TM-EX NEWSLETTER TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION EX-MEMBERS SUPPORT GROUP Volume IV, No. 4, Summer 1992 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ZAMBIA Letter from Zambia STATE HOUSE, LUSAKA THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA Dear [TM-EX], I was delighted to receive your letter of congratulations and good wishes. It is gratifying that fellow[s] the world over have identified with our victory and the emancipation of our people. I am grateful for your concern for our country over the previous government's plans to introduce the ``Heaven on Earth'' religious sect into Zambia. We stated our position on the Maharishi very clearly before the elections and since our victory they have voluntarily departed and left the country. Thank you for your offer to provide further information on this group and should the need arise we shall not hesitate to contact you. Yours sincerely, Frederick J.T. Chiluba, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, 13 December, 1991~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MASSACHUSETTS Maharishi Institute Violates Massachusetts Law Letter To: Dr. Katherine Unger, Maharishi International Institute of Vedic Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts Dear Dr. Unger: I received, by mail, copied segments from the 1991-92 catalogue of the Maharishi International Institute of Vedic Science, located in Cambridge, MA advertising a Masters degree offering in three areas; Master of Science in Vedic Science, Master of Science in Ayurveda and Master of Science in teaching Maharishi's Vedic Science. While you have submitted these prepared programs to the Massachusetts Higher Education Coordinating Council, none of these programs have been either reviewed or approved. Therefore, your institution is in violation of Massachusetts General Laws, c. 266, s.91, which prohibits false advertising. This also violates the Massachusetts Higher Educational Coordinating Council's Standards for Independent Institutions of Higher Educations, 610CMR, 2.18 (1) (b) and 610CMR, 2.18 (2) (g), which states that ``Institutions in the process of applying for degree-granting authority within the Commonwealth shall not advertise or imply in the catalog or bulletins or any other publication, that degree-granting authority is either available or soon to be possessed.'' In that regard, you are to immediately cease distributing any literature, brochures, catalogues or flyers that suggest or imply that the Maharishi International Institute of Vedic Science is a degree-granting institution in Massachusetts. Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please give me a call. Sincerely, Tossie E. Taylor, Associate Vice Chancellor for Independent Institutions, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Higher Education Coordinating Council, February 7, 1992~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OKLAHOMA Natural Law Party Promotes Meditation Heck with the ``no new taxes'' stuff. Try reading these lips: how about increased intelligence, worldwide peace, and ``invincible'' defense system and elimination of crime and all other problems? Such is the heaven on earth being offered by the newly launched Natural Law Party, which is fielding candidates for president and vice president. If the party fizzles in American elections like it did in England, as least it can boast unrivaled promises. The party is a creation of the Transcendental Meditation movement that was founded by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Eastern guru who rode to Western stardom by hitching with the Beatles. Officials say the party is on the ballot in about eight states and is working to qualify in several others, but not Oklahoma. The recipe for the platform: Solutions are heavy on ``reducing stress'' and ``living in harmony,'' with a few holistic suggestions for farming, health care and the environment tossed in and the word ``scientific'' sprinkled liberally throughout. Longtime Maharishi watchers say the Natural Law Party is just another in a series of occasional stunts to lure new followers and income for the movement. ``It's one public relations scam to raise money,'' said Diane Hendel. The Washington, D.C. nursing student operates a hotline for TM-EX, an organization of former TM followers. ``One of the things the TM movement appreciates is public relations,'' she said. ``Every few years they announce a new project. Nothing much happens but they get a lot of press.'' ``Always a new thing, always a new angle,'' said Patrick Ryan, former TM follower who now counsels people on how to break ties with cults. Jim Walters, TM instructor in Edmond, admits the new party offers the movement valuable access to the media, the ``ability within the political arena, to state our point.'' [John] Hagelin [TM's Presidential candidate] was asked why the TM movement needs to fool with mere politics if mental mingling alone can create nirvana. ``The idea of considering the political forum was one of a shortcut'' to those goals, he said. Still, Natural Law Party officials steadfastly deny any ``legal connection'' between the party and the TM movement. ``It's totally not connected with any organization teaching transcendental mediation,'' Hagelin said. ``TM is part of our scientifically developed programs.'' Then it's probably just a coincidence that Hagelin, a physicist, is taking a leave of absence from the faculty of Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa, the Maharishi's headquarters. And that vice presidential running mate Mike Tompkins lists a doctorate in the ``science of creative intelligence from Maharishi European Research University in Switzerland.'' And that party chairman Bevan Morris is chairman of Maharishi International University. The Sunday Oklahoman, David Zizzo, August 2, 1992~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ISRAEL No-Chance Parties Queue for Israel Election Slot Israel's beyond-the-fringe parties lined up for the right to stand in a national election in which many cheerfully concede they have absolutely no chance. In the category of beyond-the-frings parties are lists dedicated to taxi driver rights, transcendental meditation, and rebuilding the biblical Jewish temple. Getting their message across will be expensive. Each party must deposit a certified check for 23,200 shekels ($9,765) on registration. If the party gains 1.5 percent of the total vote, thus gaining a seat in the Knesset, the cheque is returned. And if the party fails to win a seat? They lose it all. Reuters, Bradley Burston, May 19, 1992 [Editor's Note: The Natural Law Party gained no seats.]~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ILLINOIS Maharishi bids for base Civic leaders have been praying for a solution to an economic crisis expected after Chanute Air Force Base closes. But they aren't sending out the Welcome Wagon for Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Maharishi International University, an arm of the TM movement, has applied with the Defense Department to turn the base into a university and conference center for followers of the guru. The Pentagon is closing the base next year and this community of 20,000 in east-central Illinois has been searching frantically for something to replace the huge economic input of the base's 12,000 workers. If the school's application is accepted, it could qualify under rules designed to encourage use of abandoned bases for educational purposes or other public benefit. Maharishi International could get the 2,500 acres, including golf course, bowling alley and nearly 300 buildings, for free. ``It's maddening, totally maddening,'' said Mayor Katy Podagrasi. Podagrasi and other city leaders say turning the base over to the Maharishi International would make it a self contained operation that would provide nothing to the community. As an educational institution, the Maharishi's school would pay no property tax, unlike factories and small businesses Rantoul had hoped to attract. The guru, who lives in the Netherlands, has been active in the United States since the 1960s. He teaches that four hours of daily meditation can create world peace and reverse the ageing process, among other things. Reuters, July 5, 1992~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CANADA MAYOR CLARIFIES TM/VEDALAND CLAIMS City of Niagara Falls, Canada Office of the Mayor Dear [TM-EX]: Thank you for submitting your comments concerning the recently announced proposed Maharishi Veda Land Theme Park. I would like to assure you that the project, although announced, will still go through the standard public hearing process. Infrastructure servicing such as sewers and water, and land use planning issues must the addressed and a firm proposal presented to the various approving bodies including City Council. When these meetings are held, there will be various notices provided; and you will have ample opportunity to express your views in person or through written correspondence. I can tell you, however, that at this time, no commitment whatsoever has been provided by City Council for the use of any tax dollars for this development. Similarly, I believe that the Federal and Provincial governments have not provided any financial inducements for the project. Again, thank you for supplying your comments, and I appreciate your taking the time to express your viewpoint. Sincerely, Wayne Thomson, Mayor, May 4, 1992 [Editor's Note: ``Sweet Truth of the Maharishi,'' produced by Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Radio, aired May 17, 1992 on ``Sunday Morning.'' Audiotape available from TM-EX.]~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OBITUARY Sam Walton, 74, the business pioneer who built Wal-Mart into the largest retail chain in the nation, died at a hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. He had bone cancer and leukemia. In 1991, Forbes magazine placed him and his four children as Nos. 3 to 7 on its list of the wealthiest Americans, with a net worth of $4.4 billion each. Walton was reportedly being treated for his cancer at the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center of Fairfield, Iowa shortly before his death.~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FLORIDA Palm Beach clinic closes amid criticism of holistic methods: Guru who founded TM linked to center Five months after being the subject of a sharply critical article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Center has closed its doors for good. Owner Christopher Wege said his decision to close the alternative medicine center, which also taught transcendental meditation, was not related to the negative publicity stemming from the JAMA article. ``This closed mainly because it was seasonal and we didn't learn to adapt to the seasonal thing,'' he said. ``We had only two break-even months in four years and those were during the season.'' The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an Indian guru who founded TM and once counted The Beatles among his followers, was the force behind the center, one of five in the United States. The centers promote an alternative, holistic form of medicine based on the use of herbs, oils and dietary change. The other centers are still open, Wege said. ``Most people who are interested in alternative medicine don't care what JAMA says,'' he said. After publishing an article touting Ayur-Veda and then finding out the authors [Deepak Chopra, M.D., Hari Sharma, M.D., and B.D. Triguna] were on the Maharishi's payroll, JAMA published a staff-written article that concluded Ayur-Veda is unproved, deceptive and a scheme by the Maharishi to boost declining enrollments in TM courses. In an article in the Spring, 1992, issue of the Skeptical Inquirer, Andrew Skolnick, JAMA associate editor, said, ``Since the publication of JAMA's expose, life has been anything but blissful for the Maharishi.'' ``Dozens of print and electronic news media have carried stories about TM's deception and JAMA's counterblast,'' Skolnick wrote. ``That coverage continues more than three months after publication of the expose.'' He also said that as a result of information uncovered in the JAMA expose, TM's operations are being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the House of Representative Subcommittee on Long-Term Health Care and the National Institutes of Health. Michael Lasalandra, Palm Beach Post, April 1, 1992~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CALIFORNIA DOWN TO A SCIENCE: Skeptic's Corner: Ice-T's song about killing cops is very much in the news, as is the question: Have his First Amendment rights been infringed? Meanwhile, another First Amendment battle has gone virtually unnoticed by the mass media. In recent years, a number of courageous Americans have criticized practitioners of unorthodox or controversial science. Now some of these fringe scientists are fighting back with a potent weapon--legal threats. Result: Some critics are intimidated into silence. Traditionally, scientists prefer to battle over ideas in seminars and journal articles; it's civilized, intellectually productive and relatively bloodless. But the fringies prefer the legal whip to the scientific method. You dislike my theory? An example is self-professed ``psychic'' and spoon-bender Uri Geller, who is suing magician James Randi for exposing Geller's tricks. Then there are the Trekkies at ``Biosphere II,'' the space colony-under-glass in Arizona, who allegedly threatened legal action against at least one disillusioned ex-aide. The latest target is a reporter at the Journal of the American Medical Association, Andrew Skolnick. He launched a brave investigation into an organization with links to the Transcendental Meditation movement that also promotes what some regard as dubious medical practices. Now they've sued Skolnick and his editor for $194 million. Whew! Didn't someone joke there's a direct correlation between the nuttiness of a lawsuit and the amount of money demanded? San Francisco Examiner, Keay Davidson, July 31, 1992 [Editor's Note: The lawsuit, Lancaster Foundation and American Association of AyurVedic Medicine v. Skolnick and Lundberg, is filed in the U.S. Dist. Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, 92C4175. A reprint of the JAMA investigation is available from TM-EX.]~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- INDIA A Visit to the Shankaracharyaaracharya, Part III [Editor's Note: The following transcript is taken directly from the taped conversations between Robert Kropinski, a former TM teacher and follower of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and Shree Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati, a pre-eminent disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Guru Dev), who is considered Mahesh Yogi's Spiritual Master.] Q: So, in other words, explain to Shankaracharya, that what he (Mahesh) gives is, for example, my mantra was aing, and I paid $400 and I received the word ``aing.'' So, mentally, I closed my eyes with aing, using that mantra, repeating it mentally, passively. In other words, passively, just saying it, repeating it like that. Mahesh claims these mantras came from Shankaracharya. Shankaracharya: Shankaracharya (Guru Dev), whose disciple he (Mahesh) calls himself, I was also his disciple, Brahmand Saraswati's (Guru Dev). He (Brahmand Saraswati) was my Guru. He would not accept any offerings from his disciples. Disciple should be such that he gives to his Guru everything. Then nothing belongs to the disciple, everything is Guru's. Guru should be such that he does not take anything from the disciple. He thinks only good of his disciple. Q: Lord, we have heard that Mahesh Yogi instructs mantras himself, and some people believe him as their Guru. He is a kaaystha by birth (lower caste). Do you think it is appropriate for him to instruct like this? Shankaracharya: My first information was that he used to place a picture of Guru Dev and had people worship the picture, and then he would give out the mantras. I have met many persons who, in reality, had their mantras from Mahesh, but they consider themselves to be disciples of Brahmaliin Jagadguru Shankaracharya (Guru Dev). But, no matter whom they consider their teacher, the fact of the matter is that a person who gives a mantra is to be considered the real Guru. If Mahesh thinks that he is backed by Shankaracharya, then what is proper on his part is to tell people to take initiation from Shankaracharya. Q: Brahmananda Saraswati did not charge any fees when he used to initiate? Shankaracharya: This is a principle. A quotation from Goswami Tulsidas: ``The guru who charges or takes money from his disciples in return for initiation, steals disciples property and goes to damnable hell.'' For that reason Guru Deva used to give `upadesha' (initiation) without any fees. He used to say ``If I accept any gift from the disciple (or fees), then his sins are transmitted to me.'' In India, dharma, yoga, knowledge, specialized knowledge can never be sold for money. That is priceless. Anyone who puts a price on it insults it. So, a mantra is also never given for money. Knowledge cannot be sold for money. Therefore, the process that is being employed by Mahesh is merely for the sake of making money, and this is entirely against the canons of Indian culture and civilization. Where money is involved that becomes a business. I am telling you what is good for you without any vested interest. This is the rule followed here. We do not have a class of people as he (Mahesh) has created there...You don't need a class for giving a mantra. Ashtanga Yoga--Yama, niyam, aasan, praanayaam, pratyaahaar, dhaarnaa, dhyaan, samaadhi, theses are the eight limbs of yoga. A Guru takes a disciple into these one by one. In return, the Guru does not accept anything from his disciple. He does it out of kindness and out of a feeling for doing good to his disciple. The second thing is, when one practices yoga, then he attains sidhis (supernatural powers). But, these powers are of no use. One who is asking for a price for a mantra, it shows, he did not have anything to give out to anyone else. Q: My Lord, it is reported that he (Mahesh) is giving ``Sidhi initiation'' and is charging a minimum of RS 20,000 ($10,000 US approx.) for what he teaches. His Sidhi mantras are Sanskrit verses of the Yoga Sutras and he has promised Sidhis (supernatural powers) as an achievement of the practice. To me it looks like cheating, what is your opinion? Shankaracharya: So far as `Yoga Darshan' (the Yoga Sutras of Maharishi Patanjali) is concerned, the first step of the `Yoga Darshan' is `Chitta vritti nirodaha' or control of the fluctuations of the mind. Achievement of Yoga practice is the state of `Samadhi' and `Samadhi' is the goal of the practice. When the Sadhaka (practitioner) reaches the state of `Samadhi' then he may attain some Sidhis like travelling through space, seeing distant objects, etc. But these are obstacles and one should not be attached to these Sidhis, for they do positive disservice to the Sadhakas and their use can cause reversal of spiritual achievement. These Sidhis come of their own accord, naturally to anyone engaged in meditation. But, if the goal is to obtain and use Sidhis then it is a perversion. These are obstacles in the way of samadhi and one should not have any sense of attachment with them, otherwise something undesirable may happen. Any attachment with them is not expected of any yogi. Who disciplines himself and concentrates (dharana) on `Surya'--``Surya Sanyama Bhubana Jnanam,'' meaning who disciplines or contemplates on Surya, he attains the knowledge of the universe. To get this knowledge one has to concentrate on `Surya.' But, prior to that stage of dharan (one pointed concentration) `pratyahar' is necessary. Pratyahar, realization of Divine Truth in perfect form at all times, is necessary. That stage comes after yama, niyama, asana, and aprnayama. All these stages mean complete discipline of body, mind and emotions with no attachment or aversion of any kind in the world. Whoever goes in straightaway for meditation for a little while without these preceding stages, cannot get `pratyahar' which is an abstraction of worldly enjoyment and he cannot come to the stage of `dharan' (one pointed concentration). And one who cannot concentrate of discipline himself, how can he attain Sidhis (supernormal powers)? so all these talks are just cheating and an Indian yogi should not do that. This will tarnish India's image. What Mahesh Yogi need is to show others how to fly. He should fly in the sky in front of everybody. It would be nice if he once flies from America to India without any airplane. Then perhaps what he says can be accepted. Otherwise, he will be like those who entrap people in their net of forgery.''~ ----TO BE CONTINUED ----- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Germany JUDGMENT OF GERMAN COURT The ruling of the highest federal administrative tribunal, the Bundesverwaltungsgericht on May 24, 1989 in Case number 7 C 2.87 is: 1) The Federal Government is competent and allowed to care about cults. 2) The Federal Government is allowed to warn of TM. 3) The Federal Government is allowed to designate TM a ``Youth Religion'' as well as a ``Psychogroup.'' 4) The Federal Government is allowed to say that TM is taught by teachers who are not qualified [to deal with the TM problems]. 5) The Federal Government is allowed to say TM can cause psychic defects or destruction of personality. The Various Implications Arising From The Practice of Transcendental Meditation The study was commissioned by the German Government Ministry of Youth, Family and Health, the physical and social implications of the practice of TM being of primary interest. The investigation has as its aim to systematically establish the motives of an individual for beginning TM, the implications of the practice for this individual and his social circle, as well as to pinpoint the reasons for a voluntary or involuntary ceasing of TM meditation, or, in some cases, individuals distancing themselves from the movement. Moreover the relationship between the underlying world view, inherent in TM, and the practice as presented to the public was analyzed as to its effect on some individuals. The study offers an introduction into the teaching and practice of TM based on the movement's own presentation of itself and its aims, which in turn lead to the hidden religious background. [Editor's Note: A translation is available from TM-EX .]~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1992 CULT AWARENESS NETWORK National Conference will be held in Los Angeles on November 5-8, 1992. Speakers include Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., on ``The Powers of Ethical Influence,'' Louis Jolyon West, M.D., on ``The Scientology Wars,'' and Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph.D., on ``Cults, Coercion and Society.'' Steve Allen, noted author, comedian and father, will give the Keynote Address on Saturday night. A special FOCUS pre-conference, ``Integrating the Past With the Future: A conference for former cultists and their significant others'' will be held all day on Thursday, November 5, at no charge. Conference information, including registration and fees (reduced fees for former cult members) is available from TM-EX or CAN (Chicago) at 312/267-7777. As in other years, volunteers from TM-EX will be available throughout the conference to help with questions or referrals, as well as providing special meetings for concerned former members and/or their families.~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Coping With Trance States: The Aftermath of Leaving Trance states, derealization, dissociation, spaceyness...What are they? What strategies can we use to cope with them? Trance states: By trance states, we mean dissociation, depersonalization and derealization. In the group we called it spacing out or higher/altered states of consciousness. All humans have some propensity to have moments of dissociation. However, certain practices (meditation, chanting, learned processes of speaking in tongues, prolonged guided imagery, etc.) appear to have ingrained in many former members a reflexive response to involuntarily enter altered states of consciousness. Even after leaving the group and ceasing its consciousness-altering practices, this habitual, learned response tends to recur under stress. For some former members this can be distressing and affect their functioning. When this happens, it tends to impair one's concentration, attention, memory and coping skills. Many former members coming from prolonged consciousness-altering groups find that the intensity, frequency and duration of the episodes decrease when they deliberately and consistently use the strategies outlined below. It is important to note that when one is is tired, ill, or under stress the feelings of spaceyness, dissociation, depersonalization and derealization may temporally return. By developing the ability to immediately label these states and attempting the following strategies, one can return to consistent state of mental functioning. DEFINITIONS from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III): Dissociatives Disorders: The essential feature is a sudden, temporary alteration in the normally integrative functions of consciousness, identity, or motor behavior. If the alteration occurs in consciousness, important personal events cannot be recalled. If it occurs in identity, either the individual's customary identity is temporarily forgotten and a new identity is assumed, or the customary feeling of one's own reality is lost and replaced by a feeling of unreality. If the alteration occurs in motor behavior, there is also a concurrent disturbance in consciousness or identity. Atypical Dissociative Disorder (300.15): Trance-like states, derealization unaccompanied by depersonalization, and those more prolonged dissociated states may occur in persons who have been subjected to periods of prolonged and intense coercive persuasion (brainwashing, thought reform, and indoctrination while captive of terrorists or cultists). Depersonalization Disorder (300.60): The essential feature is the occurrence of one or more episodes of depersonalization that cause social or occupational impairment. The symptom of depersonalization involves an alteration in the perception or experience of the self so that the usual sense of one's own reality is temporarily lost or changed. This is manifested by a sensation of self-estrangement or unreality, which may include the feeling that one's extremities have changed in size, or the experience of seeming to perceive oneself from a distance. In addition, the individual may feel ``mechanical'' or as though in a dream. Various types of sensory anesthesias and feeling of not being in complete control of one's actions, including speech, are often present. Associated features. Derealization is frequently present. This is manifested by a strange alteration in the perception of one's surroundings so that a sense of the reality of the external world is lost. A perceived change in the size of shape of objects in the external world is common. People may be perceived as dead or mechanical. Other common associated features include dizziness, depression, obsessive ruminations, anxiety, fear of going insane, and disturbance in the subjective sense of time. There is often the feeling that recall is difficult or slow. EX-MEMBERS' COPING STRATEGIES Maintain a routine. Make change slowly: physical, emotional, nutritional, geographical, etc. Monitor health, including nutrition, medical checkups. Avoid drugs/alcohol. Daily exercise reduces dissociation (spaceyness, anxiety and insomnia). Avoid sensory overload. Avoid crowds or large spaces without boundaries (shopping malls, video arcades, etc.). Drive consciously without music. Reality orientation: Establish time and place landmarks such as calendars and clocks. Make lists of activities in advance. Update lists daily or weekly. Difficult tasks and large projects should be kept separate lists. Before going on errands, review list of planned activities, purchases and projects. Mark items off as you complete them. Keep updated on current news. News shows (CNN, Headline News, talk radio) are helpful because they repeat, especially if you have memory/concentration difficulties. Reading: Try to read one complete news article daily to increase comprehension. Develop reading ``stamina'' with the aid of a timer. Increasing reading periods progressively. Sleep interruptions: Leave TALK radio/Television, news programs (not music) on all night. Don't push yourself. After years or months, dissociation is a habit, it takes time to break.~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1984 An excerpt from George Orwell's novel: You are a flaw in the pattern. You are a stain that must be wiped out. Did I not tell you just now that we are different from the persecutors of the past? We are not content with negative obedience, nor even with the most abject submission. When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will. We do not destroy the heretic because he resists us; so long as he resists us we never destroy him. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him. It is intolerable to us that an erroneous thought should exist anywhere in the world, however secret and powerless it may be. Even in the instant of death we cannot permit any deviation. In the old days the heretic walked to the stake still a heretic, proclaiming his heresy, exulting in it. Even the victim of the Russian purges could carry rebellion locked up in his skull as he walked down the passage waiting for the bullet. But we make the brain perfect before we blow it out. The command of the old despotisms was `Thou shalt not.' The command of the totalitarians was `Thou shalt.' Our command is `Thou art.' No one whom we bring to this place ever stands out against us. Everyone is washed clean. What happens to you here is forever. Understand that in advance. We shall crush you down to the point from which there is no coming back. Things will happen to you from which you could not recover, if you lived a thousand years. Never again will you be capable of ordinary human feeling. Everything will be dead inside you. Never again will you be capable of love or friendship, or joy of living, or laughter, or curiosity, or courage, or integrity. You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with ourselves. George Orwell~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear TM-EX: Please send me your literature; I've been doing TM for 2 mo. and have noted no + or - changes in my life. Psychology Today, in an Apr 74 article, said a small # of people are made irritable and anxious by the technique, and that these people are usually ones w/ a negative disposition. Does it allow us to be more conscious? I await your reply, enclosed is a SASE. Thanks, E.L., Virginia ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear TM-EX: Can you please send me a copy of the ``Beacon Light'' book as my copy has fell to bits and I have lost some pages. I need it to demonstrate to a friend of mine that TM is a religion, and that the mantras are the names of Gods. I enclose a check which I hope will cover costs. Hope to hear from you soon. Keep up the good work! Sincerely, England ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear TM-EX: I learned about your organization through Interfaith Coalition of Concern About Cults. I took the TM course [recently] at the New York City TM center. At this point I don't know what to think. I don't plan on going in for Yogic Flying, I'm just doing the 20 minute technique. But I want to know if there are any dangerous long term side effects of the 20 minute technique. Could I develop bad symptoms months or years from now? I would appreciate the name and phone number of a local contact. I would also like to receive the name and phone number of a former TM teacher. I would like to receive your newsletter and any other literature you might have. Could you give any titles aof books and how I might get them. For example, I heard of a book, TM and Cult Mania but I haven't been able to get it anywhere. If there is a charge for any of the literature please let me know what the cost is. I know I've asked for a lot, but I gave these people $400, and I want to know as much as I can about what goes on and more facts about TM, also if anyone is being hurt by the 20 minute meditation. Better too much information than not enough. Thank you. K.D., New York ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear TM-EX: I learned of your existence by reading some of your newsletters. I would like to add my voice to those who dare to speak out against the TM organization. Though Maharishi's intentions to create an Age of Enlightenment were originally motivated by a fundamental belief in universal good, it's clear that the world is a much bigger place than even the Maharishi can manage. However, overseeing a 3.6 billion dollar enterprise is nothing to sneer at...quite a prodigious, though misguided, accomplishment! Maybe, if Maharishi dropped the facade of TM as the basis for individual and world peace (does he still believe his own rhetoric?) he could be nominated for an award in a category that's more appropriate, such as one for marketing genius and corporate miracle man of the twentieth century. We should all do as well. But then again, how many of us have the absolute confidence and clear conscience to sell expensive programs teaching people how to levitate, or how to become enlightened? Let's see how much did I spend on this? About ten thousand dollars! And I'm one of the lucky ones. It's sad for me to watch what was once a beautiful possibility and promise turn into a parody and sham. During the past twenty years, ten of which I spent in the TM organization, I have never met a person who has levitated or become enlightened. Obviously, levitation is a bit much to imagine. It's the enlightenment part I wonder about, since it is still highly touted in the current TM literature. I am now in my 40's. The last ten years were spent trying to identify and compensate for the losses I experienced in my twenties. Though I experienced absorption in transcendent spiritual states, I know personally that by its very nature TM cannot possibly offer what it promises. The spiritual transcendence inherent in the TM technique is unbalanced in the direction of withdrawal from the demands of reality. TM bypasses our psychic structures and emotional attitudes by altering the various energy patterns within our nervous system, producing temporary experiences of euphoria. Supposedly, the TM meditator undergoes a gradual process of dissolving one stress-inhibited identity for another more liberated one. At best, the meditator becomes increasingly dependent on the technique to produce feelings of well-being. Unfortunately psychological and emotional breakdowns inevitably occur especially if there is a prolonged exposure to TM dogma and codes of behavior. Once I believed whole-heartedly and would have given the world to be with Maharishi if not on a personal level than as a life-long TM teacher. Yet if I had to do it all over again I would walk away and never look back. Knowing what I now know about the fraudulent scientific research, the psychological and emotional costs and the vast financial gains makes any notion absurd and insane. I may be crazy but I ain't stupid. Sincerely, Frank Caulfield, CA [``LETTERS'' is a forum reflecting the views of the authors and does not necessarily represent those of the editors. Due to volume of letters, not all can be published. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Please send letters, essays, and articles to TM-EX. Because of the sensitive nature of our publication, authors' names printed by request only.]~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cults in the News MOONIE U! The Rev. Sun Myung Moon--messiah, spiritual leader and chief executive of the Unification Church--preaches that Jesus Christ appeared to him on a mountaintop in Korea when Moon was 16 and told him that God had chosen Moon to finish Christs' failed mission on Earth. A communique from Moon to his disciples, titled ``Father's Instructions,'' spelled out nine goals as of Nov. 2, 1990. No. 8 says: ``Preparation to undertake university ownership.'' Within 18 months, that was done. A Unification Church affiliate agreed April 25 to buy the University of Bridgeport [UB], an 86-acre campus that is a one-hour drive from New York City and comes with faculty, students, science laboratories, a 900-seat theatre and a successful basketball team. Moon's followers had been laying the groundwork for at least a decade. The task required converts, not necessarily church members but VIPs willing to further the church's interests. They include a former member of Congress and a former president of Costa Rica. This is the story of the Unification Church's quest for legitimacy in a small city and of sales strategies designed to overcome a reputation as a brainwashing cult often referred to as ``Moonies.'' Legitimacy, said church critics, is a subtle process. UB will be displayed as another jewel in the church empire, they said, offering this glimpse forward: In a few years, after current students and faculty finish or flee, PWPA [Professors World Peace Academy, a Moonie front group] will fill the ranks largely with foreign students and PWPA professors. Polite church members will run an efficient campus, taking most jobs that Bridgeport citizens anticipated filling. Escorts will lead campus tours for visiting church donors, diplomats and most importantly, people deciding whether to enter an agreement with the Unification Church and the Rev. Moon. Church Bids for Legitimacy, Washington Post, Laurie Goodstein, May 26, 1992 [Editor's Note: The Coalition of Concerned Citizens, an organization formed for the purpose of preventing the takeover of the University of Bridgeport by the Moon-controlled PWPA can be reached at: 70 Crown Street, Bridgeport, CT 06610.] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW ALLIANCE PARTY Lenora Fulani, presidential candidate for the New Alliance Party says she represents a black-led, multiracial and pro-gay party. He plan is to ``build a new America'' by reducing racism, unemployment, drugs and crime. The New Alliance Party, which Fulani has been associated with since it began in 1979, has been criticized as a therapy cult that brainwashes its members. The party refutes brainwashing charges, calling their techniques ``social therapy'' or ``crisis normalization'' to help people with ``the everyday crises situtations that happen to everyone.'' Fulani, a psychologist from New York, ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York City and for lieutenant governor and governor of New York. The party said it expects to be on the ballot in 43 states. Reuters, August 27, 1992~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOK REVIEW The Trauma of Captivity ``Prolonged, repeated trauma...occurs...when the victim is a prisoner, unable to flee, and under the control of the perpetrator,'' says psychiatrist Judith Lewis Herman in Trauma and Recovery (Basic Books, 1992). Dr. Herman observes that ``Captivity, which brings the victim into prolonged contact with the perpetrator, creates a special type of relationship, one of coercive control'' and this is true ``whether the victim is taken captive entirely by force as in the case of prisoners and hostages, or by a combination of force, intimidation and enticement, as in the case of religious cult members.'' Trauma and Recovery deals with the commonalities in the experiences of prisoners, hostages, combat veterans, battered women, abused children and other victims of trauma. Though primarily concerned with battered wives and victims of childhood abuse, the book is wide-ranging and full of valuable information and insights that will help cult victims and their families to understand the nature of their suffering and the kind of healing that can help them. Dr. Herman describes the psychological trauma that can arise from a single event, such as rape, and its aftermath--called post-traumatic stress disorder. She also describes and distinguishes a condition she calls ``complex post-traumatic stress disorder'' caused by prolonged and repeated trauma. In clear, articulate language she explains the devastation of captivity and its destructive aftermath. In Part II of the book, ``Stages of Recovery,'' Dr. Herman lays out the road of return. The first principle of recovery, she writes, is the empowerment of the survivor, who must be the ``the author and arbiter of her own recovery.'' No intervention that takes power away from the survivor, Dr. Herman asserts can foster recovery. In this light, she discusses the role of therapy, the work of the therapist and the therapist's relationship to the client--an excellent section for those with no prior involvement with therapy. Dr. Herman then describes in detail and with specific examples three phases of recovery: Safety, Remembrance and Mourning, and Reconnection, that she considers the key stages of the recovery process. This section is enormously helpful both as it clarifies the recovery map and as it clearly identifies what can help and what can harm as the survivor makes his or her way back to society. You do not need a technical background to read and learn from Trauma and Recovery. You may need some patience with its occasionally strident feminist tone, but you will benefit substantially from Dr. Herman's experience and insights. [Editor's Note: The reviewer, the parent of a cult member, prefers to remain anonymous.]~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Members of the Movement Most come-on's have in fact Only a minuscule Effect moving seekers On to cultic causes. But visions of grandeur, Both material and divine, Bring scores of devotees To the cultist seer. From his gurudom the Maharishi does it best, He casts the net of promise Of an earthly paradise. His proselytes engage The non-believers with Ayurveda-cure and Magic-body placebos. ``Think only the mantra...'' Add cosmic consciousness To oils and herbs of Earth With pseudoscience pride And set forth disciples, Zealous partisans to Micro-manage every Self-absorbing fantasy. Quote the Yogi: ``they do Less but accomplish more.: Fancy that! -- and they cut The crime while murders soar! Guru advocates and Automatic tools of His bold exotic cult Of panacea lore. For peace and health with heaven, Yogi started all the Butts of the laity TM-Sidhi hopping With elbows flapping -- all The rishi emulator Well-to-do's twice a day With all his ne'er-do-wells. Yogi's take has been three Billion bucks in only Thirty years from flocks of Followers and big deals -- his Trusting, glory-fancied Patrons paid in cash to play The trance-essential game -- He put Mesmer quite to shame. Albert B. Miller~ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Suggested Readings Trauma and Recovery, by Judith Lewis Herman, M.D. An in-depth exploration into the commonalities of traumatic experience and the process of healing. [See review] Combatting Cult Mind Control, by Steven Hassan. MUST reading for anyone who has been touched by cult phenomena. A former Moonie tells his story. TM and Cult Mania, by M.A. Persinger, Ph.D. An in-depth investigation into the claims of TM, hypnosis and research. [Available from TM-EX] Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, by R.J. Lifton, M.D. A classic textbook and case study on victims of thought reform and the elements of thought reform programs. [See excerpt, Winter 92] Heaven on Earth: Dispatches From America's Spiritual Frontier, by Michael D'Antonio. A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter visits America's spiritual communities including MIU, Fairfield, Iowa. [See review, Spring 92] Cultic Studies Journal: Psychological Manipulation and Society. A refereed semi-annual journal published by the American Family Foundation (AFF), P.O. Box 2265, Bonita Springs, FL 33959. The CSJ seeks to advance the understanding of cultic practices and their relation to society, including broad social and cultural implications as well as effects on individuals and families. Cult Awareness Network (CAN) News, 2421 West Pratt Blvd., Suite 1173, Chicago, IL 60645, (312) 267-7777. Founded to educate the public about the harmful effects of mind control as used by destructive cults. CAN confines its concerns to unethical or illegal practices, and passes no judgment on doctrine or beliefs. How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life, by Thomas Gilovich. An investigation of how even highly educated people become convinced of the validity of questionable or demonstrably false beliefs about the world, and the unfortunate impact of these beliefs. Skeptical Inquirer, Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215. Journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, which attempts to encourage the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view. [See Winter 1983-84, ``An investigation of the effects of TM on the Weather.''] NCAHF Newsletter (National Council Against Health Fraud), P.O. Box 1276, Loma Linda, CA 92354. To aid in activism against health fraud, misinformation and quackery. Influence: The New Psychology of Modern Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D. A landmark publication in furthering our understanding of the persuasion process. Now Available From TM-EX Reprints--including early TM studies, journal research and news articles. Investigative reports from BBC, CBC and other news media available on audiotape. Write for a complete list.~