Transendental meditation: Are they for real?
If the Transendental meditation™ organization have not caught you yet, you may benefit from this page, if they have, you can lick your wounds with me on this page. I paid for their service and this is why:
I believe I wasted my money
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| Transendental Meditation Technique |
Let me just say that I am not skeptical person by nature. If you are one and you want a skeptical view, then visit the skeptics dictionary. My issues with and criticisms of the Transendental meditation organization are with their false marketing approach and unwillingness to be frank when asked forthright questions. First of all let’s just get perspective on what Transendental meditation is and what it claims to be (if you don’t know yet). Here’s what they say on their own website:
The Transcendental Meditation technique is a simple, natural, effortless process practiced 15–20 minutes twice daily while sitting comfortably with eyes closed. It is unique among techniques of meditation, distinguished by its effortlessness, naturalness and profound effectiveness.
The TM® technique allows your mind to settle inward, beyond thought, to experience the silent reservoir of energy, creativity and intelligence found within everyone—a natural state of restful alertness. During the practice, your brain functions with significantly greater coherence and your body gains deep rest.
It is interesting that the Transendental meditation organization are adament about three key aspects of their success:
- Transendental meditation is scientifically proven and
- It can not be taught other then through a TM teacher
- It has nothing to with a trance (read more…)
Both these aspects of emphasis are key to their financial success. Yes you heard me right, their financial success. What the organization fails to explain to people is that as much scientific proof as they have for their technique, they are not a science based organization. They masquerade as one, but really are not.
Why should you be bothered before enrolling for Transendental meditation?
First of all, they charge a fortune for something which can be taught (and is) in 10 minutes. When I underwent my training, I kept waiting to see when the real training was going to happen, because I could not believe I had paid all that money for 10 minutes worth of training. Consider that they charge on average around $ 1500 for their first set of training. Yes, that is $150 per minute!
My uncomfortability started at the pitch meeting. Here you are invited to an introduction talk, which kept sounding to me like one of those infomercials “…and wait there’s more…” True as Bob, toward the end of the session came the request for enrollment and no terms, no credit – cash up front. I know now they do that because too many people will not pay them for those 10 minutes.
So what do you get for your 10 minutes $1,500?
You are given a mantra which you keep repeating in your head silently and that is all the technique involves. You are to keep it utmost secret (not even tell your spouse). Yes they spend 4 three hour sessions with you (so if you want to be leanient, you can say it is $1,500 for 12 hours), but in these sessions they practically just tell you that if it is not working yet, why not and that it will still work. In those hours, they find excuses for why people are not having a transcendental meditation experience:
- You are still de-stressing (called outward meditation)
- You forced it (didn’t allow the matra to get a life of its own)
- Your body is still adjusting to the technique, so give it time
When you complain about resulting aches and pains, you are told that this is your body healing from old wounds and that you should just persist. So what are these mantras? The reason they want you to keep it secret is because right throughout the world people are hoaxed with the same set of mantras, which you can find here.
So what is my criticism of Transendental meditation organization?
I have come from a very religious background from which it took me years to untangle myself (my book tells the story). At the introduction talk I felt all my shackles go up as the whole environment spoke of eastern religion (artifacts, pictures, insense, etc.). I asked them outright whether transendental meditation is a religion. Off course the proud answer was all the scientific proof offered so willingly (do yourself a favour and read this).
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| Maharishi Mahesh Yogi |
At your training session, the teacher goes through a complete religious ceremony. You are required to bring a white hankerchief, flowers and fruit all of which are used in a offering based ritual in front of a picture of a whole family-tree of guru’s. Guru Dev the man that, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (founder of the transendental meditation tecnique and organization) learned from right at the bottom. The the teacher goes on his knees and mumble something in Sanskrit. I thought I could faint. Did I unwillingly allow myself into another religion and paid for it? I could not answer that immediately.
I gave transendental meditation a fair chance. I attended the course “Seven steps of enlightenment“; I went on a full day meditation retreat; and I attended a whole weekend on advanced meditation techniques. It was on this weekend that the patterns was completed for me. It was on this weekend that I saw the parallels with the religion (Christianity) of my youth.
Here’s why I say transendental meditation is not non-religious:
- Maharishi is ALWAYS presented on a throne-like stage surrounded with bouquets of flowers. This theme of flowers is in EVERY TM footage you can find either on the web or as part of one of the Mahariishi Open University programs.
- Flowers pay prominent role in the organization. I could never establish the deeper meaning, but it is notable that Maharishi mostly sits talking with a flower in his hand
- The TM teachers have a god-like worship for EVERYTHING that Maharishi says. It does not get questioned or challenged. Maharishi is in that organization what Jesus is to Christianity (at least I have the benefit of having experienced both)
- Every activity at the transendental meditation centre (or retreats) are started and completed in the name of Guru Dev with the words: “Jay Guru Dev”. I asked them about this and they (unaware of what they were really saying) told me this is a gesture of gratitude toward the long line of Guru’s from which the Vaedic tradition comes, based upon which Maharishi founded TM. They may as well say “thanks be to God” or “we thank our ancestors”. It is that similar.
- At every intervention (other than my 4x3hour training) there were quotes from the Bhagavad Gita as holy book. Not that reading from a holy book is per se religious, but the emphasis on this book rather than incorporating the other holy books like the Bible and Koran is suspect.
- Individuals who “do not believe” in the notion of facing East when meditation is frowned upon – similar to a “ye of little faith” frown.
- The only time you hear or see the scientific components of the benefits of transendental meditation is at the sales pitch. Everything from then on out must be accepted in blind faith because Maharishi said so.
- Where Christianity has the (un)obtainable goal of salvation through Christ and inheriting eternal life with God, transendental meditation has as (un)obtainable goal of enlightenment. Everything is done to just to get to enlightenment.
- Ideally you must be vegeterian as apperently meat takes you away from enlightenment
- If you are serious about TM you should enroll for the Sidhi’s program (another $1,500 wack) where you will learn Yogic flying – the ability to transcend gravity and levitate. Except, it remains a goal as to date no mortal using the Sidhi’s program has been recorded to do this (TM blames your life-style for the lack of enlightenment, which is why you can’t fly – much like Christianity blames sin for their lack of enlightenment)
- Finally, the community reminded me so much of the communities I used to be part of as active church-attending chrisitan. The pudding was the same, only the dressing differed
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| Photo was photoshopped, so no it is not!i |
You might say that is not sufficient reasons to call something a religion. I agree to some extent, however. An organization that claims to be scientific do not finish every lecture with ‘Jay Guru Dev’. If Transendental meditation is not a religion, it most definetely is not a scientific organization. Christianity (I am sure) can also find scientific proof for why prayer is good for you, it does not make it a scientific organization – it remains a religion.
I am not going to leave you without an opinion on meditation. All meditation is good- even transendental meditation. It is just silly to pay so much in order to learn something so natural and so simple. Here’s a good place to start if you really want to meditate and have never done so. If you want to learn about the types of meditation you do so right here on my site. Read more about consciousness as it is underlying to enlightenment. Finally, I include a short link of a simple meditation by Deepak Chopra that you can use right here to have your first REAL meditation experience. Everything flows from there.
And then here is a nice introduction into the topic before you go here
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