"Not the Business of Schools to Lead Kids to Inner Peace"

California Catholic Daily objects to allowing meditation into public schools, when prayer is prohibited.

"Not the Business of Schools to Lead Kids to Inner Peace"

Comparing the Maharishi to a Sociopath

To follow up on the posts regarding the possible symptoms of mental illness one could suspect the Maharishi of, below is a list of the DSM IV symptoms of antisocial personality disorder. Note that the terms sociopath, psychopath, and antisocial personality are all roughly equivalent. The distinction sometimes made is that a psychopath becomes antisocial because of psychological influences (especially abuse), while a sociopath is born that way (genetics).

Symptoms:

A. There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:

(1) failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
(2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
(3) impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
(4) irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
(5) reckless disregard for safety of self or others
(6) consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
(7) lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

B. The individual is at least age 18 years.

C. There is evidence of Conduct Disorder with onset before age 15 years.

D. The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of Schizophrenia or a Manic Episode.

The Maharishi fails to conform to social norms in that he is wanted for tax evasion in Switzerland, the U.S., and India. He was found liable for fraud in the Kropinski trial. He has also been alleged to launder money, as well as smuggle money and material across international borders.

The Maharishi has been accused of repeated lying about the Transcendental Meditation techniques for his personal profit. Note the nature of the alleged offenses in the paragraph above; they relate to deceitfulness as well.

The Maharishi could be accused of a failure to plan ahead or impulsivity. This may at first seem strange, given his constant release of ever bigger "plans" for the world, peace, spiritual regeneration and so forth. But anyone who has worked on staff, as I and others here have done, can relate war stories of his constant revision, addition, and scrapping of one "plan" after another. At the least, the Maharishi could fairly be termed "capricious."

With regard to irritability, I am certainly not aware of the Maharishi being in any physical fights. But there is little doubt that the man has become increasingly irritable over the years. This characteristic of the antisocial personality probably does not apply to the Maharishi.

The Maharishi could be alleged to have shown a reckless disregard for for safety of others, as evidenced by the DeNaro Affadavit, the list of 40 casualties in the Kropinski trial, and other first hand accounts.

The Maharishi may have shown consistent irresponsibility in his financial dealings, such as the tax fraud alleged above. The constant haranguing of followers for funds to save the Transcendental Meditation movement from supposed bankruptcy indicate a lack of responsibility in financial matters as well. It can't be said that he does not work consistently, however.

To my knowledge, the Maharishi has never expressed remorse for any pain, discomfort, or financial ruin that he has had a hand in. The only mistake I have heard of him admitting to was the founding of the Natural Law Party. He has consistently rationalized the effects of his behavior with phrases such as "something good is happening," or stated that a "few" casualties may be necessary to achieve his World Plan.

I know nothing regarding the Maharishi's childhood, and therefore cannot comment about the onset of possible symptoms.

J.
KnappFamilyCounseling.com

Links to Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness

Here's the link to the chapter on meditation in the Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness. The brief section on TM, which is quite technical and not especially negative, is on pages 534-535. TM proponents may have a problem with the chapter because it doesn't declare TM the be all and end all. For anyone else, it's just science, and pretty boring.

J.
KnappFamilyCounseling.com

Enlightened Education

Truth is stranger than fiction.

A comparison of Hogwart's School to Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment.

Education should help one use critical thinking to distinguish from flights of fantasy.

Blogger Reports on Maharishi Vedic City Blues

Apparently, the Transcendental Meditation Movement's attempt to grab the planned hog farm through eminent domain is stymied for now.

J.

TM Posts "Scholarly" Job Opening for "Editor"

On Monster and the Boston Globe no less. I wonder how you demonstrate "In-depth intellectual understanding of the underlying principles and programs offered by Maharishi Vedic Science"?

J.

Talk presented at McGill University of Health Sciences (by a real medical physicist)

"Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies: How Quantum Mechanics and the Mind-Body Paradigm are Used to Explain Spontaneous Regression and Self-Healing."

Christian Janicki, Ph.D., Radiation Safety Manager, Quality Management, MUHC.

Talk Presented at the MUHC, Radiation Oncology Department, April 2nd 2007.

Abstract:

For many years, New Agers and spiritual gurus have claimed that all illnesses have a metaphysical origin and can be treated by a deep evaluation of long held negative emotional and spiritual attitudes. This modern age system of beliefs, although scientifically unproven, is adopted by a growing number of people in our modern society as it is being promoted relentlessly by self-help gurus, word of mouth, books, articles, news media and popular talk shows. For example, a New Age movie entitled "The Secret" (Law of Attraction) was featured recently as a "phenomenon that is sweeping the nation" on the popular TV show "Oprah". It featured a dream team of experts, self-help gurus and motivational speakers among which we find medical doctors, quantum physicists, psychologists, spiritual leaders and other psychics who support the claim, among other things, that cancer can be cured "without radiation or chemo" by the sheer application of will. Modern physics (quantum mechanics) and psychoneuroimmunology (mind-body paradigm) are some of the scientific disciplines that are being grossly distorted by pseudo-scientists and New Age gurus to support their health claims and to sell their technology, products or spiritual methods according to the critics. In this talk, we will explore the some of the origins of these claims (quantum mechanics and the mind-body connection) and try to explain the rational behind the NIH-NCCAM ongoing "Quantum Healing" cancer clinical trials. We will also discuss about the difficulties doctors may face with credulous patients who have been exposed to snake oil salesman's manipulative techniques and non falsifiable rhetoric, a powerful scam that may lead to self-selected medical neglect by well-intentioned True Believers.

Yet Another Transcendental Meditation Scam

Hold on to your wallets....

Directors of the Global Financial Capital of New York will present the science and technology of the Unified Field to develop the total brain and optimize academic outcomes of every student during the “Global Conference on Unified Field-Based Education.”
The global conference will be held on Tuesday, July 31, 11:30 a.m., at the Global Financial Capital of New York, 70 Broad Street, which is one block from the New York Stock Exchange.
Keynote speakers will include Dr. John Hagelin, world-renowned quantum physicist, executive director of the International Center for Invincible Defense, and President of Maharishi Central University in Kansas, and Dr. Bevan Morris, Prime Minister of the Global Country of World Peace and President of Maharishi University of Management in Iowa.
“The modern system of education, like modern medicine, has been recognized to be inadequate because it does not create an enlightened individual and this is a loss to life everywhere,” Dr. Morris said. “Being in possession of this total knowledge of the Unified Field of Natural Law, we are inspired to open new fields in education through new universities, colleges and schools that will provide Total Knowledge of Natural Law to every student and develop full enlightenment in every growing generation in every country, so that the power of Total Knowledge will allow everyone to know everything, do everything and achieve anything that he would like.
“Fortunately, now we are in possession of the knowledge of Total Natural Law in the Unified Field, which has been discovered at the basis of physiology through modern scientific research,” Dr. Morris said. (For details of investment needed for new schools and hospitals to be created in 37 countries, see www.invincibilitytrusts.org/.)
Members of the press are invited to attend in person the global conference, or else to view the conference live on the Internet at www.GlobalFinancialCapitalNY.org.

Transcendental Meditation's Global Financial Center's Latest Scam?

Of course, they only ask for donations in the pay-off line.

GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON
UNIFIED FIELD-BASED HEALTH
Thursday, August 2 • 11:30 AM
Global Financial Capital of New York • 70 Broad Street
Directors of the Global Financial Capital of New York will present the science and technology of the Unified Field to prevent disease, promote health, and reduce costs during the “Global Conference on Unified Field-Based Health.”
The global conference will be held on Thursday, August 2, 11:30 a.m. at the Global Financial Capital of New York, 70 Broad Street, which is one block from the New York Stock Exchange.
Keynote speakers will include Dr. John Hagelin, world-renowned quantum physicist and executive director of the International Center for Invincible Defense, and Dr. Bevan Morris, Prime Minister of the Global Country of World Peace.
“The prevailing system of health care in every country is completely inadequate to prevent disease, and even to cure disease. Modern medicine is famous for its poisonous side effects,” said Dr. Morris, who also serves as the President of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. “Therefore, it is vital that a new and healthy system of health care is promoted. For this it is vitally necessary that we undertake to establish high class medical colleges and production facilities for healthy medicines in every country.”
Dr. Morris emphasized the need for this new Unified Field-based approach to health, saying that the “high heap of hazards” of modern medicine is rising higher every day. “More than 19,000 review articles have been published in scientific journals summarizing the hazardous side-effects of modern medicines and medical practice.” Dr. Morris said.
Members of the press are invited to attend in person the global conference, or else to view the conference live on the Internet at www.GlobalFinancialCapitalNY.org.
(For details of investment needed for new schools and hospitals to be created in 37 countries, see www.invincibilitytrusts.org/.)

Ottumwa Courier Calls Vedic City Out over Hog-Farm Seizure

Editorial is cogent, says it all

J.