The Natural Law Party

"What is the Natural Law Party?"

A global "political" front for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation movement.

"Isn't John Hagelin a respected physicist?"

Well, yes and no.

"Isn't TM meditation good for everybody?"

Absolutely not -- many suffer serious damage from it.

"Hagelin claims he has cheap, proven solutions to health care and crime."

Cheap? TM meditators spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each.

"Isn't Transcendental Meditation a nonreligious, secular movement?"

No.

"What the hell does 'Natural Law' mean, anyway?"

You won't believe it.

"So what's the big deal if TM is a religion?"

It's a very big deal.

"Look what are your motivations for publishing this site? Are you guys just disgruntled former members?"

Disgruntled, you bet. But motivations? Good civics and atonement.

"Where can I read more?"

There are many web sites now available.

"What is the Natural Law Party?"

According to the Natural Law Party (U.S.) "50-Point Action Plan to Revitalize America," "there are simple, humane, cost-effective, scientifically proven solutions to all of America’s problems. The Natural Law Party was founded to implement these solutions immediately in government." The discussion of their actual policy in their printed material and web site, while quite lofty, is extremely vague. Nowhere in the literature they mail to prospective members do they mention that all of these "solutions" are based on products of one controversial group. But in actuality the Natural Law Party is a global "political" front -- with organizations in 80 countries -- for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement. The Maharishi is a Hindu monk who began teaching TM in the 1950s. The public best knows him for his association with the Beatles, who learned TM from him in the late 1960s. It's interesting to note that in 1957, the Maharishi claimed he would bring the world to enlightenment within 10 years -- and would then retire to the caves of the Himalayas to spend the remainder of his days in quiet meditation. Yet, today he governs a world-wide spiritual empire worth over $3.5 billion dollars.More details and source documents.
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"Isn't John Hagelin a respected physicist?"

Well, yes and no. Hagelin claims to be the principal author of the hottest theory in quantum physics. True? Not quite. Superstring theory seeks to explain all physical laws in terms of one, neat system. While appearing in an impressive string of publications, Hagelin was not the primary author on the foundational superstring papers. And his co-authors and other noted scientists now distance themselves from -- and outright ridicule -- Hagelin's theories linking Transcendental Meditation and the Maharishi's teachings with quantum physics. More details and source documents.
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"Hagelin claims he has cheap, proven solutions to health care and crime."

Remember, John Hagelin and the Natural Law Party tie all their "solutions" to products of the Transcendental Meditation movement. Although most people remember learning TM for as little as $25, basic instruction in TM in the United States today costs $1,200 -- for mantras available in numerous cheap paperbacks and a method indistinguishable from the one that teachers have offered for free for millenia! And learning TM is just the beginning: Members in good standing are expected to spend tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars for "advanced" meditation techniques, levitation courses, regular meditation retreats, monthly "health food" supplements, alternative medicine consultations, faith healing, astrology sessions, lucky gems, sacrifices to Hindu gods, Hindu-based architectural consultations and construction, and more. There is no aspect of a TMer's life for which the Maharishi has not suggested extremely expensive products. The Natural Law Party is lobbying Congress for the funds to keep 7,000 lucky TMers subsidized for all these products as a means to ensure peace for the nation -- leaving the American tax-payer to foot the bill for hundreds of billions of dollars! And this doesn't even begin to take into account the most costly part of the Natural Law Party's platform -- the loss of America's priceless constitutional freedoms. More details and source documents.
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"Isn't Transcendental Meditation a nonreligious, secular movement?"

No. Since the 1970s, the Maharishi has touted TM as a secular form of meditation that does not conflict with any religion, philosophy, or governmental system. But in fact, insiders report that TM is secretly a very fundamental form of Hinduism. According to former Maharishi International University professor Anthony D. DeNaro, the Maharishi once snapped, "When America is ready for Hinduism, I will tell them." The Maharishi incorporated his original movement as a religious organization with himself as its "spiritual head." He has said that he chooses the names of Hindu gods as mantras for his followers. Four U.S. courts have found that TM is religious or a religion. A Roman Catholic Cardinal has said that TM is "not acceptable" for good Catholics or Christians. Every TM meditator must undergo an "initiation ceremony" -- or puja -- that involves offerings of fruit and flowers to the Maharishi's dead teacher as an embodiment of Shiva and Shakti (Shiva's female consort). TM teachers were once told that during the puja, they were secretly offering the new initiate's soul and all his or her future wealth and good fortune to the Lord (Shiva). Today, TM practitioners secretly perform sacrifices to Hindu gods, such as Shiva and Ganesh. The Maharishi now teaches that Hindu scripture is not only the only revealed truth, but is in fact the "natural law" of the universe: Chanting Hindu Vedas can summon gods, change the weather, influence governments, and produce other magical effects. He also teaches that chanting Hindu mantras over the sick can entice Hindu gods to cure them -- a form of Hindu faith healing. TM movement officials have gone on record as saying that TM is, in fact, superior to other forms of religion, such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, even other forms of Hinduism. More details and source documents.
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"What the hell does 'Natural Law' mean, anyway?"

You won't believe it.

"Natural law": After all, John Hagelin, the head of the Natural Law Party-USA is, or was, a respected physicist. Planning a political party around the "laws of nature" sounds like voting for gravity, meteorology, genetics, maybe even psychology. As reasonable as it sounds, however, this explanation is only partly true.

Most TM insiders know natural law is code language for Hindu Vedic Law -- specifically the Hindu sacred scripture, "The Laws of Manu," the main smriti or Vedic law to which every TM teacher must swear allegiance. With strict rules to maintain the caste system, strictures on abortion, condemnation of homosexuality, and a definite opinion on women's place in the world, these are just a few highlights from your future -- if the Natural Law Party assumes power. More details and source documents..
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So what's the big deal if TM is a religion?

It's a very big deal.

If you've never been involved with TM, it may not be easy to understand why whether TM is or isn't a religion is such a key point. After all, other controversial groups like Scientology fought the IRS for years to gain church status -- and the nonprofit tax advantages thereof.

What benefit could TM expect from the opposite play -- claiming not to be religious?

From the first, the Maharishi has had his eyes on the vast sums of government money available for social programs: schools, prisons, military education, and so forth. The problem throughout most of the developed world, however, was this money could never be available to any organization wrapped in even the faintest scent of religion.

So by claiming publicly not to be religious -- all the while gradually instructing his followers in the finer points of Hinduism -- the Maharishi has been able to amass a fortune both in money and good PR through education, government, prison, and even corporate programs -- that should by all rights be illegal under the constitutions of most of the nations on Earth. More details and source documents to come.
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"Look what are your motivations for publishing this site? Are you guys just disgruntled former members?"

We're inclined to reply, "What difference do our motivations make? Judge the information for yourself." Many people, however, do feel that motivations influence perceptions and certainly have a bearing on personal testimony. There are as many motivations for creating this site as there are contributors. Some of us are disgruntled former members. This doesn't negate the documented evidence we have to offer. Just as with whistle blowers and inside informants reporting on the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries, former members who stumble out of high demand groups, which many label "cults," are frequently the only sources of secret internal documents, practices, and scandals. We are often asked -- by Natural Law Party and Transcendental Meditation movement members -- if we are fundamentalist Christians. The short answer is, "No." (See "More discussion" for a more complete answer.) Other Natural Law Party members have warned us that by exposing material that we former insiders vowed to keep secret, we will suffer "bad karma." We, however, believe creating this site is simply good civics. A good citizen owes it to others to raise an alarm if he or she suspects a danger may exist to fellow citizens. Finally, many former TM teachers feel it is a sad duty that we atone, in whatever way we can, for the thousands of people we misled over the years through lies, misrepresentations, fraud, and hiding the serious side effects of Transcendental Meditation and cultic involvement with the organization. More discussion and source documents..
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"Where can I read more?"

We do not pretend to have all the answers about the Natural Law Party and John Hagelin. Unnatural FAQs is a critical resource on the Natural Law Party; by this we mean that our web site focuses on material that is critical of the party and the Transcendental Meditation program. We offer our site as a balance to the largely unbalanced and uncritical resources published by the TM movement and its followers. We do, however, include many links to online resources maintained by the TM movement and its enthusiastic supporters. We do not maintain all the sites below and so may not endorse all the viewpoints represented. We do, however, believe any reader coming to his or her own opinion regarding the Natural Law Party and its connection with the Maharishi and Transcendental Meditation will want to consider information and analysis from all perspectives -- including material presented by the TM movement itself.

More information on Transcendental Meditation

Also see:
Former TM teacher Don Krieger's Home Page: An important resource for the TM researcher -- personal stories, book excerpts, amazing ads for TM enlightenment paraphernalia, and more.

Mike Doughney's extraordinary MINET.ORG , including: TM-EX archives, Ex-Cult Support archives, and more.

Dr. Andrew Weil on TM: Well-known author and alternative health proponent, Dr. Andrew Weil answers the question, "Does TM work?", in a remarkably balanced fashion.

A series of articles by Justin Raimondo, (or try this cached copy) anti-war activist, on the alleged false face of the Natural Law Party.

A web page by Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan's organization dedicated to their allegations that Natural Law Party's John Hagelin is attempting to hijack the Reform Party by hiding their connections to the Maharishi and the Transcendental Meditation movement.

A collection of pro TM pages.

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More information on Cultic Groups

Also see:
AFF .

Steven Hassan'sFreedom of Mind Resource.

FACTNet.

"Who is John Hagelin?"

A briefbio.

"So it's a grass-roots political movement like the Green Party."

.Not even close.

"What's the Natural Law Party stand for?"

Selling TM products .

"Whoa -- What's TM have to do with the Natural Law Party?"

They're one and the same thing.

"Isn't the Natural Law Party just another flowers-and-incense 'New Age' movement?"

There's no room for the "Age of Aquarius" in the Natural Law Party.

"But Hagelin supports only 'scientifically validated solutions' for government's problems. What's wrong with that?"

His "science" meansTM science.

"But I like the Natural Law Party's stands on genetic engineering and other issues."

The issues aren't the point

"I like their support for alternative medicine -- I hear good things about the scientific research on that."

Can you say "faked"?

"You mentioned 'Yogic Flying.' What's up with that -- and how is it supposed to bring world peace?"

John Hagelin claims TMers can fly -- as in levitate.

"But the Maharishi and TM have been around for decades and I've never heard anything bad about them."

Read published accounts of child abuse and molestation, violence, druggings, suicides, and more.

"Aren't you just like the bigots who objected to John F. Kennedy for President because he was Catholic?"

John Hagelin's no JFK..

"The Natural Law Party is just a tiny fringe group who will never elect anybody. What's the big deal?"

Small as they are, they can do incredible damagethan you think.

"Why would John Hagelin and the Natural Law Party lie? What could possibly be their motivation for such a charade?"

Power, prestige, and money.

"Look what are your motivations for publishing this site? Are you guys just disgruntled former members?"

Disgruntled, you bet. But motivations? Good civics and atonement.