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Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: a critical view

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What You Will Find Here

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.

A few words about comments

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.

Read more about comments here.

By commenting on TM-Free Blog, you agree to our Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution 3.0 License. You retain all commercial publishing rights. However, readers may quote for further discussion.

Commenting on most posts closes automatically after 30 days.

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Essential Documents and Articles
TM Organization and Related Links
Other Cults and Gurus
Cult Recovery, Research and Articles

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Contact/TMFB Coordinator

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)

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 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

Labels

transcendental meditation TM Maharishi Mahesh Yogi by Gina John Knapp cult by Laurie cult/cults David Lynch by Mike Doughney think free meditation Personal Stories Scientology TM in public schools brainwashing Transcendental Scams David Lynch Foundation religion True Believer lies mind-control Hinduism mantras deception indoctrination belief cons puja spirituality money Open Thread recovery secrets thought reform Steps to Recovery TM-Free Blog TM-Sidhi research David Wants to Fly TM-children science Global Country God Maharishi Universities initiation side effects Maharishi Effect Young people meditating Big Lie Yogic Flying book review dissociation Comments techniques Remains of Ignorance children suicides Doubtful Research TM claims victims Guru Dev Maharishi Maharishi Ayurveda disclosure enlightenment meditation results news Maharishi Vedic City addiction brain chemistry delusional thinking mind-fuck victors Creepy TM Videos Maharishi Vedic Pandits Vedic City cults levitation pseudo-science sex yoga sutras MUM Maharishi University of Management Mahesh celebrity meditators false profits john hagelin marketing pandits rajas submissions veterans Maharishi Obituary Paul McCartney TM in Chicago schools TM-Siddhi Technical Difficulties behaviour management celebrities cognitive dissonance endorphins fairfield iowa psychosis sidhi vedic pandits yagyas "high" Hagelin TM Teacher Training TM initiation TMO The Magical Mystery Tour Williams v. Board of Education history news brief quitting TM unstressing worship Robert J. 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Orme-Johnson Deathbed Deepak Chopra Denmark Ellen DeGeneres Fire Sale Flim-Flam Gurus Forgiveness George Harrison Girish Varma Gita Haglin Islam James Wolcott Jeremy Goodale Judaism Jyotish KGB Kropinski Kulreet Chaudhary Labels: beliefs Maharishi Vidya Mandir Maharishi politics Mahesh Yogi Maheshi Marshall Belden McGuru Michael Persinger MySpace Ned Wynn New York Times New Yorker article Nohema Graber Norman Rosenthal Peace Purusha Queensland Raam Richard Blakely Ringo Starr SCI Schmooz Scientific American Secret of the Mantras Shankaracharya Shiva Sneaky Social Climber Social Trends Soma Sopranos South Africa South Fallsburg Spy Sri Chinmoy Strength in Stillness TM and Cult Mania TM documentary TM films TM politics The Raj Thom Knoles Tolerance Toxic Concern TranceNet.net Transcendental Deception Transcript Upgrades Used Mantras Utopia Vastu Vedic calendar Willard Miller Yoga Journal Yogi a very small pond activism administrivia agreements allegory attention deficit disorder authority figures awakening beach boys boring by Michael D. Coleman by Michael H. Jackson change begins within gala death delusion demographics documents effortless facebook fairfield iowa crime feel the body folie à deux TMO folie à deux and the TMO; attention deficit disorder forms giggle gold crowns he his majesty maharaja adhiraj raja ram how to do TM ideological conflict informed consent inner heat january birthdays kaivalyam king as deity kundalini languages laughter laws of manu letter to the editor levi butler lying magical thinking maharishi channel mantra meandering metaphor mokṣa movement megalomania narcissism natural disaster orange booklet penetrating insight perfectionism polls posted by Sudarsha powers prisons promises psychic powers pundits schisms shared madness shiva lingam siddhi sidha lands strength support group techniques for development of consciousness the past tower of invincibility toy government trademarks traditional trivia ult/cults victim victimise video weakness wealth wikileaks files yoga sūtra yogis

Contributors

Abraham
Gina
Joe
Joseppi
Laurie
Mike Doughney
Sudarsha

Disclaimer / Intellectual Property Notice

All posts are the personal opinions of the individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by other TM-Free contributors, individually or collectively. Comments on articles are the sole responsibility of the authors themselves. All postings are copyrighted by the individual authors and all rights are reserved by them.

The TM-Free Blog and its contributors do not offer instruction in, or assistance with, meditation or any other mental practice. The blog's title should not be interpreted to mean that this blog offers a "free" meditation practice of any kind.

Transcendental Meditation, TM, TM-Sidhi and many other terms used on this website are registered or common law, trademarks or service marks of Maharishi Foundation USA, or other corporations or entities in the United States and other countries, and are used here to identify those specific products and services.

All material on this site is intended for information, commentary, criticism, parody, satire, and other journalistic purposes. Any use of copyrighted, service marked, or trademarked material is therefore subject to fair-use exception under US Copyright Law.

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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