Reminder: Controversial "Message from Maharishi" Tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 30 at noon EST

Just a reminder:  If you want to keep abreast of this interesting scuffle in the TM world, you can video- or audio-stream the "Message from Maharishi" for free, live, on Sunday, November 30 at noon, Eastern Standard Time.  (See the previous TM-Free Blog post regarding this controversial presentation which is not endorsed by the official TM organization, but which appears to have the support of Jerry Jarvis, former head of the U.S. Students International Meditation Society.)  

It is recommended that you tune in at about 11:45 a.m.

Or if you miss it live, it will be available in the future for listening.

Here is the link for streaming:

http://30thnovember.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/30th-November-Lecture-Invitation-PDF.pdf  

After clicking the link above and downloading the page, scroll to the bottom and click the link  www.30thnovember.com to access streaming.

After listening, please feel free to share your thoughts in the "Comments" section here at TM-Free Blog.

Maharishi Message from Beyond the Grave?

Power struggle in American T.M. movement?

Most organizations seem susceptible to splintering.  Christianity, the Republican Party, you name it.  Why not the T.M. movement, following the death of its charismatic founder?

John Hagelin, "Raja of Invincible America," appointed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before Mahesh's death, is the final arbiter on what is and is not official American T.M. policy.  (The T.M. organization was designed by Mahesh as a monarchy, not as a democracy.)

Hagelin has sent out an email to all "certified governors." (I assume that means all T.M. teachers in good standing.)  The email informs them that they are to ignore an upcoming event coordinated by T.M. teacher George Hammond.  Hagelin is  concerned that T.M.ers might take this presentation seriously because the well-loved Jerry Jarvis, former head of the U.S. Students International Meditation Society (a T.M. organization) seems to have given this presentation his blessing.  Hagelin is also concerned that this presentation of mediumship will lower T.M.'s credibility in the mainstream community, such as public schools and the military, where T.M. is trying to make inroads.  Also of interest to me was his concern that the "purity of the teaching" would be diluted; although some might read that as a concomitant concern that Hagelin's power would be diluted.  Although Hagelin's email was confidential, it has become public through posting on the website FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com.  Anyone with access to a computer can read his email here:

https://www.mail-archive.com/fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com/msg331114.html

The event in question is a free lecture presentation entitled “The Pervasive Influence of Personalities and Ideas on Human History.”  It will take place on November 30, 2014, starting promptly at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria,Virginia, near Washington DC.  The presentation will be live-streamed for free, and will be followed by a question & answer session which will not be live-streamed.  The presentation and possibly the Q&A will be recorded, and will be available for free online at a later date.

Hammond claims that Mahesh Yogi appeared to Hammond several years after Mahesh's death, and instructed Hammond to share a message with the world.  Hammond says that the reason Mahesh wants people to hear this message is because "[h]earing these clear explanations should disintegrate many deeply embedded but totally unnecessary fears."

You can see the invitation to this event by clicking:

http://30thnovember.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/30th-November-Lecture-Invitation-PDF.pdf

No RSVP is necessary for the free live streaming.  TMFree Blog takes no position on if the message given at this presentation actually comes from the deceased Mahesh, nor do we have an opinion on the content of the message itself, whatever it will turn out to be.  However, I will listen in to the live streaming because I am curious to see how the politics of the T.M. movement will play out, and I invite all interested to listen to the streaming, too.  Then we can discuss it on TM-Free if we wish.

Dennis Raimondi Interviews Jerry Jarvis

Many TM Movement "walkaways" are returning to their memories of the good-old-daze.

Dennis Raimondi's recent interview with Jerry Jarvis, former personal assistant and still devoted to Maharishi, can be heard by clicking here. Other interesting interviews available through the website of Dennis' radio show, Speaking Freely with Dennis on Fairfield's radio station, KRUU-FM.

Information on cult walkaways can be found here and through various cult recovery resources linked on this site and through online searches.

Leaving a cult (in this case TM) does not necessarily equal removal of cult influences from one's mind.

As TMFree readers know, the moderators of TMFree believe that the TMO meets the criteria of a destructive cult. Many well intentioned good people were / are exploited through the TMcult dynamics, with ample loss of money, education, loss of loved ones to a regimented cult dynamic and/or nonsensical thought patterns. We acknowledge that TM group connection has seductive qualities. We do not endorse the TM Movement, nor their propaganda, while we may dearly love some individuals still ensnared in Maharishi's web.

We offer this radio interview link for our readers' interest, not as an endorsement of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi nor of Transcendental Meditation.

For those interested, enjoy Jerry and Dennis rehashing the good-old-daze!

Ned Wynn: Why I Left the Transcendental Meditation Movement

I remember being an initiator.

I didn't initiate that many people. I did teach a lot of people to become teachers. I ran part of the teachers' training courses in different places, especially Mallorca where I lived for 2½ years (with side trips all over the place in Europe—especially, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Austria, England).

I had had my time in the TM movement.

I was noticing things, hearing things. Suddenly there were more bosses where once there was Jerry Jarvis. I love Jerry and I loved having him be the boss. But when these other people started showing up and the system of teaching became more and more like a pyramid scheme, I balked.

I remember E. telling me once—in all seriousness—when we were in Fiuggi Fonte near Rome, "If you leave TM and the master and fail to do what the master bids you, your life will disintegrate, you will be lost."

It was like a hellfire and damnation speech from the Baptist or Catholic pulpits.

I just looked at E. for a moment to see if he was kidding me. He was not. I shook my head and smiled. This guy was a doctor for God's sake! I think it was then that I realized that the whole deal was a dangerous sham, which I had been ignoring for some time.

I didn't want to acknowledge this toboggan slide into culthood that TM was accomplishing. Not only were most of the people I knew on board for it, they were waxing the runners on the sled that was taking them straight to hell!

If an educated guy, a physician like E., was that heavily indoctrinated with this spiritualistic mumbo-jumbo, then what was that telling me about all the rest of it?

It was definitely time to move on.

— Ned Wynn, Former TM Teacher Training Course Leader, Mallorca, Spain and Europe

© 2010 Ned Wynn, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any media without prior written consent of the author.