Transcendental meditation

[Everything]

Anyone ever heard of it? Anyone ever practiced it and seen real results in their lifes? Alot of research has been done around it, so it claim, and they all seem positive.

 

All I have seemed to understand is sit relaxed with eyes closed and think about one thing. I don't get it at all... What is the purpose of it? How can anyone teach this if no one understands it. And why does everyone overeact and exagerate the results? "It changed my life! I owe it my life!" bla bla.

 

I have to concentrate but I cannot limit my mind, I have to focus but I can't focus or it is not natural anymore, bla bla all confusing and vauge explanations surrounded by tons of hype and asking for 1000 dollars for a non-proffit organisations so that I can have a teaher to tell me to sit with eyes closed and what to think about while doing it. How is this going to change the world?

Edited November 22, 2010 by Everything

[King Kabalabhati]

Anyone ever heard of it? Anyone ever practiced it and seen real results in their lifes? Alot of research has been done around it, so it claim, and they all seem positive.

 

All I have seemed to understand is sit relaxed with eyes closed and think about one thing. I don't get it at all...

 

 

Focusing on one thing only is a good exercise. It can lead to deeper states of meditation, to emptiness. But I don't know anything about TM.

[Everything]

Focusing on one thing only is a good exercise. It can lead to deeper states of meditation, to emptiness. But I don't know anything about TM.

 

Looks like it has more marketing then results, which is pretty strange for a non-profit organisation on itself...

[rex]

I practiced TM for three years and found it beneficial. I was calmer and more relaxed in post-meditation sessions and my general sensitivity and awareness increased which improved various aspects of outer life. The idea was that by focusing on the allocated mantra the mind experienced more subtle states of thought until the source of thought itself was experienced. This experience could last seconds or micro seconds so even if you weren't consciously aware of experiencing it the ordinary mind was subtley imbued with it. The instructors used to say this was like a process of dying a piece cloth, each immersion in the dye would gradually increase the colour.

 

TM was supposed to be purely secular but on the few ocacsions that I did hook up with a monthly practice group (I was never actively involved in the TM movement) it seemed like Hinduism window dressed for westerners in that there were readings from the Upanishads and we listened to tapes of Vedic chanting - though this may have been more to do with the inclincations of the local instructor. As far as I'm aware the TM movement has split and my original instructor now teaches it virtually free of charge.

 

The idea of changing the world was based on something like the 100th monkey syndrome; if a certain percentage of a population were to experience subtle states of mind the benfits would automatically flow into the wider population. There were a couple of experiments where the TM movement organised arenas full of meditators to focus on the Iran-Iraq war but didn't let on when the sessions were occuring. According to the studies, UN observers witnessed increased acts of co-operation between opposing sides and reduced conflict on the arena days.

 

After a time I felt a more active and conscious method of spiritual engagement was needed and changed practices, though as a matter of spiritual etiquette and gratitude I never forget the sources of spiritual help that have I benefited from.

Edited November 22, 2010 by rex

[RyanO]

I also learned TM oh about 8 years ago. What rex says is generally correct.

 

Initially I benefited from TM, but not because it's anything special. The technique you can learn for free on the internet, it's basically the same as Deep Meditation on http://www.aypsite.com/

 

I have problems with the organization. You can do some research on former TMers who had issues with its cultish tendencies. Check out http://www.suggestibility.org/ for a very critical opinion.

 

I worked at Heavenly Mountain this summer where the Healing Tao retreats were being held. It used to be a TM center, but check this out: http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7375/heavenly-mountains-developer-cuts-ties-with-group The funders had a serious falling out with the Maharishi.

 

Bottom Line: The technique works on a basic level because meditation works. But it's not worth the money and the organization is suspect and demonstrates cult-like behavior. Much better to learn the AYP method.

[Everything]

There were a couple of experiments where the TM movement organised arenas full of meditators to focus on the Iran-Iraq war but didn't let on when the sessions were occuring. According to the studies, UN observers witnessed increased acts of co-operation between opposing sides and reduced conflict on the arena days.

roflmao

[zerostao]

i did some tm back in mid 70's/ i found results but it was my first experience with any type of sitting mediatation. focusing on one thing , like a candle flame for instance is beneficial. quieting the mind also beneficial. i do diferent type of meditation now and i probably should more often than i do. each session of meditation should give results, results are not always typical for each person.