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Interesting..., "I AM" is also the mantra used by Yogani in his book, Deep Meditation, that is part of the AYP system. https://www.aypsite.org/13.html Consequently, I also found this old TDB thread that links TM to hypnosis. I found it not because I was searching on TM, but because I was searching on self-hypnosis. I'm currently reading Joe Dispenza's book, 'Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself'. Realizing that what the book is teaching is just basic self-hypnosis I enrolled in a self-hypnosis course on Udemy, 'Master Your Mind & Create Healthy Habits 4 Life Success'. To me, there is a relationship between self-hypnosis and deep meditation, so I don't see a conflict. I actually think that part of the journey to self realization is experiencing different varieties of trance states. I'm not an expert on Dzogchen, but doesn't it's practice involve several types of meditation for this reason?

I found another interesting resource, the Inner Peace Fellowship. This page gives directions for the mantra based Vedic meditation. It tells you to change to a different mantra after a certain duration of practice. They ask that you commit to 2 years of this introductory self guided practice before being permitted to participate in teacher led meditation through the organization. https://www.innerpeacefellowship.org/how-to-meditate/

I have this book on order. It is supposed to arrive tomorrow. My expectation is that it might actually expound on the effortless meditation that Shinzen Young is describing in the video. 'Watching Your Life: Meditation Simplified and Demystified' by Teja Anand https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1072815613/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 About the mantra, you're right it is not be forced. It is to just happen on its own, without intending it, and it may even fade away and that's OK.

The information on this page seems to be a bit random, but in the table there is a section titled, "Secret TM Checking and Initiation Procedures". If this is true then it suggests to me that during TM training students might actually be susceptible to being influenced while in a hypnotic trance state. When I have read discussion threads on such sites as Quora the defenders of the official TM seem to take a mildly angry tone with anyone who says anything negative about the official TM training. There's no doubt that being trained and coached by an expert is superior to DIY trial and error. But, there just seems to be something that is "off" when a TM'er defends their method against other forms such as NSR or any other silent mantra-based Vedic Meditation. See this page: https://optimalbreathing.com/blogs/holistic-medicine-and-alternative-modalities/secret-tm-and-psychophysiological-and-bliss-techniques

This thread has been very timely for me as I began doing "Vedic Meditation" a little over a month ago. I have been using the app '1 Giant Mind'. It teaches the technique in 12 lessons. I call it the generic form of TM. Everything I read about how the TM organization operates seems cultish to me. The part about receiving "your" mantra which is really just a word picked from a list that is based on your age and gender just seems like a con game to get you to pay a lot of money. One thing I do know is that meditation is scientifically proven to alter brain state in a good way. I have been struggling to keep a meditation practice going, but once I discovered Vedic Meditation I felt like I finally found the my style of meditation. I really enjoy it. It produces a light trance state when I have a good session. I don't know about magical empowerments. I don't know what enlightenment is supposed to be like. I only know that meditation has been proven to be healthy and that this method feels good to me. Here is a link to the article that inspired me to give this method a try: https://mikesturm.medium.com/a-meditation-for-those-of-us-who-just-cant-seem-to-meditate-3fa77e61d9f3 And, also this one: https://www.mensyogajournal.com/blog/how-to-teach-yourself-transcendental-meditation-for-free

Is anyone familiar with the work of Corine Sombrun? Her work leaves little doubt that specific sounds, in her case shamanic beats, can induce altered states and even healing. This Google talk is fascinating.

Much of my anger and depression at the time was rooted in constant pain that I felt from a back injury that had happened more than 10 years prior to beginning my Qigong practice. I started out only doing 5 minutes of ZZ just as master Lam prescribes. Watch 'Stand Still and Be Fit' on YouTube. That's how I started. I'm an engineer, I like to understand everything, but in this case, "Just Do It", it works.

I also suffered from mental traumas similar, but not the same as, what you described. About 4 years ago I was at a real low, even though from the outside everything would have appeared great. I have a good family and what many would consider a good career. I felt like I was forcing myself to get up every morning and fake happiness to get through the day. I knew I couldn't go the rest of my life like this. I had other episodes and health issues in the past that I had managed to research, get help, and mostly pull myself out of it. So, I set about it to solve this problem, too. I won't detail the entire journey, but ultimately I found TDB and learned about Zhan Zhuang. I bought Lam Kam Chuen's book, The Way of Energy. It changed my life. My mind was (and to certain extent still is) too restless to do seated meditation. But, ZZ seems to work from the outside in. My theory is that it works like a trauma releasing exercise. This combined with Ba Duan Jin (also described in the book) is the core of my practice. I've tried other things and always return to this. You'll find a lot of other testimony here at TDB to back this up. Mentally, while I'm standing in ZZ I actually visualize myself like a tree with roots deep in the ground drawing up energy from the Earth, the Sun over my head giving me life giving energy, and I also draw in and bathe in the universal eternal energy that is the source of existence itself. I am a genuinely happy person now. I hope this helps. Good luck.

It's funny you would mention Bagua, @Cleansox mentioned Xing Yi. I've been reading 'The Way of Harmony'. It starts with Ba Duan Jin then Zhan Zhuang. Then it gets into the internal arts and it goes in the order: Hsing I, Bagua, then Tai Chi. It's interesting that Tai Chi is more popular when it's the last thing that someone should learn.

You have no idea how the effects of Polio ravaged my family. You don't know how many times I've wept over how the cold steel of that wheelchair and the hissing and whirring of the respirator connected to my grandmother kept me from hugging and kissing her more. You don't know how effects of it caused me to resent my grandfather. There's no way you could know, so I won't hold that against you. I know all too well how infectious disease can ruin lives.

I had composed a long response. I edited it out, never mind, your response is irrational. It would be a wasted effort. I have been away from TDB for a while because of just this type of thinking. I should have not got involved in this conversation. I'll just suggest you come out of hiding in your basement, turn off the TV and internet news and talk to people who talk to people. Your being lied to and manipulated by those who profit from your fear.

And... Children's basic needs aren't being met by being locked up at home doing remote learning, "We are social animals." My kids did it for a while, it was Hell. Especially for my 6 year old in kindergarten. Thankfully, in my school district they have been in-person for most of the year. I think you just unknowingly reinforced my point. This is why the statistics matter.

Thought Problem: If you were told that all you had to do is live in solitary confinement in a 8ft by 8ft room and all of your basic needs would be met then you would live to be 500 years old, would you do it?

@Dainin Shibashi is looking really good right now. I am familiar with Shifu Wing Cheung and Fabrice Piche. I've been to their websites and watched their videos. I thought they were good, but just wasn't sold on Shibashi. Evidently, the depth I'm looking for is there if I just commit. @dwai I've looked at Wayson Liao's Temple Style. I have his book, Tai Chi Classics. But, from the website I can't tell where to begin. @Cleansox I have the book 'Xingyi A Means To An End' by Mike Patterson. I also have a book on Xingyi Nei Gong. I do like the idea of Xingyi. Seems like something that really requires an in-person teacher, though.

The original post has its origins in Advaita Vedanta. As someone who has written a lot of software I liken the moment of enlightenment to an Event in a State Machine. In some was Predetermination may even be at play. Everything is in motion - cause and effect. You are born and things beyond your control happen to you. At every moment your conscience understanding is in a particular state. If the right event occurs you get bumped into a new state. The potential is always there. If you happen to be in the right state and the right event occurs then AHA! I get it now! Sometimes it happens sooner, sometimes it happens later. But, the only way for it to happen at all is to keep looking for it.