A:
We think that
TM® is great as a technique to reduce stress
and improve life, and that some of its advanced programs are marvelous
for personal growth
(see
www.tm.org to
learn about
TM® at its main website; see also our page about
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi).
However, TM® has a number of unreasonable and unnecessary policies
and behaviors that alienate many people. It is our great joy to
offer NSR© as an alternative to Transcendental Meditation with
which everyone can feel comfortable.
Read more...
Ways in which
TM® alienates people:
- The organization has an elitist attitude which restricts many
of its programs to wealthy
people by, for example, charging a course fee of $1500 (USA, adult fee).
- Its leadership makes inconsistent and irrational policy decisions such as
prohibiting the teaching of TM® in Great Britain (and only there)
from May, 2005 until July, 2007 because they "re-elected Tony
Blair as Prime Minister and thereby perpetuated the destructive
policy of Britain in the world, including its leading role in the
war in Iraq."
- It is drenched in a rigid and unproven mysticism, as demonstrated by
advocating the rebuilding of all buildings whose entrances do not
face exactly toward true east or true north (see the
detailed building construction rules advocated by the TM®
organizations), by its promotion of
astrology as a science, and by
Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology,
its $900 (initial fee per disorder) program to bring "instant relief"
for any in a long list of medical disorders through an "expert" whispering
Vedic words to him or herself.
- Its organizations spend money on extravagant and impractical world-level
projects such as undertaking the building of so-called
Towers of Invincibility in 48 countries
[Towers of Invincibility]
[Artist's conception]
and fruitless projects to interest world governments in
subsidizing high-priced TM® instruction for their populations
[Government projects]
instead of making TM® more accessible and down-to-earth so
everyone will want to learn it.
- Much of the current TM® activity centers inward on its
Global Country of World Peace
[U.S. Peace Government]
headed by "Rajas" (kings) who frequently wear white robes and golden crowns
and who are reluctant to make sufficient changes to their policies
to make TM® appealing to the entire world population.
