1.1 THE FOUNDER

1.2 HISTORY

"Unlike so many other techniques, which emphasize how difficult it is to achieve pure consciousness, this tradition has always maintained that this experience was easily open to all. According to the tradition, the knowledge about the technique has been spread only a few times in known history, i.e. during the times of Krishna, Buddha, and Shankara ( by Harold H. Bloomfield, M.P. Caine, D.T. Jaffe and R.B. Kroy. Dussaldorf-Wen P 59)

It was the idea of Mahesh Yogi's to make this easy technique available to all people in our time: this is how the development of the T.M. movement is presented to its followers today. Out of this comes what T.M. now claims to be: "...the world movement, which teaches a universal meditation technique, that can bring to everyone increased health, achievements and fulfillment". (p. 64)

In India itself Mahesh Yogi had little success. As against that, he won a growing following in the west, especially among students in the United States. Because of this, he transferred more and more of his sphere of activities to the United States and Europe. S.I.M.S., the "Students International Meditation Society" was founded. Around 1967 the previously little-known yogi enjoyed a brief spell of publicity through the interest and involvement of the "Beatles". After that the T.M. movement developed without any great success. It was only as a result of the rising interest in meditation generally that the big upsurge came. This can best be seen in the growing numbers of meditators who enrolled in three to eight month teacher training courses, in order to spread further the meditation technique of T.M. and the "Science of Creative Intelligence".

The first teacher training course in India in 1961 had sixteen participants, among them five Germans. The second did not take place until 1966. Since 1970 three courses a year have been held, first on Maker, where Maharishi rented twelve hotels, and in more recent years, in Seelisburg, Switzerland. By the middle of 1973, six thousand meditators had become teachers.

In the beginning of the western phase of the movement, Mahesh Yogi appears to have transmitted his message largely in a religious context. It is only in the book "The Science of Being and the Art of Living" (published in India in 1963, and in English 1966) that a determined attempt is seen to interpret Transcendental Meditation in the context of western scientific thought. In order to gain access to American schools and universities, the propagation of T.M. adapted itself to the needs and methods of the West. T.M. was recommended as a method to combat stress, everyday situations etc. and was taught in courses, for which fees were paid. The religious practices and content were restricted into the esoterical central core of the movement, where they continued to play an important role. T.M. presented itself to the public increasingly as a scientifically proven method of relaxation. It succeeded in obtaining open public funding in the U.S.

To this end, a private high school was founded in Fairfield, Iowa (U.S.A.) the "Maharishi International University" (M.I.U.).

The high point of the T.M. movement was reached in 1975, when the "Age Enlightenment" was proclaimed, and in 1976, when the "World government of the Age Enlightenment" was set up in Seelisburg. The World government would like to play the role of parents in the family of nations, to stand beside governments and aid them as advisors, and it promises to condition the trends of the time, and in doing so, to create ideal society. The following ten ministries are designed to serve in this task:

Ministry for:
Development of Consciousness
Natural Order and Justice
Cultural Integrity, Invincibility and World Harmony
Education and Enlightenment
Festivities and Fulfillment
Wealth and Progress
Information and Inspiration
All Possibilities: Research and Development
Capitals of the Age of Enlightenment
Health and Immortality

In 1977/78 the sidhi program was presented to the public: this constituted blundering into the area of the para- psychological and the occult. Pictures were published of people flying in defiance of gravity. It was further promised that meditators, through the practice of the sidha-program, would be able to fly, go through walls, have contact with outer space, etc., and that the program would lead to a better development of consciousness. This propagation of the inner-movement concepts of T.M. did however lead to public skepticism as to scientific character and reliability of the method of meditation, billed as a relaxation technique. On the other hand, the sidhi courses offered caused many meditators to become more deeply involved in T.M. and expose themselves much more to its theory and practice. (According to the evidence of the chairman of the T.M. association of lawyers, there were 20,000 sidhas in 1979, 3,500 of those from West Germany).

The T.M. movement is split up into different individual organizations, which are however closely co-ordinated. They represent different functions and aspects of the program. The most important are:

-G.T.M. - Society of the World Government of the age of enlightenment (umbrella organization)

-SIMS - Students International Meditation Society

-The German MERU Society (a registered society), attached to the Maharishi European Research University (MERU) in Weggis, Switzerland, which represents the "scientific" Program-of the movement.

-IMS - The International Meditation Society, German association.

-SRM -Spiritual regeneration movement.

-SFSI -"Stifturgsfonds Schofferischer Intelligence" (The trust fund of creative intelligence).

-"The Association of German doctors for the promotion of health through transcendental meditation", Schledehauser.

-Association of lawyers: Institute for natural law and order.

The local world plan centers organize public lectures on the principles and effects of T.M., they bring those interested through a religious-ritual ceremony, check the meditation of those who wish it (called "checking") and organize social gatherings of meditators. There exists an abundance of further courses which are then on offered; additional techniques (called advanced techniques) more intensive and extended meditation, more in-depth theory, etc. Theses are supposed to lead to higher states of consciousness and increased success. To those belong the "Sidhi-course' (costing six thousand German marks) and the T.M. teacher training course, leading to "governorship" (each costing about twenty thousand marks).

Publicity and advertising constitute a wide range of activities. These range from the spreading of expensive posters, brochures and information news-sheets, for example "Weltregierung Aktuall" (world government latest) to huge lobbying efforts, such as the appeal by T.M. doctors for the reform of the health system. Also, medicinal, psychological and sociological research is used for promotional purposes. They are meant to prove the positive affects of T.M. and to substantiate its theory, the "Science of Creative Intelligence". The investigational researching is instigated by the "Maharishi European Research University" (MERU), and is conducted mostly by scientists who themselves belong to the T.M. movement. The results, used in such publicity campaigns, promise above all better social integration, more mental and physical well-being, reduction in crime, as well as in drug and alcohol dependency, and less mental and nervous system related disease; it promises a truer view of reality, development of the personality in cognitive, emotional and pragmatical respects, increased and better performance in school and at work, up to the realization of an ideal society.

A research on T.M., conducted by Christa Kriffki "Transcendental Meditation and Autogenic Training" (Munich 1979), came to the following conclusion:

"The participants in the T.M. group developed positively in the sense of 'greater psychosomatic stability' (less nervousness) more 'satisfaction and confidence' (less depression) and 'a narrowing down of neurotic tendencies'. Also they were more sociable, lively, more active and accomplished than the "AT group"; altogether, they had become more extrovert."

One does not learn anything about the development of a participant in terms of a full length sectional investigation over a long period of time, rather solely from two tests conducted after 7-8 weeks and 14-16 weeks. The report does not say anything about counseling in possible conflict situation, about therapy during disease manifestations, but rather, equates the process of relaxation with a healing process and a resolution of conflict when no such link necessarily exists. The Foreward[sic] stresses, moreover, that "far-reaching solutions....only become possible, when we leave the immediate level of the problem.' As far as the authors are concerned, a relaxation thereby is not being discussed, but "an experience of the inner universe".

Damning above all else is the fact that, during the first test after six weeks, only sixty-two of the original ninety-nine participants took part, after another six weeks, in the second test, only thirty-seven took part. A high drop-out rate like this rules out completely the claim that the statistical evaluation is valid.

The above investigation of Krifflis' does not show which and how many of the positive effects of T.M. would be recognizable as a result of simply 40 minutes rest, and which effects the meditation itself shows.

In an epilogue there is a propaganda-like report on the "T.M. Sidhi-program" from which a "flowing state of mind" comes into being, in which those doing it can see concealed objects, fly or hover.

"The concluding remarks,...and the general attitude, denegrates[sic] the work to the level of being cult propaganda in the guise of a scientific investigation". (Transcendental Meditation: dock was dran? from a"Artliche Praxis" ("Medical Practice") of July 31st 1979, by Klaus Thomas).

T.M. is introduced to the 'modern' westerner as a scientifically proven technique: it is claimed that T.M. is a natural method for the reduction of stress and for psychosomatic regeneration; it co-ordinates in a previously unattainable fashion the mind and body functions. Everyone can meditate according to this method and experience immediately the positive effects. There will be no detrimental consequences for the meditator. Serious occurrences of negative reactions to the meditation practice are not known. On this level, T.M. concentrates increasingly on the medical and therapeutic aspects. The movement tries to introduce it as an "accompanying therapy". Everywhere the "scientific" level is abandoned, and T.M. presents itself to the public as a meditation for higher states of consciousness and a means of achieving supernatural abilities, the message is still spread in a language dressed up with scientific terminology, so that it becomes difficult to distinguish between the two, as the same phraseology is used for both contexts.

Therefore remove this ignorance and begin to enjoy the blissful nature of life! The world should be taught according to the Divine Plan of our time, that it is easy, natural and effortless to begin to enjoy the inner divine nature of his own being, and that this happens automatically. Only this small teaching is needed, that man's inner nature is divine, wholly and completely divine, that it is blissful, has unlimited joy, potential, strength, power and wisdom. All this is present, internally in his being. And not only this knowledge is given, but also together with it the technique. Begin to enjoy! That is the entire teaching. It is complete when it is said: You are divine, your personality is in itself blissful. Why do you suffer in life? You have no reason to suffer....if you find that you cannot accept what has been said here, then learn in a practical way - instead of trying to understand it from the point of view of the conscious mind - how deep one dives into his own self; learn the technique of deep meditation. The system is easy. It is a natural process, which diverts our attention from the gross material level and turns it towards the finer divine nature in our inner self. This natural system of deep meditation is the teaching which opens up the divine plan to the world of today...

I give you the key, the technique, with the help of which you can begin to enjoy the magnificence of the life which belongs to you. (Divine Plan, page 8)

The "governors" and "ministers" of the " World Government of the Age of Enlightenment" also have a completely different understanding of reality, which is derived from that of Mahesh Yogi's. This concept of Mahesh Yogi's is clearly expressed in his publications. ("The Science of Being and the Art of Living", "Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita", "The Divine Plan"), but is not, however, put forward in the presentations of T.M. to the public. It can be deduced from this, that the above conception only becomes intelligable when a person seriously accepts its religious, i.e. Hinduistic character. It is precisely this which T.M. avoids in its public presentations, which classify T.M. as scientific and dismiss any religious affinity. The initiative by the T.M. movement to clothe their basically Hindu-religious concepts in a scientific terminology was underway even in the sixties (for publicity reasons) in the U.S.A. The "Science of Creative Intelligence" is simply Hindu teaching and ideology (Dharma) in modern form and western dress.

1.6.2.2. MEDITATE AND BE ACTIVE!

In transcendental consciousness, silence is devoid of any activity. In cosmic consciousness, the silence of self- awareness co-exists with activity. In God-consciousness, the co-existence of activity and silence is transformed into oneness and awareness of God. (Bhagavad Gita Page 392)

According to this conception, the highest goal of the path of yoga is a Karma-Yogi (understood in modern terms), a person who remains in God-consciousness and acts from it. (Hummel p. 136)

T.M. wants unity with Divine action itself, and makes the human being into a tool, so that there will be arrived at a unity of Divine and human activity, or God and man in action. (Hummel, page 137)

To this area belongs the "Sidhi Program", or Parapsychological phenomena. From this train of thought comes Maharishi's comments on the world's starving.

"Give a starving man meditation, and he will no longer worry about bread, and will be happy."

Since the persons who exists in "Ritam" can literally wish the bread for himself, then he is naturally happy, if we use Maharishi's logic. The following remarks of Maharishi's are also in accordance with this entire concept.

"There is no place, and will never be a place for the weak. The strong one will lead, and if the weak one does not wish to follow, then there will be no place for him. Where light dominates, is no place for darkness. There is no room in the Age of Enlightenment for ignorant people. The ignorant will become enlightened by a few of these already enlightened. Nature will not allow ignorance to survive. She cannot. The non-survival of the weak has always been the law or axiom of nature." (From Inauguration of the Dawn of the Age of Enlightenment, M.I.U. Press, 1975, page 47.)

1.6.2.4. THOUGHTS AND DESIRES

Dharma guarantees the balance of the three gunas, the three aspects of nature. Disease is caused by a disturbance in this balance. The absence of the "three gunas" is the basis for proper or correct life (a life also without disease). "Be without the three gunas", - this sentence holds the essence of the Bhagavad Gita, according to Maharishi. (Hummel, 1980, page 100). It must be clearly stated here, that the "Laws of Nature" of Maharishi's have absolutely nothing to do with the modern discipline of natural science.

"Whoever wishes to lead a life in accordance with the laws of nature, allows himself to be carried by the stream of evolution, his ego becomes an instrument of the 'divine intelligence", since the support of cosmic law makes possible the accomplishment of any aspiration and the ultimate fulfillment of life". (Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, page 472).

Because the path of meditation leads into the field of the "laws of nature", therefore meditation gives power over nature. The meditator feels himself to be an instrument of these "laws of nature". Therefore in a sense, he becomes the "creator" and "co-creator" of paradise. The essential point is the view of reality depicted here out of this understanding of reality the T.M. organization derives its high opinion of itself; its central role in the process of creative evolution. This central function is also the basis for the endlessly repeated phrase "easy and effortless", which is a formula for the optimistic world view of the T.M. movement. The next bewildering sentence of Maharishi's can be understood in the light of this context:

"The answer to every problem is, that there is no problem. Let a man perceive this truth, and he is without problems." (Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, page 66).

Whoever does not stand in the way of the evolutionary powers of the "Divine intelligence", has of course no problems anymore.

This interest in the occult and parapsychological phenomena, as well as the central role of evolution is their epistemology. This shows an inner relationship with Aurobindo's teachings. A more detailed analysis would almost certainly lead to the conclusion that T.M. is very closely related to particular strands of neo-Hinduism, more than would appear at first glance. But a strong westernization has been intended from the start, evident up to the standardization of the meditation process.