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Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: a critical view

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Just a Testing Space -- Ignore

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Posted by Johnny Profane on June 25, 2008
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We specialize in critical and skeptical views of Transcendental Meditation™, its founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the TM organization, the David Lynch Foundation, and the products and services that they offer.

The TM-Free Blog is the work of an informal group of individuals who contribute their time and resources, and it and its contributors aren't affiliated with, part of, or paid by, any corporation or organization.

The primary focus of this blog are the specific techniques and products that are associated with Maharishi, and/or offered by the Maharishi Foundation, David Lynch Foundation, and related organizations, primarily in the United States but also globally. Others who use the term "transcendental meditation" generically to describe some other form of meditation, who are unaffiliated with those organizations, or who don't claim to have been trained by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi are not part of that primary focus.

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As suggested at the top of the page, this blog specializes in critical and skeptical views of Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Many if not most posts here present that sort of critical/analytical view with respect to Transcendental Meditation, the movement, and the writings or activities of those involved or formerly involved with those things. If you have a problem with that, you probably won't enjoy it here.

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Popular Posts

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Mike Doughney
Former TM meditator, creator of the first website dedicated to critical examination of TM, and the ex-cult Resource Center.

Essential Documents

  • TM and TM-Sidhi Techniques
  • TM Mantra Meanings
  • TM Initiation and Checking
  • TM Children's Initiation
  • TM "Holy Tradition" - Initiation Ceremony
  • Another, older and more detailed, version of the "Holy Tradition"
  • TM Initiation Ceremony - True Meaning
  • TM-Sidhi "yogic flying" program
  • Beacon Light of the Himalayas (1955)
  • Excerpts, and commentary on "Beacon Light"
  • Meditations of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1968)
  • Wikileaks "Transcendental Meditation" category
  • Roark Letter
  • DeNaro Affidavit
  • Kropinski's Answer to Interrogatory No. 40
  • Kropinski trial testimony "Soma and the Gods"
  • Kropinski appelate decision 1988, before out-of-court settlement
  • Malnak v. Yogi, District Court decision 1977 and 3rd Circuit appeal 1979
  • JAMA: Maharishi Ayur-Veda (Andrew Skolnick)
  • How to Design a Positive Study: Meditation for Childhood ADHD
  • Abstracts of Independent Research on Transcendental Meditation
  • "TM and Cult Mania" - Michael Persinger, et.al.
  • Problems with TM Research - Barry Markovsky
  • Evaluating Heterodox Theories, including "Maharishi Effect" (Markovsky and Fales)
  • "David Wants to Fly" film by David Sieveking
  • David Lynch Lecture in Berlin Turns Into Chaos (Video)
  • Maharishi's Proposal for Permanent World Peace (2001 newspaper ad)

Essential Articles

  • "About Mantras" series by Sudarsha
  • TM into Public Schools' controversy by Gina Catena
  • "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" by Abraham
  • "TM and Thought Reform" series by Gina Catena
  • "Consideration of the Yoga Sutras" series by Sudarsha
  • "Transcendental Life" by Gina Catena
  • "MMY's Big Lie" by Abraham
  • "Program Pedophilia" (you are not alone) by Gina Catena
  • "Addiction and Transcendental Meditation" by Gina Catena
  • "Transcendental Paranoia" by Gina Catena
  • "Why I Believe The Transcendental Meditation Org Is Dangerous" by John Knapp
  • Book Review: "TRANSCENDENTAL DECEPTION: Behind the TM curtain - bogus science, hidden agendas, and David Lynch’s campaign to push a million public school kids into Transcendental Meditation while falsely claiming it is not a religion" by Aryeh Siegel
  • "Who Are These People? The Backgrounds of David Lynch's 'Researchers'" - Mike Doughney
  • "Thirty Years Later: What was all that about?" series by Mike Doughney
  • Team of TM defenders/proponents in online comments organized by TM "Governors" - Mike Doughney
  • National Center for Science Education: Scientific Creationism and the Science of Creative Intelligence

Transcendental Meditation Critic/Skeptic Links

  • Minet.org - including TM-EX Archives
  • Trancenet.net
  • Falling Down the TM Rabbit Hole by Joe Kellett
  • Behind the TM Facade
  • Honest Truth About TM
  • "Transcendental Deception" by Aryeh Siegel
  • Transcendental Meditation in America: How a New Age Movement Remade a Small Town in Iowa, by Joseph Weber
  • Judith Bourque's exposé of her affair with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
  • Michael Persinger's "TM and Cult Mania"
  • Transcendental Life by Gina Catena
  • Conversations in the Hive: Discussing Maharishi & the TM Movement, etc.
  • Paul Mason's Resources on TM & Guru Dev, including the biography of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
  • Mumosa.com
  • The Maharishi Effect by Geoff Gilpin
  • CultNews101
  • Rick Ross' TM Page
  • Skeptical Inquirer Articles on TM
  • Thirty Years Later: What was all that about?
  • "Where have all the flower children gone?" by Bronte Baxter

Transcendental Meditation related Wikipedia articles

"Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous Internet volunteers who write without pay. Anyone with Internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles..." The neutrality and accuracy of Wikipedia articles is often disputed. Consider tracing the origin of any assertion found in articles there back to its source, generally found in the references at the end of each article, and weighing the veracity of that source.
  • Transcendental Meditation
  • Transcendental Meditation technique
  • Transcendental Meditation movement
  • TM-Sidhi program (Yogic Flying)
  • Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health
     (Ayurveda / "Vedic Medicine")
  • Maharishi Sthapatya Veda
     (Vastu / "Vedic architecture")
  • Global Country of World Peace
  • David Lynch Foundation
  • Maharishi University of Management
  • Maharishi University of Management stabbing
  • History of Transcendental Meditation
  • Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
  • Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam (Tony Nader)
  • Bevan Morris
  • John Hagelin
  • Transcendental Meditation category
     (index of pages and subcategories)

Transcendental Meditation Movement sites

  • Transcendental Meditation Website
  • Global Country of World Peace
  • David Lynch Foundation
  • Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education
  • Maharishi Channel
  • TM Nuns - Mother Divine
  • TM Monks - Purusha
  • Maharishi Vedic City
  • Vedic Pandits in Maharishi Vedic City
  • Maharishi's Programmes
  • Global Good News
  • Maharishi University of Management
  • Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic Vishwavidyalaya
  • Maharishi Vidya Mandir
  • List of other TM movement websites

Other Cults and Gurus

  • Snarky Fun at Guruphiliac
  • Cosmic Comedy with Cosmic Connie
  • Rick Ross's Cult News Network
  • Beyond The Art of Living
  • Leaving Ravi Shankar's Art of Living
  • Religion News Blog's TM News Feed

Cult Recovery Links

  • CounterCultSearch.com: Search for counselors, info, more
  • List of cult recovery specific support groups and therapists
  • reFOCUS: Recovering Former Cultists' Support Network
  • Steve Hassan, Freedom of Mind Resource Center
  • CultRecovery101
  • Wellspring Retreat & In-Residence Recovery Center
  • Safe Passage Foundation - support for youth raised in cults
  • Colleen Russell, MFT, Bend, Oregon
  • Bill & Lorna Goldberg, New Jersey
  • JBFCS Cult Hotline & Clinic, New York
  • Cult Information Center, London
  • Guidelines for Cult Recovery Therapists

Cult Research Links

  • International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
  • ex-cult Resource Center
  • Cult Information Centre
  • Cult Awareness and Information Library
  • FACTnet
  • Edmonton Society against Mind Abuse
  • Arthur Deikman's Cults & Spirituality

Cult Articles & Media

  • TM Overview: Transcendental Life
  • Counseling for Cult "Walkaways"
  • Depersonalization & "Witnessing"
  • Disability arising from Cult Involvement
  • How I Healed: Seven Steps
  • How to Be a Successful Cult Leader
  • Marriage & Children after the Cult
  • Psychopathology of a Cult Leader
  • The Wave: Film on Nazi Persuasion

Contributor Projects

Mike Doughney
minet.org • ex-cult Resource Center

Gina Catena
Coming to Life Stories • Coming to Life Stories FaceBook Fan Page

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Contributors

  • Abraham
  • Gina
  • Joe
  • Joseppi
  • Laurie
  • Mike Doughney
  • Ruth
  • Sudarsha
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TM-Free Blog is a critical resource on Transcendental Meditation; by this we mean that our web site focuses on material that is critical of the TM program and other products and services associated with their founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. We offer our site not as a complete answer to questions about TM, but rather as a balance to the uncritical, promotional advertising published by the numerous TM movement organizations and their participants. TM-Free contributors do not conclude that any group discussed on this site is necessarily 'cultic' or abusive in nature. We provide hard-to-find and alternative information so that you may make informed decisions regarding participation in any of these programs.
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