According to Catholic theology, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation program constitutes Pelagianism. Pelagius was a 4th century heretic who disbelieved in the need for the grace of God. He avowed that one could attain higher spiritual states through ones own efforts at purity. This view is not accepted in the Catholic church. Yet, essentially, this is what TM dogma teaches: you can attain higher levels of spirituality through your own efforts through meditation.
I believe that this idea of TM dogma is taken directly from one branch of Buddhism, which says that heaven can be attained essentially by meditation alone.
Catholicism believes in a person's need for the grace of God and that it is not possible to attain a great level of spiritual purity through one's own efforts alone. So, dogmatically speaking, TM doesn't mix with Catholicism. However, the technique, taken by itself may pose no conflict, except that I don't think self-induce trance, if that is what it is, done regularly would be considered healthy in any religion.
NEXT POSTAGE by Sue: Trancing Out
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