John Hagelin is the national director of the Transcendental Meditation(R) Program in the United States. (His official title is "Raja of Invincible America"). He has a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University.
A reader of TM-Free Blog who is on a TM email list was kind enough to send the TM-Free co-editors an email which he received from the TM organization in early September 2012. It included a letter from Dr. Hagelin. Highlights from Hagelin's letter are as follows. (All quoted material is in red).
"Dear Friends,
As a direct result of the generosity and vision of our donors, the Maharishi National Yagya(SM) program has grown into a powerful force for America. ["Maharishi Yagyas" are, briefly, large groups of people chanting Sanskrit for many hours or days in a manner taught by the TM Organization -ed.].
We are beginning to see a correlation between the specific appeals of these massive Yagyas and positive developments for the Nation.
Last month our National Yagya included an appeal for rain where needed[.]
- Since the start of that Yagya we have been receiving many beautiful reports from supporters all around the country of welcome and refreshing rain.
- In Fairfield, Iowa, where the largest number of National Yagya supporters reside, it started to rain when the Yagya began in India....
Previous National Yagyas included an appeal to increase the number of Pandits [TM org. chanters - ed.] in the U.S. campus[.]
- 556 Pandits now have passports....
- The first phase of the kitchen expansion to accommodate the new Pandits has been completed....
...In this time of great opportunity we hope that you will be inspired to give and-if at all possible-to commit to regular monthly sponsorship. [Emphasis in original.]
Our next 11-day National Yagya will begin on September 19. Please click now [emphasis in original] to offer your support....
With a donation of $1,250 or more, you-or anyone you designate-will be named in the Sankalpa [intention - ed.] of a National Yagya(SM) performance.
For smaller donations, a new feature on our web site allows you to make a gift in honor or memory of someone...."
As to the scientific sophistication of this national leader with a Ph.D., I quote from a Wikipedia article entitled "Correlation does not imply causation." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation):
"Correlation does not imply causation" is a phrase used in science and statistics to emphasize that a correlation between two variables does not necessarily imply that one causes the other....
Example
With a decrease in the wearing of hats, there has been an increase in global warming over the same period.
Therefore global warming is caused by people abandoning the practice of wearing hats.
The website Sceptic School (http://scepticschool.com/2012/05/07more-logical-fallacies/) offers an excellent introduction to logical fallacies. The author of the website teaches logic to 12-14 year olds, so one would think a Ph.D. would be familiar with this stuff. From the website:
"Post-hoc ergo propter hoc - saying that because A happened before B, A must have caused B....[C]laiming that because a rooster crows before the sunrise, a rooster's crow causes the sunrise."
So let's look again at Hagelin's comment: "We are beginning to see a correlation between the specific appeals of these massive Yagyas and positive developments for the Nation." i.e. the yagyas caused rain, and caused more chanters to head to the U.S.
Whatever is Hagelin thinking? Why does he write messages like this? Does he get a commission? Is he so cynical that he thinks gullible people will believe him? Is his mind so damaged by the cult-think of Maheshism that he can no longer think scientifically?
And what about the people who buy the yagyas? Have they lost the capacity to think logically? Lots of people must be convinced, because the IRS tax form for non-profits (yes, you can get a tax deduction for buying Maharishi yagyas) for the Brahmananda Saraswati Foundation (http://www.vedicpandits.org/pdf/BSF-2011-Form-990.pdf) shows that in 2010, total donations received for purchase of yagyas were $2,027,650, and in 2011 total donations were $3,714,902.
If you want to read more hard sell, guilt-induction, begging and flattering to obtain money; and pseudo-science, you can google "Maharishi yagyas."
Do you have any experience with the TM organization's yagyas? With the pandits? With the TMO's begging for money? With the TMO's guilt-tripping? With their poor science?
Showing posts with label Raja John Hagelin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raja John Hagelin. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Friday, November 09, 2012
TM Super-Radiance to direct Politics (!)
This post does not endorse, nor criticize any politician nor government policies.
This post highlights the TM Movement's emphasis on group Program to address public issues.
The following images are not copyrighted, so TMFree can display them in full.
Anyone from the TM Movement (past or present) can vouch for community pressure to attend group Program ~ 4-8 hours of gender-segregated daily ritual in an enclosed space lined with white padded foam, preferably inside designated large wooden gold-roofed domes.
Program consists of a few minutes of yoga, followed by hyperventilating breathing exercises, meditation and other mental techniques for mystical powers such as invincibility, strength, friendliness, compassion and levitation.
Program promises a path to enlightenment with an elite spiritual group. Program will supposedly save the world, create peace, ideal weather, economic stability, happiness and even guide elections to maximize "the support of nature."
On the above poster, "Ideal Community Group" thanks Dome Program participants for their work to sway the election. "The Ideal Community Group", founded by TM leaders Bevan Morris and John Hagelin, "is dedicated to inspiring Transcendental Meditation practitioners and Yogic Flyers to visit the town and its neighbor, Maharishi Vedic City - and to join the Invincible America Assembly."
The "Thank you message" above credits Program for America's recent smooth re-election of President Barack Obama. If group meditations do carry a national and global influence, one wonders why Hurricane / Storm Sandy occurred despite the regular practice of Program. Program failed to prevent Sandy's devastation to America's eastern seaboard and the Caribbean. (Oops! My bad for seeking logic in non-logic.)
Fairfield's TM Community has been overwhelming pro-Obama since Obama campaigned in Fairfield for the 2007 caucus, speaking publicly with his podium facing the cult-valued Eastern direction, his meeting with TM-mayor, Ed Malloy, and interview on Dennis Raimondi's radio show, "Speaking Freely with Dennis". Dennis' interview with Senator Obama can be watched on video link here. (By the way, Hilary Clinton refused to campaign in the guru-dictated fray of Jefferson County Iowa).
Before the recent election, the TM Movement flattered their devout's spiritual power by encouraging group Program before the national election. The poster below uses cult loaded language "to create coherence in the national consciousness", with a meditator flanked by the American flag and the flag for Maharishi's Global Country of World Peace, even promising attendance prizes. The lure of prizes confirms my knowledge that TM's faithful are straying. There is diminishing interest in Dome participation. Perhaps desperation has led to new methods, flattery rather than guilty obligation to encourage Program attendance?
This post highlights the TM Movement's emphasis on group Program to address public issues.
The following images are not copyrighted, so TMFree can display them in full.
Anyone from the TM Movement (past or present) can vouch for community pressure to attend group Program ~ 4-8 hours of gender-segregated daily ritual in an enclosed space lined with white padded foam, preferably inside designated large wooden gold-roofed domes.
Program consists of a few minutes of yoga, followed by hyperventilating breathing exercises, meditation and other mental techniques for mystical powers such as invincibility, strength, friendliness, compassion and levitation.
Program promises a path to enlightenment with an elite spiritual group. Program will supposedly save the world, create peace, ideal weather, economic stability, happiness and even guide elections to maximize "the support of nature."
On the above poster, "Ideal Community Group" thanks Dome Program participants for their work to sway the election. "The Ideal Community Group", founded by TM leaders Bevan Morris and John Hagelin, "is dedicated to inspiring Transcendental Meditation practitioners and Yogic Flyers to visit the town and its neighbor, Maharishi Vedic City - and to join the Invincible America Assembly."
The "Thank you message" above credits Program for America's recent smooth re-election of President Barack Obama. If group meditations do carry a national and global influence, one wonders why Hurricane / Storm Sandy occurred despite the regular practice of Program. Program failed to prevent Sandy's devastation to America's eastern seaboard and the Caribbean. (Oops! My bad for seeking logic in non-logic.)
Fairfield's TM Community has been overwhelming pro-Obama since Obama campaigned in Fairfield for the 2007 caucus, speaking publicly with his podium facing the cult-valued Eastern direction, his meeting with TM-mayor, Ed Malloy, and interview on Dennis Raimondi's radio show, "Speaking Freely with Dennis". Dennis' interview with Senator Obama can be watched on video link here. (By the way, Hilary Clinton refused to campaign in the guru-dictated fray of Jefferson County Iowa).
Before the recent election, the TM Movement flattered their devout's spiritual power by encouraging group Program before the national election. The poster below uses cult loaded language "to create coherence in the national consciousness", with a meditator flanked by the American flag and the flag for Maharishi's Global Country of World Peace, even promising attendance prizes. The lure of prizes confirms my knowledge that TM's faithful are straying. There is diminishing interest in Dome participation. Perhaps desperation has led to new methods, flattery rather than guilty obligation to encourage Program attendance?
Saturday, June 16, 2012
John Hagelin, away from the media spotlight
From the "Global Family Chat" e-mail of June 11. An image to keep in mind whenever you happen to see former physicist John Hagelin at a staged Transcendental Meditation promotional event, where he'll be trying to sound all businesslike, scientific, legit and not the least bit like a member of a marginally sane religious cult. He also has a crown, gold medallions, and Doug Henning's silly grin in his wardrobe somewhere.
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