More TM Promises: cumulative, lasting, speedy?

Here is yet another lens through which to view Maharishi Mahesh's many promises.  He told us that regular practice of TM would lead to both continued and permanent improvements in ones life, and that attending TM retreats would lead to exponentially quicker growth.  But what were the actual results?  What were the results for me?  What were the results for you?


Cumulative results?    When I first learned TM, I felt calmer, more productive, more energetic.  Every day I felt better than the day before.  That continued for about 2 months.  After that, even though I kept meditating twice a day, I didn't feel any continued improvement.  I plateaued.  Mahesh promised us that by practicing TM twice a day, we were on our way toward "the unfoldment of our true potential," but after those first 2 months, I didn't notice any additional changes. 

Permanent results?    When I learned the TM-Sidhis technique, sometimes I felt euphoric, at one with the universe, more confident, joyful, loving and energetic.  But when I stopped doing the TM-Sidhis, I went back to feeling the same way I had felt before I had started.  (In addition, when I stopped, I went through a period where I felt emptiness and panic .  It felt like descriptions I have read of people withdrawing from opiates.  I suspect that the TM-Sidhis was activating a brain chemical similar to the one that opiates and addictive behaviors activate).

What about "rounding?"  "Rounding" is the procedure for meditating more than two times a day.  It is done on TM retreats ("residence courses").  In my day, one "round" consisted of yoga postures, then yogic breathing, then TM, then lying down.  Mahesh promised us that rounding exponentially speeded up one's growth.  That is, doing TM eight times in one weekend was supposed to lead to more personal growth than doing TM eight times over the course of four days.  But actually, I never saw any fast growth from residence courses.  I would often get relaxed on retreats, and the relaxedness would continue for a while after I returned.  After a a weekend retreat, I'd be mellow for 3 days; after a six-month retreat, I'd be mellow for about a month.  But after that, I'd be back to my usual self.

What about you?  Did TM fulfill its promises of cumulative benefits, lasting benefits, and more rapid benefits from rounding?    

Readers' Open Thread on Transcendental Meditation

Season's Greetings from TM-Free.Blog!

It's time for an open thread. You, the reader, get to choose the topic, whether serious or light-hearted. What's on your mind about TM?

I've got a few thoughts on my mind too, so I'll start the ball rolling.

1. Who designed those awful crowns? They look like Old King Cole crowns, nothing like the crowns real monarchs wear. Are they solid gold? Are the rajas embarrassed to wear them? Are they embarrassed to wear those funny gowns? Do they realize the outfits look absurd on everyone, and especially on overweight men? And what's with the white cloth in the interior of the crowns?

2. I finally understand that TM isn't a dessert topping, but - is it a religion, or is it actually a money-making scheme? (I mean, where does all that money for $2,500 initiations go, or the $4,000 for the yagyas? Where did the money from the "Million Dollar Course" go?) Or is it actually a political world order scheme? Or is it Mahesh's attempt to be very important? Or was it his attempt to make the whole world happy? or spiritual? Or what the heck???

3. Mahesh experimented on TMers in order to develop the TM-Sidhis program. He instituted the "Six Month Course" and the "Age of Enlightenment Course" where he tried out various meditation techniques until he came up with what he called the TM-Sidhis. My question is, as human guinea pigs, was anyone injured on those courses? And what became of them?

Those are my musings. What's on your mind?

More on "David Wants to Fly"

Flying yogis and flying millions; Acolyte David Lynch isn't happy with this expose' of Transcendental Meditation by Brian D. Johnson on Wednesday May 19, 2010

And

FILM Interview with David Sieveking of "David Wants to Fly" ExBerliner.com May issue, 2010.

Book Review. The Maharishi: The Biography of the Man Who Brought Transcendental Meditation to the World by Paul Mason

(Oops! I accidentally deleted this post today. So here it is again. Originally posted 10/11/2008.)

Over the years, many commentors and contributors to TM-Free Blog have recommended books that they have found relevant. I have recently read a few of those books, and thought you all might enjoy some book reviews.

The Maharishi: The Biography of the Man Who Brought Transcendental Meditation to the World, a 300-page book written by Paul Mason and published by Element Books Ltd. in 1994, provides an overview of Maharishi's life from the mid-1950's to about 1993. When I read this book, I was reminded of the saying, "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, the chances are good that it is a duck." Maharishi comes across as a simple, straightforward, not-too-deeply thinking salesperson intent on selling his product.

The book is rather moderate in tone, with a slightly jaundiced undertone, neither adoring or damning of Maharishi. The author matter-of-factly quotes Maharishi's many contradictory statements, leaving the readers to draw their own conclusions.

Of the many points Paul Mason covered, I found three to be of particular interest. The first
was Maharishi's "utter...isolat[ion] from comtemporary faiths and teachings," (p. 83.) Maharishi taught that all other gurus and teachers were misguided, and that he alone had the truth. Mason quotes Maharishi's writings from an uncompleted commentary to the Bhagavad Gita as follows, "Thus we find that all fields of religion and philosophy have been misunderstood for many centuries past."

Second, Mason shows that Maharishi's original intent was to spread a spiritual knowledge. In fact, his first organization was called the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. Quotes from Maharishi's early days give insight into his original teachings. For instance, "Between human species and these [gods are the]...finest levels of creation, the celestial level of life, gods. Huge numbers of...angels and gods," (p.162). By the early 1970's, however, Maharishi was saying, "In this scientific age we use scientific language," and spiritually-loaded language disappeared (for instance "God" was replaced with the term "Creative Intelligence") and his organizations were incorporated as educational non-profits. (Some time after the book was published, Maharishi did return to his religious roots and speak about more "spiritual" matters.)

An example of Maharishi's early comfort with revealing the spiritual basis of his teachings is in his pamphlet Beacon Light of the Himilayas, published about 1955. He wrote, "We do not select any sound like mike, flower, table...etc. For our practice we select only the suitable mantras of personal Gods. Such mantras fetch us the grace of personal Gods...."

Which leads to my third point, which is the ease with which Maharishi dissembled about the mantras, leaving me to wonder what else he lied about. In his early days, Maharishi stated, "Through long practice of usages of these mantras for different types of people, certain universal formulae have been obtained and using those formulae of judgment the selection of a proper mantra is brought about...." "[Mantras] are passed on from the master to the disciple in every generation and this is the teaching that concerns very fine levels of the whole creation...." "The tradition of masters is the most authentic place to take these suitable thoughts from. Authenticity from the tradition is the only measure which will give us some confidence about the absolute suitability of the mantra...." "One percent unsuitable effect [from the wrong mantra] will become million times greater...." After pages of this, Mason dryly drops the fact that the mantras are chosen by age.

Actually, Maharishi was not consistent in what mantras he gave to TM teachers. On one Teacher Training Course, he gave out one set of mantras to be chosen by age, on another course a different set of mantras to be chosen by age, on a third course a set to be chosen by age and sex, and so on.

Mason also includes anecdotes that leave the reader wondering what stories lie behind them. For instance someone mentions in passing that "Maharishi converses with the Heirarchy." What is "the Heirarchy"? A stranger in an airport in Europe accosts Maharishi with, "You're a fraud!" What did he mean? Jerry Jarvis, the onetime president of Maharishi's Students' International Meditation Society says, "Using the sutras [in the TM-Sidhis technique] is a strain on the nervous sytem and some people flip out." What had he seen?

This is not a comprehensive biography. At least two things are missing: the private life of Maharishi, and his impact on the life of others. Regarding his private life, for instance, there is no mention of his attempt to lead the Ouspensky organization in Europe, his sexual relations with women on his staff, his heart attack and subsequent (non-ayurvedic) treatment by western medicine, or his contempt for those who put him on a pedastal. Regarding his impact on the lives of others, there is no mention of the hundreds, myself included, who uprooted themselves and moved to Fairfield, Iowa at his bequest, or the hundreds of people who gave years of their lives, thousands of dollars and sometimes their mental and physical health to Mahrishi's dream.

On the plus side, this is a quickly-moving, easy-to-read book for people looking for an introduction to the life, mind, and public face of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi from aproximately 1954 to 1993.

Photos of Charlie & Helen Lutes with the Maharishi

Apparently a devotee of Charlie's has put together a fascinating collection of photos from the movement early days. For those who don't know Charlie, he was one of the Maharishi's first devotees in the US in 1959. He worked closely with the Maharishi when the Transcendental Meditation movement was known as the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. Later, after Jerry Jarvis became the operational head of the movement in the U.S., Charlie was apparently tossed aside as an embarrassment. Charlie never took part in the later movement developments, such as the TM-Sidhis, claiming that they were too powerful and that he and Helen were afraid they would misuse them. The Spiritual Regeneration Movement was never disbanded -- to my knowledge, at least -- and Charlie continued to travel and lecture about the "spiritual side" of the TM movement. Charlie and Helen passed away within months of each other in 2001.

(H/T to Abraham for the site)

J.

The Maharishi Insists "Yogic Flying" Commands Gravity

Commenters here have speculated that the Maharishi has somehow changed his understanding of "Yogic Flying" to not include the supernormal power of levitation. The following excerpt from a talk given just a few weeks ago makes it clear that he not only believes yogic flying "commands" the force of gravity, but he implies that his followers who practice this TM-Sidhi are actually levitating already.

The Force of Gravity
Global Conference, 27.7.07

MAHARISHI: ...What is Yogic Flying? It is mind has a command over the force of gravity. Body lifting up in the air by a thought. This is the technique of Yogic Flying. Yogic Flying - mind gaining conscious awareness of the force of gravity.

And now what we found was: gravity is a force which on one side gravitates, puts things together. And on the other side it repels. So attraction and repulsion. Force of gravitation, putting things together - putting things together in other words is `unifying` - and diversifying. Unifying and diversifying.

This is how unity is gained by versity, diversity, universe. Unified and diversified. Science was investigating what was that thing whereby one thing could be found to be the basis of everything. Unified value was found by the scientists...

Something Good Is Happening...

For more expose about current life in Fairfield, Iowa, and other global Maharishiville sites, see the blog Maharishiville.

On another note, many remember Dennis Raimondi from his various historical positions with the Movement. Past is past for him. He now applies his creativity outside the TM Movement.
Check out Dennis' fascinating programmed interviews on Speaking Freely with Dennis, on radio kruu in Fairfield, Iowa.

Detailed "Program" for Stopping Meditating

I recently received a request -- inspired by my previous post, "TM and Trance Addiction, for advice on how to cut back or stop meditating. Polished up and shortened, this was my reply:

I'll share my experience with you. After stopping TM in 1996, I didn't practice any form of meditation for roughly a year. I, like you, experienced a number of symptoms of trance addiction. I decided I wanted to know what life was like without TM -- and that I would decide later whether it added or detracted from my life when I had a TM-free period of my life to compare it to. After about a year, I began experimenting with doing TM as well as other forms of meditation. I found that every form of meditation I tried -- Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and the Relaxation Response -- took me to essentially the same place. The only differences I noted were subtle differences in how long it took to get there. I won't share which meditation that I settled on. I don't want to influence you in any way as you try to figure out how you would like to fashion your life with or without meditation. Suffice it to say, I chose to do another form of meditation, not TM, and am very happy with my experiences.

Okay, enough speechifying.

There are four aspects to reducing meditation time: physiological, psychological, social/environmental, and spiritual.

As to the simplest: the physical addiction. Here is a method to try to cut back your meditation time. On long-rounding courses, the Maharishi had us gradually decrease the number of times we meditated in preparation for going back to 2x20.

I recommend that you cut back your program time by 5 minutes a day. This means in a few weeks you will be meditating 2x20. But you have to ease the discomfort caused by the addictive side effects as you cut back. Do this by adding 5 minutes of physical exercise every day to replace the meditation time you lose. This could be working out with weights (my favorite suggestion) or simply going for a stimulating walk. The idea is that you want to exercise to the point of at least starting to faintly sweat. This has several effects. It pumps you full of good chemicals -- like endorphins -- that tend to replace the feelings you have become addicted to during TM. Exercise tends also to lift the mood, which can help alleviate any traces of depression you might experience from ceasing meditation. Finally, it gives you something to do. It's a distraction, much like chewing gum helps people quitting smoking. (This routine is based on some observations that Pat Ryan of TM-Ex made years ago.)

After you have successfully reduced your meditation as much as you want, you can begin reducing your exercise time (unless you enjoy it and want to continue!). The whole process shouldn't take longer than a month.

Make sure you get plenty of sleep, but don't take naps during the day as you reduce your meditation. Naps have a nasty habit of turning into meditation sessions as your mind and body try to grab meditative moments because of the addiction.

Also try to schedule in plenty of relaxation time. I have some suggestions for relaxation routines on my counseling web site.

This brings us to the second aspect of reducing meditation: the mental. Like quitting any addictive behavior, you have to be committed to the process to have any hope of making it work. To help you build commitment and keep it, I suggest talking about your decision with a loved or trusted friend. Talking about a decision with someone else tends to make it more concrete for us, and we're more likely to follow through. You might also consider journaling about your experiences and writing affirmations, such as "I can have a happy and fulfilled life without TM" or whatever your own selection would be.

As to the social/environmental: You may have to decide what kind of environment you surround yourself with during this difficult time. In my counseling experience, people who surround themselves with friends who continue to meditate -- or at least support the TM Movement and the Maharishi -- have a difficult time cutting back or ceasing meditation. Just as an alcoholic has to choose to avoid bars and drinking parties -- even drinking friends, it is possible, although not certain, you may need to change your social environment to successfully cease TM.

Finally, let's talk about the spiritual need that TM may have filled for you. Spirituality means so many different things to different people. I try to use the broadest definition possible: the need to identify with something larger than the self. This can be God, but it certainly doesn't have to be. For some it is science, for others, nature, friends, family, volunteer work, meditation, prayer, so many different things. Most likely, even if you feel you didn't get too involved in the TM movement, TM played some spiritual role in your life. As you reduce your TM time, you'll have time to reflect on the role TM played for you. If you hope to continue with a reduced TM time -- and not slip back into addictive behavior -- you'll need to fill the hole that losing TM creates in your life. This is something you will have to fashion for yourself. But I can mention things that have worked for people that I've counseled in the past. What makes these suggestions works is again commitment. Consider scheduling these activities into your calendar and then making sure you follow through on them. Spend more time with family. Take trips and walks in nature. Consider reconnecting with the religion you were raised in -- or another religion. Consider attending AA meetings, a very spiritual experience for many addicted individuals whether or not they were addicted to alcohol. Immerse yourself in fine art, writing, or music. Consider volunteering time with your favorite charitable organization -- after all, you're going to have a lot more time in your life once you cut out an hour or two a day from your TM schedule. Offer comfort to a friend. Call friends you haven't contacted in a long time. There are probably dozens of things that might occur to you that will fill the emotional and spiritual needs that TM is currently fulfilling for you.

It's my hope, that you will get sufficient inspiration from this letter to make the changes you want to make. But don't be discouraged if that doesn't happen right away. I've worked with so many people who have gone through what you are going through. Many easily either ceased or reduced their meditation times on their own. Some others have sought help. It is possible that a little help from someone experienced in this process may give you the extra boost you need to make a change if it's too difficult at first.

Okay, this has turned into a really long letter. My thanks if you lasted all the way through and read this far.

I just want to leave you with one final thought. I admire your courage in having the strength to ask for help both in contacting me and in working with your therapist. My guess is that it was a hard decision to make. In my experience, the people who have the wisdom to seek out help are the ones who recover from whatever difficulty they are having recover most quickly and gracefully.

John M. Knapp, LMSW
KnappFamilyCounseling.com

a consideration of the yoga sutras (1)

The yoga-sutras (the Yoga Darshana) opens with the word ATHA, now.

This can have several meanings such as "now listen up", but two meanings seem important to consider: now without any preparation and now as the result of preparation.

I spent approximately 10 years, sometimes on and off, translating, word-for-word, the text that is available to us today. I noticed two things, that the 4th section seems to have a slightly different Sanskrit syntax from the first three sections and, probably more important, the text contains its own commentary. For example, the second sutra explains the word yoga found in the first sutra.

If you look carefully, and there are some really excellent translations available such as Taimni's, Prasada's, Deshpande's and the on-line translation by Chip Hartranft (http://www.arlingtoncenter.org/yogasutra.html) to name just some of the one's I have found useful, you will notice that the internal commentary is fairly easily separated from what was possibly the source text.

Obviusly, yogi's learning their trade probably didn't need the added explanations because that's what the teacher was teaching them; but later generations might have not had this benefit and thus something like footnotes were added. And then the 4th section and maybe then the two sets of highly confusing commentaries about which Boja Raj lamented that they said it was easy when it was not and not easy when it was.

So ATHA ... you can start now, or you can read the text many times as preparation to a deep understanding and, especially, practise of what is contained. But, of course, you always have to listen up.

So, what I intend to do is write about some of the things I learned from the Sutras themselves. The first thing being that what Mahesh teaches is not supported by the Sutras, but that's a long story and over the coming days/weeks I'll try to illustrate the areas that I feel support this contention.

a consideration of the yoga sutras (2)