now, over time a build up of these small changes could create “considerable misunderstanding and distortions of the practice” According to a movement webpage, Bevan Morris

Bevan Morris

Bevan G. Morris is the president of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, President of the Global Country of World Peace, President of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, Prime Minister of the United States Peace Government, President of the Maharishi World Peace...

, the prime Minister of the Global Country of World Peace

Global Country of World Peace

, is the "supreme guardian of Maharishi's purity of teaching and purity of purpose".

Robin Carlsen, a former TM instructor, said he had a better alternative to the movement's "fossilized dogma". In 1983, many students at Maharishi International University were expelled for distributing literature for Carlson's meditation seminars, and others were suspended and had their "super-radiance cards", needed for admission to the meditation domes, revoked. Carlsen sued MIU for interferring with his seminars. A TM lawyer said MIU was just asking people to choose between Carlson and the university. In 1992, Albert Miller, a former member, said that participants with doubts were asked to leave.

Cynthia Ann Humes

Cynthia Ann Humes

Cynthia Ann Humes is a professor of Religious Studies at Claremont McKenna College, in Claremont, California. The college lists her research interests as: History of Hinduism in America, Modern Hindu Goddess Worship, and Gender and Religion...

, associate professor of Philosophy/Religious Studies with a special interest in Hindu culture, wrote in 2005 that the Maharishi insisted on maintaining the purity of his teachings. As an example she cites the case of Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra is an Indian medical doctor, public speaker, and writer on subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine. Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine. Chopra now runs his own medical center, with a focus on...

. Chopra had been prominent in the movement before a falling out with the Maharishi in 1994. The Maharishi considered him an apostate and a competitor. The "Maharishi National Council of the Age of Enlightenment" prohibited all interaction with him in order to maintain "purity of teaching". Humes also says it is commonly known in Fairfield that one's access to the Golden Dome meditation halls and other privileges can be revoked for attending an event featuring Ammachi, a Hindu spiritual leader and teacher who is revered as a saint.

Scott Lowe's 2010 paper, The Neo-Hindu Transformation of an Iowa Town, says that the Maharishi valued purity of teaching and demanded allegiance from his followers. Those thought to be "off the program" (OTP) were ostracized. This included many people who had moved to Fairfield, Iowa, just to participate in group meditation. The number of sufficiently orthodox practitioners shrank significantly due to the blacklisting.

In a scene depicted in the biopic, Man on the Moon, comic performer and avid meditator Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman

Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...

was asked to leave a TM teacher training course because his performances were incompatible with the behavior expected of a TM teacher.

Transcendental Meditation

The Transcendental Meditation technique

Transcendental Meditation technique

The Transcendental Meditation technique is a specific form of mantra meditation often referred to as Transcendental Meditation. It was introduced in India in 1955 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi...

is a form of mantra

Mantra

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...

meditation

Meditation

Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....

introduced in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

in 1955 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

(1917–2008). It is reported to be one of the most widely researched and practiced meditation techniques. Taught in a standardized seven-step course by certified teachers, the technique involves the silent use of a sound or mantra and is practiced for 15–20 minutes twice per day, while sitting comfortably with closed eyes.

TM-Sidhi

The TM-Sidhi program

TM-Sidhi program

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...

was introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1975. Described as a natural extension of Transcendental Meditation, the purpose of the TM-Sidhi program is to accelerate the benefits gained from the Transcendental Meditation technique by training the mind to think from the level of Transcendental Consciousness, the source of thought. One aspect of the TM-Sidhi program, called Yogic Flying, is said to develop mind-body coordination.

Maharishi Ayurveda

Maharishi Ayurveda, also known as Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health and Maharishi Vedic

Vedic

Vedic may refer to:* the Vedas, the oldest preserved Indic texts** Vedic Sanskrit, the language of these texts** Vedic period, during which these texts were produced** Vedic pantheon of gods mentioned in Vedas/vedic period...

Medicine is considered an alternative medicine

Alternative medicine

Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....

and aims at being a complementary system to modern western medicine. It was founded internationally in the mid 1980s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Maharishi's revised system of Ayurveda was endorsed by the "All India Ayurvedic Congress" in 1997. The Transcendental Meditation technique is part of the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health (MVAH).

Maharishi Sthapatya Veda

is a set of architectural and planning principles based on "ancient Sanskrit texts" as well as Vastu Shastra

Vastu Shastra

Vastu Shastra is an ancient doctrine which consists of precepts born out of a traditional and archaic view on how the laws of nature affect human dwellings. The designs are based on directional alignments...

, the Hindu science of architecture. Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture is also called "Maharishi Vastu" architecture and "Fortune-Creating" buildings and homes. The system describes itself as consisting of "precise mathematical formulas, equations, and proportions" for architectural design and construction. The TM movement hopes to achieve global reconstruction by demolishing most existing buildings in the world and replacing them with buildings that follow the Vastu Shastra

Vastu Shastra

, especially in regard to having east-facing entrances, at an estimated cost of $300 trillion.

Organizations and structure

The organization's "worldwide network" is primarily financed through courses in the Transcendental Meditation technique with additional income from donations and real estate assets. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...

reported in 1998 that the international organization controlled property assets of USD 3.5 billion.

Influences

The TM movement, by virtue of its promoting a meditation technique that is said to increase relaxation, health, and clear thinking while reducing stress, was credited by the New York Times as being a "founding influence" on the "multibillion-dollar self-help industry". According to science writer Sharon Begley of Newsweek magazine, Maharishi and, by extension, the researchers affiliated with Maharishi University of Management helped launch the field of mind-body medicine.

Global Country of World Peace

The Global Country of World Peace

Global Country of World Peace

(GCWP) is headquartered in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa

Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa

Maharishi Vedic City is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The city was first incorporated in 2001 as "Vedic City" but then officially changed its name to "Maharishi Vedic City" five months later. It was the first city to incorporate in Iowa since 1982...

. The Maharishi described it as a country without borders for peace loving people everywhere.
GCWP aims to "support existing governments and assist them in creating problem free administration for their nation". Through the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, the GCWP aspires to provide peace creating technologies that also maintain cultural diversity. It is ruled by "Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam", also known as Tony Nader

Tony Nader

Tony Abu Nader is a Lebanese neuro-physiologist, the president of both Maharishi University of Management in Holland and Maharishi Open University, and was designated the 'First Sovereign Ruler' of the 'Global Country of World Peace'. After receiving his medical degree in internal medicine and...

.

During the early 2000s, GCWP made unsuccessful efforts to attain sovereignty. They approached poor nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America about purchasing or leasing land to create a sovereign nation, and in one case sought to install a king in an indigenous tribal nation. In 2001, it was reported that the GCWP had been trying for years to make such arrangements in Africa, Asia, and South America. Starting in November 2000, the GCWP began making overtures to the President of Suriname

Suriname

Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...

regarding the lease of 3500 acres (14.2 km²) of rural land to create a sovereign nation. It offered USD$1.3 billion over three years for a 200-year lease, plus 1 percent of the country's money annually. The UNHCR reported that, in July 2001, the island nation of Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...

rejected, after serious consideration, a proposal from the Maharishi Spiritual Movement to create a "Vaticanlike sovereign city-state" near the international airport in exchange for a payment of $2 million a year.

The RAAM

RAAM

RAAM, or Raam is a bearer bond and local currency issued by Stichting Maharishi Global Financing Research , a charitable foundation based in MERU, Holland. It is also the "global development currency" of the Global Country of World Peace...

, or Raam is a currency and bond issued in 2001 by Stichting Maharishi Global Financing Research (SMDFR), a charitable, Netherlands foundation. It is also the "global development currency" of the GCWP. It was designed to be a flexible currency for national governments to use in the development of agricultural projects with the goal of eliminating poverty in third world countries.

Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation

Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation (MVED) is a non-profit organization, incorporated in 1993 and based in Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield is a city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census. - History :...

. Bevan G. Morris is the acting and founding president of the corporation and Richard Quinn is the director of project finance. It is affiliated with the Global Country of World Peace

Global Country of World Peace

, of which Morris is the Prime Minister. Heaven on Earth Inns Corp. is a for-profit subsidiary that bought old resorts and urban hotels, operating them as Heaven on Earth Inns.

Its primary purpose is the administration of Transcendental Meditation courses and training instructors in the United States. Courses in Transcendental Meditation are led by TM teachers from MVED. MVED also provides promotional literature to its teachers and centers.

The terms Transcendental Meditation, TM-Sidhi, Yogic Flying, Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology, Maharishi Ayur-Veda, Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, Maharishi Purusha, Maharishi Ayur-Veda College, Maharishi Yoga, Maharishi Gandharva Veda and Vedic Sound Therapy, Mother Divine, Ideal Girls School, 24 Hour Bliss, Spiritual University of America, Breath of Serenity, Vedic Science, Vastu Vidya, Time Zone Capital, Council of Supreme Intelligence, and Prevention Wing of the Military are some of the registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation. These trademarks have been sub-licensed to MVED by Maharishi Foundation Ltd., a UK non-profit organization. In addition, the copyrights for the content on the official Transcendental Meditation technique and related web sites are also owned by MVED.

In 2004, a lawsuit was filed as a result of a murder at Maharishi University of Management

Maharishi University of Management stabbing

The Maharishi University of Management stabbing occurred on March 1, 2004, when without provocation, a university student Shuvender Sem fatally stabbed a fellow student, Levi Butler, after Sem had attacked another student earlier in the day...

(MUM) in Fairfield, Iowa. Butler vs. MUM alleged that MVED was guilty of negligent representation and that MVED had direct liability for the death of the student. In 2008, all charges against MVED were dismissed and the law suit was dropped. The case against MUM was settled out of court.

Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development Corp.

The Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development Corp. (MHOED) is a for-profit real-estate developer. It announced in 1988 that it planned to build 50 "Maharishi Cities of Immortals" across the U.S. and Canada. The individual homes would be built using MSV specifications with non-toxic materials and natural ventilation. Its long term goal is to "reconstruct the entire world". One subsidiary is Maharishi Veda Land Canada, whose goal is to develop theme parks designed by magician Doug Henning

Doug Henning

Douglas James Henning was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician.-Early life:...

.

A Dutch company called "Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development Company" (Mahedco) sought the right to develop nearly a quarter of the land in Mozambique

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

, 20 million hectares.

Peace Palaces and health centres

Maharishi Peace Palace

Maharishi Peace Palace is a type of pre-engineered building designed to house the educational and meditational activities of the Transcendental Meditation movement. Each Peace Palace is built using standardized plans compatible with Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design principles.In 2000, Maharishi...

s, Transcendental Meditation Centers, Maharishi Enlightenment Centers, and Maharishi Invincibility Centers provide training and Maharishi Ayurveda treatments as well as serving as local centers for TM and TM-Sidhi practitioners.

According to the movement's Global Good News website, there are 23 Maharishi Vedic Health Centres in 15 countries, including Austria, France, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. The Raj is a health spa in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa that offers detoxification treatments, diet recommendations, herbs, aroma therapy, deep tissue massage, steam bath, warm sesame oil, and herbal enemas. Treatment includes Maharishi Ayurveda Pulse Diagnosis that a spa spokesperson says can detect imbalances in the physiology. The Maharishi Ayurvedic Health Center occupies a converted 54-room mansion in Lancaster, Massachusetts

Lancaster, Massachusetts

Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...

. Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra

founded the spa in 1987 and was its medical director. The Maharishi Ayurvedic Centre in Skelmersdale, UK also offers panchakarma detox. The Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre & Spa Bad Ems

Bad Ems

Bad Ems is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the county seat of the Rhein-Lahn rural district and is well known as a bathing resort on the river Lahn...

, Germany occupies a restored palace. In 2011, the Maharishi Ayurveda Hospital in New Delhi

New Delhi

New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...

, India

India

received accreditation from the National Hospital Accreditation Board of Hospitals

NABH

NABH is an acronym for National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers is a constituent board of Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organizations...

(NABH).

MVED has created educational enterprises such as Maharishi Vedic University and Maharishi Medical Center, and has overseen the construction and development of Peace Palaces

Global Country of World Peace

in 30 locations in the USA.

Maharishi Foundation

Maharishi Foundation, Ltd is a charitable organization headquartered in Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...

, West Lancashire

West Lancashire

West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....

, England. According to its press releases, it is responsible for teaching Transcendental Meditation in the United Kingdom. It holds trademarks that have been sub-licensed to MVED for use in the U.S.

Maharishi Group

The Maharishi Group is a non-profit conglomerate based in India with operations in over 120 countries. Valued at $700 million, its businesses include Ayurvedic products, educational institutions, solar energy factories, software, organic farming, clothing, jewelry, construction, aviation services, and others.

Maharishi Ltd

Maharishi Ltd is a group of "related" UK-based companies including:

Ayurveda Ltd.
Fortune-Creating Homes Ltd.
M S V Homes Ltd.
Maharishi Education Centre Ltd.
Maharishi Foundation Ltd.
Maharishi Organics International Ltd.

Purusha and Mother Divine programs

The Purusha and Mother Divine programs are long-term residential programs that include a reclusive lifestyle of celibacy and meditation. As of 2002, the Purusha program and the Mother Divine program, consisted of 310 men and 100 women respectively, on separate campuses. The Purusha program is reported to consist of four and a half hours of meditation in the morning, and includes, in the afternoon, fundraising and other work connected to the non-profit, Spiritual Center of America. There is group meditation again in the evening. The Mother Divine Program is reported to be similar. Both programs include the reading and study of Vedic literature, Sanskrit and Vedic science. Participation in the Purusha or Mother Divine programs requires a minimum commitment of three months. Many participants have been part of the program for 20 years or more. In the US, the Purusha and Mother Divine programs were located outside Boone, NC, adjacent to the Maharishi Spiritual Center of America. There is also a Purusaha program at an ashram

Ashram

Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....

in Uttarkashi

Uttarkashi

Uttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to...

, India

India

David Lynch Foundation

The David Lynch Foundation For Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace

David Lynch Foundation

The David Lynch Foundation For Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace is a global charitable foundation based in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded by film director and Transcendental Meditation practitioner David Lynch in 2005....

is a charitable foundation

Foundation (charity)

A foundation is a legal categorization of nonprofit organizations that will typically either donate funds and support to other organizations, or provide the source of funding for its own charitable purposes....

based in Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield is a city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census. - History :...

, which operates throughout the world. The Foundation primarily funds at-risk students learning to meditate using the Transcendental Meditation program. Its other activities include funding research on Transcendental Meditation, and fundraising with the long-term goal of raising $7 billion to establish seven affiliated "Universities of World Peace", to train students in seven different countries to become "professional peacemakers".

Media

In 1977, the television station KSCI

KSCI

KSCI is an independent television station operating in Los Angeles and on KUAN-LP channel 48 in Poway, California, serving the San Diego area. It targets Asian Americans, and most of its programming is in Asian languages....

began broadcasting in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, on UHF Channel 18. The initials stood for "Science of Creative Intelligence", a theoretical aspect of the teachings of the Maharishi. It featured prerecorded presentations by the Maharishi and variety shows featuring such famous meditators as The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

, Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder

Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

, Peggy Lee

Peggy Lee

Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...

and the Beach Boys. Station KSCI's goal was to report only good news and was intended to be part of a network of stations owned by the Transcendental Meditation movement. It was founded as a non-profit station, but in 1980 it switched to for-profit and by 1986, it was earning profits of $1 million on revenues of $8 million. In 1985, the owners of KSCI, the World Plan Executive Council, loaned $350,000 to help start Maharishi International University in Iowa. In 1986, the World Plan Executive Council sold the station for $40.5 million.

Maharishi Veda Vision, inaugurated in 1998 with three hours of satellite broadcasting in the early evening, was broadcasting 24 hours a day by 1999. It was described as India's first religious television channel. The Maharishi Channel Cable Network, owned by Maharishi Satellite Network, was reported to have moved to Ku band

Ku band

The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...

digital satellites in 2001. While providing Vedic wisdom in 19 languages, most of the channel's programming was in Hindi and intended for the worldwide non-resident Indian population. By 2002 it was carried on eight satellites serving 26 countries. It had no advertisement, depending on a "huge network of organisations, products and services" for support. In 2005, it was among several religious channels vying to get space on DD Direct+. Additional channels are broadcast over satellite as part of the Maharishi Open University's distance learning program, which also has studio facilities at Maharishi Vedic City in Iowa. The Maharishi Channel, which originates in the Netherlands, had a pending request for a downlink to India as of July 2009. According to its website, Ramraj TV is being established in India to introduce Vedic principles and practical programmes to the "World Family". As of August 2010, it is only available on the Internet. On a webpage last updated August 2009, they say they are in the process of obtaining a license from the Indian Government for a satellite uplink and downlink.

KHOE

KHOE

KHOE is the college radio station of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.-Description:The station is described as a "a nonprofit, noncommercial, educational radio station". The station broadcasts a variety, "world radio" format...

is a low-power, non-profit radio station in Fairfield, Iowa which belongs to Maharishi University of Management. According to the station's website, it first went on the air in 1994.

Maharishi University of Management Press publishes the journal, Modern Science and Vedic Science, and various books in English related to Transcendental Meditation by writers including Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, John Hagelin

John Hagelin

John Samuel Hagelin is an American particle physicist, three-time candidate of the Natural Law Party for President of the United States , and the director of the Transcendental Meditation movement for the US....

, Robert Roth, Craig Pearson, Robert Oates, Ashley Deans

Ashley Deans

Ashley Deans is Professor of Consciousness-Based Education at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa and Executive Director of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment...

, and Robert Keith Wallace, as well as works by Bādarāyaṇa, Kapila, and Jaimini in Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

. MUM Press also publishes audio and video recordings of speeches, music, and teaching materials.

Maharishi Vedic University Press has printed books by Maharishi and Tony Nader.

Educational institutions

The TM movement has founded educational institutions in various parts of the world including the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Africa and Japan.

USA

Maharishi University of Management

Maharishi University of Management , formerly known as Maharishi International University, is a non-profit, American university, located in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded in 1973 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features a "consciousness-based education" system that includes the practice of the...

(MUM), formerly known as Maharishi International University, was founded in 1973. The campus is located in Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield is a city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census. - History :...

, United States. The university is not-for-profit, accredited through the Ph.D. level by The Higher Learning Commission

The Higher Learning Commission

The Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Higher Learning Commission oversees the accreditation of degree-granting colleges and universities in nineteen Midwestern and South-Central states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa,...

of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...

, and offers "consciousness-based education" that includes practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Degree programs are offered in the arts, sciences, business, and the humanities.

Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment

Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment

Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment is an independent, non-denominational, college preparatory school located in Fairfield, Iowa, USA.The school was founded in 1974, received state accreditation in 1986 and began single-gender classes in 1989...

(MSAE), located on the MUM campus, is an independent, non-denominational, college preparatory school located in Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield is a city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census. - History :...

. The school has an open admissions policy and its curriculum includes the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. The Ideal Girls School was a single-gender college preparatory boarding school in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa. According to its website, the school was originally chartered in New York in 1996, then set up its campus in North Carolina in 1998, before finally moving to Iowa in 2001 where it received state accreditation in 2003.

The GCWP plans to build the Maharishi Central University campus as part of the World Capital of Peace at the Brahmasthan of America in Kansas. The goal is to have 200 students from each of the 50 states, totaling 10,000 students, all practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program together at the proposed campus. Maharishi Central University was announced in 2007, and was under construction until early 2008, when, according to founding president John Hagelin

John Hagelin

, the project was put on hold while the TM organization dealt with the death of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

. An April 2010 newspaper article reported that eleven buildings are still sitting unfinished more than three years after construction first started.

Europe

Maharishi European Research University

MERU, Holland

MERU, Holland, is a residential and office complex which includes the residence of the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a capital of the Global Country of World Peace, a campus of Maharishi European Research University , and other institutions of the Transcendental Meditation movement. It occupies the...

(MERU) was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Seelisberg

Seelisberg

Seelisberg is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-History:The Rütli meadow, according to legend the site of the original oath foundational to the Old Swiss Confederacy, is situated in the territory of the municipality....

, Switzerland in 1975. Its purpose is to conduct research into the effects of Transcendental Meditation and higher states of consciousness. The original campus was in a Victorian-era hotel above Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.The lake has a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. It has a total area of 114 km² , an elevation of 434 m , and a maximum depth of 214 m . Its volume is 11.8...

. The first chancellor was physicist Larry Domash; David Orme Johnson was the vice-chancellor. Institutions bearing the MERU name have also operated at Mentmore Towers

Mentmore Towers

Mentmore Towers is a 19th century English country house in the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. The house was designed by Joseph Paxton and his son-in-law, George Henry Stokes, in the revival Elizabethan and Jacobean style of the late 16th century called Jacobethan, for the banker and...

, an estate in Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....

, England, and at Vlodrop

Vlodrop

Vlodrop is a town in the south-eastern part of The Netherlands in the municipality of Roerdalen. The town is situated near the German border, about 8 km southeast of Roermond....

, Netherlands. Notable alumni include Bevan Morris

Bevan Morris

, Ashley Deans

Ashley Deans

Ashley Deans is Professor of Consciousness-Based Education at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa and Executive Director of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment...

, Mike Tompkins

Mike Tompkins

Mike Tompkins is a U.S. politician who was the Natural Law Party vice presidential candidate during the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections.-Education and career:...

, and possibly John Gray

John Gray (U.S. author)

John Gray is an American relationship counselor, lecturer and author who has several university degrees received under a variety of circumstances. In 1969, he began a nine year association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before beginning his career as an author and personal relationship counselor...

.
The Maharishi School

Maharishi School

The Maharishi School is a non-academically selective school in Lathom, Lancashire, UK.-Description:...

in Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, England is the only specialist TM school in the country and has 100 pupils aged between four and 16, and at Limeside Primary in Oldham

Oldham

Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...

, half of the teaching staff now regularly meditate. In September 2011, the Maharishi School became one of 24 independent schools in the country to be awarded full state funding as part of the government "Free Schools

Free school (England)

A Free school is a school in England funded by the taxpayer, non-selective and free to attend but not controlled by local authorities. The concept of free schools is based upon a similar model found in Sweden as well as US charter schools....

" initiative.

India

Maharishi Shiksha Sansthan (MSS) is a registered society which oversees Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools

Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools

Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools is an educational school system founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and established in 16 Indian states. MVMS is managed by a registered educational society called the "Maharishi Shiksha Sansthan". MVMS is also affiliated with the New Delhi Central Board of Secondary...

(MVMS) and Maharishi Ideal Girls Schools located across India

India

. MSS also administrates the five campuses of the Maharishi Institute of Management

Maharishi Institute of Management

Maharishi Institute of Management is a group of private institutes founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to provide the future managers of India with the latest principles, practices, and technologies of modern management from around the world. The institute has its campuses in Maharishi Nagar,...

and the Maharishi University of Management and Technology

Maharishi University of Management and Technology

Maharishi University of Management and Technology is a private university with its main campus in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India. The University is accredited by the University Grants Commission and was established by a special Act of the State Legislature of Chhattisgarh...

campus.

The Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1995. MVMS is affiliated with the New Delhi

New Delhi

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and/or their respective state-school, education boards. Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools has 148 branches in 118 cities with a total of 90,000 to 100,000 students and 5,500 teaching and support staff.

The Maharishi Institute of Management has campuses in Bangalore

Bangalore

Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Indore

Indore

Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...

, Chennai

Chennai

Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

and Maharishi Nagar (Delhi). It was established in India in 1995 and offers several degrees including MBA, PGDBA, MCA, BCA and BBA. The Institute describes its purpose as the elimination of "existing problems in the field of management in all areas of human concern by establishing automation in administration – management supported by the total intelligence of Natural Law.” The Bangalore campus is reported to be an "important centre for computer training and hi-tech learning" in India.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic University

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic University

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic University, also known as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic Vishwavidyalaya , is an accredited, public university located in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is part of the Maharishi Educational System and was established by the state legislature in 1995...

, also known as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic Vishwavidyalaya (MMYVV), is a public university located in Katni

Katni

Katni is a town on the banks of the Katni River in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Katni District. It is located in the Mahakoshal Region of Central India. The city is away from the Divisional Headquarters of the region, Jabalpur...

, Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

.
Maharishi University of Management and Technology with campuses in Bilaspur

Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh

Bilaspur is a city in Bilaspur District in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, situated 111 km north of state capital, Raipur. It is the second-largest city in the state. It is the administrative headquarter of Bilaspur district...

and Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....

, is a private University recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Another school is the Maharishi Center for Educational Excellence (MCEE) which was established in 1999 by its chairman, Girish Chandra Verma.

Other

Maharishi Invincibility School of Management (MSIM) is located in Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

, South Africa and provides secondary education. Maharishi Institute, founded in 2007, is located in the same building as the MISM and provides tertiary education utilizing Transcendental Meditation and the Consciousness-Based educational approach. It its aims as creating economically self-sufficient institutions which provide large scale, free education for students from Grades 11 through the Masters degree level. In 2010, at a global educational summit in Bahrain, the Institute was voted for an award that recognized it as an innovative institution with the potential to significantly improve educational outcomes through adaptable and replicable business models, according to a press release.

At the school in Australia, student awards include the Australian Mathematics Competition and The Victorian Science Talent Search Competition.

There is also an institution called the Maharishi Research Institute in Japan.

Settlements

About 3,000 TM practitioners are estimated to live near MUM and the Golden Domes in Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield is a city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census. - History :...

, US, an area dubbed "Silicorn Valley" by locals. By 2001, Fairfield's mayor and some city council members were TM practitioners.

Just outside the city limits is Maharishi Vedic City, whose 2010 population of 1,294 includes about 1,000 pandits from India who live on a special campus. The city plan and buildings are based on Maharishi Sthapatya Veda

Maharishi Sthapatya Veda

, an ancient system of architecture and design revived by the Maharishi. Housing developments outside of city limits are also seeking to combine Maharishi Vedic precepts of design with the latest sustainability technologies.

Woodley Park, Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale

, Lancashire is reported to have about 400 TM practitioners, a meditation dome, and a TM school. There is also a 30-home settlement in Rendlesham, Surrey. There is a housing project in Lelystad, the Netherlands.

Hararit

Hararit

Hararit is a communal settlement in Galilee. It is administered by the Misgav Regional Council.The settlement was founded in 1980 by a group of Jewish practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation program.Hararit is the home for about 60 families....

is a communal settlement

Communal settlement (Israel)

A community settlement is a type of town in Israel. While in an ordinary town anyone may buy property, in a community settlement the town's residents, who are organized in a cooperative, can veto a sale of a house or a business to an undesirable buyer....

in Galilee

Galilee

Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...

, Israel founded in 1980 by a group of Jewish practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation program. It is the home for about 60 families.

The movement has many residential facilities in India, including a 500 acres (2 km²) compound in "Maharishi Nagar", near Noida

Noida

Noida , short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Area, is an area in India under the management of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority . Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". It was set up as part of an urbanization...

, and another at the brahmasthan
Brahmasthan
A brahmasthan is a principle of Vedic architecture and community planning that designates the center point of a building or geographical area. Vedic architecture is based on Vastu Shastra.The brahmasthan is a special central zone in a building...

(center) of India, near Jabalpur, plus numerous school and university dormitories.

There is a 70-unit development, Ideal Village Co-Op Inc, in Orleans, Ontario

Orléans, Ontario

Orleans , also written Orléans, is a suburban area within the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the eastern part of the city along the Ottawa River, about from downtown Ottawa. The Canada 2006 Census gave Orleans a population of 95,491. It became a ward of the City of Ottawa in 2001...

, a suburb of Ottawa, where 75% of the residents have been meditators.

There are additional small communities in many countries around the world.

Spiritual Regeneration Movement

The Spiritual Regeneration Movement Foundation (SRMF) was incorporated in California in July, 1959. Its articles of incorporation stated that the SRMF's primary purpose for formation was spiritual, and in Article 11 that "this corporation is a religious one. The educational purpose shall be to give instruction in a simple system of meditation". The SRMF corporation was later dissolved.

Students International Meditation Society

The Students International Meditation Society (SIMS) was created in 1965. The UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) chapter of SIMS, which had 1,000 members, was founded by Peter Wallace and his brother Robert Keith Wallace, the first president of Maharishi International University.

World Plan Executive Council

In 1972, the Maharishi announced his "world plan" for a new human future. This plan became the foundation for the World Plan Executive Council (WPEC). WPEC provided courses of the Transcendental Meditation technique and other related programs. The aspirations of the World Plan were:

To develop the full potential of the individual
To improve governmental achievements
To realize the highest ideal of education
To eliminate the problems of crime and all behavior that brings unhappiness to the family of man
To maximize the intelligent use of the environment
To bring fulfillment to the economic aspirations of individuals and society
To achieve the spiritual goals of mankind in this generation.

WPEC contained divisions for the introduction of the Transcendental Meditation technique into particular areas of society such as business and industry. This non-profit corporation also purchased a hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey in 1994.

In 1985, civil suits were filed against the World Plan Executive Council and MIU by Robert Kropinski, Jane Greene, Patrick Ryan and Diane Hendel claiming fraud

Fraud

In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...

, psychological, physical, and emotional harm as a result of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs. The district court dismissed Kropinski's claims concerning intentional tort

Tort

A tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...

and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and referred the claims of fraud and negligent infliction of physical and psychological injuries to a jury

Jury

A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...

trial. The jury awarded Kropinski $137,890 in the fraud and negligence claims. The appellate court

Appellate court

An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...

overturned the award and dismissed Kropinski's claim alleging psychological damage. The claim of fraud and the claim of a physical injury related to his practice of the TM-Sidhi program were remanded to the lower court for retrial. Kropinski, Green, Ryan and the defendants settled the remaining claims out of court on undisclosed terms. The remaining suit by Hendel, not included in the settlement, was later dismissed because, per the earlier precedent, the claims of harm and negligence weren't valid, and the fraud claim was barred by the statute of limitations.

Natural Law Party

The political party called the Natural Law Party

Natural Law Party

(NLP) was based on the concept that Natural Law

Natural law

Natural law, or the law of nature , is any system of law which is purportedly determined by nature, and thus universal. Classically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature and deduce binding rules of moral behavior. Natural law is contrasted with the positive law Natural...

is the organizing principle that governs the universe, and that the problems of humanity are caused by people violating Natural Law. The NLP supported using scientifically verifiable procedures such as the Transcendental Meditation technique and TM-Sidhi program

TM-Sidhi program

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...

to reduce or eliminate the problems in society. It ran candidates in many countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Israel, and Taiwan. The U.S. headquarters of the Natural Law Party have closed effective on April 30, 2004.

Other groups

In the 1970s, Transcendental Meditation was offered to businesses through and organization called the "American Foundation for the Science of Creative Intelligence" (AFSCI).

The TM movement's US national offices and the College of Natural Law were located in Washington D.C., near the Washington Convention Center, from 1981 to 1987, which also housed a private school, a clinic, and teaching and group meditation centers. Near the end of this period, the Maharishi advised TM practitioners to leave the city to "save yourself from the criminal atmosphere". Robert M. Oates Jr., then the director of public affairs at Maharishi University of Management, said that "People were given to understand it is like living near Chernobyl" because of "the incredible rate of violence". As a result, 20 to 40 TM practitioners put their homes up for sale in an effort to move away from the city.

Connection to Hinduism

The TM movement claims to have roots in Yoga

Yoga

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...

, specifically in the Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga

Rāja Yoga is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.Raja yoga was first described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and is part of the Samkhya tradition.In the context of Hindu...

as taught by Patanjali

Patañjali

Patañjali is the compiler of the Yoga Sūtras, an important collection of aphorisms on Yoga practice. According to tradition, the same Patañjali was also the author of the Mahābhāṣya, a commentary on Kātyāyana's vārttikas on Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī as well as an unspecified work of medicine .In...

. Koertge asserts that TM has introduced to the West the "scientistic version of Hinduism" developed in late 19th century Hindu revivalism by Dayananda Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...

and others, i.e. the idea that "the Vedas are simply another name for science".

TM has been described in terms of being a "Neo-Hindu

Neo-Hindu

" adaptation of classical Vedantic Hinduism, and it is listed as "Neo-Hindu" along with the Self-Realization Fellowship

Self-Realization Fellowship

Self-Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India is a worldwide spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920 and based in Mount Washington in Los Angeles, California....

, the Sathya Sai Organization

Sathya Sai Organization

The Sathya Sai Organization was founded in the 1960s by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The first Sai Centers were started in India under the name Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi...

, ISKCON and Siddha Yoga

Siddha Yoga

Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path based on the Hindu spiritual traditions of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism. The Siddha Yoga path was founded by Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa . The present spiritual head of the Siddha Yoga path is Gurumayi Chidvilasananda...

by Neusner (2009), although other authors maintain that it retains "only shallow connections" to Hinduism.

Critics charge that the TM movement is a bastardized form of Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

which denies its religious roots and claims a scientific basis for the purpose of attempting to secure government funding for its programs. In their book, Millennium, Messiahs and Mayhem: Contemporary Apocalyptic Movements, Robbins and Palmer identify the Maharishi's teachings that the practice of Transcendental Meditation will bring about Ram Rajya (the rule of God) on earth as a form of progressive millennialism

Millennialism

Millennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...

in the Hindu tradition.

Characterization as a cult, sect, or religion

The New York Times reports that Maharishi University says that it is not a religious institution but people who have left the movement refer to Transcendental Meditation as a cult and the University as its training ground. The Israeli Center for Cult Victims comments that TM is one of the active cults in Israel. As for other new religious movements that sprang up in the context of the hippie subculture of the 1960s, there has been debate on "cult

Cult

The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...

"-like aspects, and especially the cult of personality

Cult of personality

A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are usually associated with dictatorships...

surrounding the charismatic leaders of such groups as the TM movement. Michael A. Persinger

Michael Persinger

Michael A. Persinger is a cognitive neuroscience researcher and university professor with over 200 peer-reviewed publications. He has worked at Laurentian University, located in Sudbury, Ontario, since 1971.-Early life:...

in his TM and Cult Mania (1980) selected the TM movement as "an excellent example" for a study of the sociological factors involved in the development of cult-like movements surrounding a charismatic leader. Camille Paglia

Camille Paglia

Camille Anna Paglia , is an American author, teacher, and social critic. Paglia, a self-described dissident feminist, has been a Professor at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 1984...

wrote that TM was the "major Asian cult" of the 1960s. Musician George Harrison

George Harrison

George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...

was once asked if TM could substitute for religion, to which he replied, "It's not a substitute for religion. It is a religion."

In 1987, the Cult Awareness Network

Cult Awareness Network

The Cult Awareness Network was founded in the wake of the November 18, 1978 deaths of members of the group Peoples Temple and assassination of Congressman Leo J. Ryan in Jonestown, Guyana. CAN is now owned and operated by associates of the Church of Scientology, an organization that the original...

(CAN) held a press conference and demonstration in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, saying that the organization that teaches the Transcendental Meditation technique "seeks to strip individuals of their ability to think and choose freely." Steve Hassan, author of several books on cults, and at one time a CAN deprogrammer, said at the press conference that members display cult-like behaviors, such as the use of certain language and particular ways of dressing. At the press conference former members also said that "TM is in fact a religion for its adherents with the maharishi seen as a god". A former member called the yogic flying training a "totalitarian environment". TM teacher and spokesperson, Dean Draznin, "discounted CAN's claims" saying that Transcendental Meditation "doesn't involve beliefs or lifestyle" or "mind control" and "We don't force people to take courses". Another spokesperson, Mark Haviland of the related College of Natural Law said that TM is "not a philosophy, a life style or a religion."

Author Shirley Harrison says that the method of recruitment is one sign that helps to identify cult, and that TM's only method is advertising. She also says that "none of the other 'cultic qualities' defined by cultwatchers can be fairly attributed to TM." Harrison writes that the Maharishi's teaching does not require conversion and that Transcendental Meditation does not have a religious creed.

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 a religious practice nor is it affiliated with a religions 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 Transcendental Meditation as having elements of both therapy and religion, but says that on the other hand, "Transcendental Meditation has no designated scripture, no set of doctrinal requirements, no ongoing worship activity, and no discernible community of believers." They also say that Maharishi didn't claim to have special divine revelation or supernatural personal qualities.

Marc Galanter, writes in his book Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion
Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion
Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion is a non-fiction book on cults and coercive persuasion, written by Marc Galanter . The book was published in hardcover format in 1989 by Oxford University Press, and again in hardcover in 1999 in a second edition work...

that TM "evolved into something of a charismatic movement, with a belief system that transcended the domain of its practice". He notes how a variety of unreasonable beliefs came to be seen as literally true by its "more committed members". He cites an "unlikely set of beliefs" that includes the ability to levitate and reduce traffic accidents and conflicts in the Middle East through the practice of meditation.

In his book Soul snatchers: the mechanics of cults, Jean-Marie Abgrall

Jean-Marie Abgrall

Jean-Marie Abgrall, born April 12, 1950 in Toulon, France, is a French psychiatrist, criminologist, specialist in forensic medicine, cult consultant, and graduate in criminal law. He has been an expert witness at the Supreme Court of Appeal and Court for Businesses in France on the subject of...

describes how Altered States Of Consciousness (ASCs) are used in many cults to make the initiate more susceptible to the group will and world view. He cites research by Barmark and Gautnitz which showed the similarities between the states obtained by Transcendental Meditation and ASCs. In this way, not only does the subject become more reliant on the ASC, but it allows for a weakening of criticism of the cult and increase in faith therein. Abgrall goes on to note that the use of mantras is one of the most widespread techniques in cults, noting in TM this mantra is produced mentally. He says that a guru is usually central to a cult and that its success will rely on how effective that guru is. Among the common characteristics of a guru

Guru

A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

he notes paraphrenia, a mental illness that completely cuts the individual from reality. In regard to this he notes for example, that the Maharishi recommended the TM-Sidhi program including 'yogic flying' as a way to reduce crime.

In his book The Elementary Forms of The New Religious Life, Roy Wallis

Roy Wallis

Roy Wallis, was a sociologist and Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the Queen's University Belfast. He is mostly known for his creation of the seven signs that differentiate a religious congregation from a sectarian church, which he created while researching the Scientology...

describes TM as having moved beyond being a cult

Cult

The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...

to a "Sect

Sect

A sect is a group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and...

". He notes similarities between progression in TM and progression within Scientology

Scientology

Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...

(In Scientology progression from "Basic" to "Operating Thetan" and in TM from basic TM instruction to the TM-Sidhi program). He notes that whereas once the initiatory stage was important and the "goal", this now becomes simply a prerequisite for training to higher "powers" or abilities. He argues that this helps facilitate group control over members rather than allowing them to come to their own judgment. Thus this progression becomes a strong form of social control.

Sociologist Alan E. Aldridge writes that Transcendental Meditation fits Roy Wallis

Roy Wallis

' definition of a "world-affirming religion". According to Aldridge, TM has an ethos of "individual self-realization" and "an inner core of committed members" who practice more advanced techniques (the TM-Sidhi program

TM-Sidhi program

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...

) that may not even be known to the "ordinary consumer of TM".

Reporter Michael D’Antonio wrote in his book, Heaven on Earth – Dispatches from America’s Spiritual Frontier that, as practiced at Maharishi International University

Maharishi University of Management

, Transcendental Meditation is "a cult, not a culture". D'Antonio wrote that Transcendental Meditation was like the worst of religion: rigid, unreasonable, repressive, and authoritarian, characterized by overt manipulation, a disregard for serious scholarship, and an unwillingness to question authority. For the first time in his travels he found people he believed to be truly deluded, and a physics department teaching theories that were dead wrong. D'Antonio charges that they have taken Transcendental Meditiation and transformed it "into a grandiose narcissistic dream, a form of intellectual bondage, that they call enlightenment".

Clarke and Linzey argue that for the ordinary membership of TM their lives and daily concerns are little — if at all — affected by its cult nature. Instead, as is the case for Scientology

Scientology

Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...

, it is only the core membership who must give total dedication to the movement. Former TM teacher John Knapp states that 90% of meditators take an introductory course only, but that for the 10% who become more involved, the members are subject to intense pressure in training centers, MUM and other official venues, where they are tightly controlled, isolated from family and society, and not permitted dissent. Former TM Movement members relate that their mail was screened and their activities monitored by a "Vigilance Committee".

A reporter for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...

wrote in 2010 that he did not think the movement is a cult because it lacks a cult leader and has well-meaning participants.

Promotion

When The Beatles were followers of the Maharishi, money and promotion were sources of tension. Although there was talk of making a film about the Maharishi in co-operation with Apple Films, it was discovered that the Maharishi was independently negotiating with ABC Television

ABC Television

ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....

in the US to create a TV special featuring the band. Two visits by their business manager to the Maharishi failed to stop him proclaiming that he could deliver the band for a TV show. Their road manager was surprised when he realised the Maharishi was a sophisticated negotiator, knowing more than the average person about financial percentages. Another project involved Four Star Films and Bliss Productions, a company run by Charles Lutes who was the head of the Maharishi's Spiritual Regeneration Movement in the US. It was hoped that The Beatles would appear in it, but the contract was signed without their commitment. Some followers consider the crew's presence to have precipitated the sudden departure of Harrison and Lennon and was the catalyst for their discontent. John Lennon later told his wife that he felt that the Maharishi had, in her words, "too much interest in public recognition, celebrities and money" for a spiritual man. By some accounts, rumors of sexual encounters with female students led The Beatles to believe that the Maharishi was a hypocrite who was abusing his power. However, many of the people who were in India, including Harrison, McCartney and Cynthia Lennon, do not believe that the Maharishi made a pass at any woman.

Beginning in 1989, the movement began naming everything connected to the Maharishi after him, even retroactively renaming already existing entities or concepts. Author Lynn McTaggart says there have been concerns that the movement was being run to promote the Maharishi's personal interests.
In 2007, a TM movement insider released a large number of movement documents to the whistleblower repository Wikileaks

Wikileaks

WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...

. Part of the documentation exposed an organized and coordinated effort to undermine critical examination of the Transcendental Meditation movement, including references to TM which appeared on the WWW. These efforts also involved targeting comment sections of web pages related to TM movement press releases, whereby TM supporters would insert salutary comments to make it look as if the articles had exaggerated and more widespread acceptance by the public.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.