laughingcrow

Marisa is incorrect when she says "Vedic meditation" is the same as the Transcendental Meditation technique, and that "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi mainstreamed Vedic meditation under the name Transcendental Meditation." It seems these misunderstandings are being advanced so that a few people can promote their own forms of meditation and use the scientific studies on TM to support the meditation they are teaching — saying, 'It's all the same meditation." Sorry, Marisa, but it's not all the same, not according to hundreds of published, peer-reviewed scientific research studies. "Vedic meditation" is quite different from Maharishi's TM program. TM is taught by only by professionally trained, recertified teachers. These TM instructors maintain the tested and proven, tried and true system of teaching developed by Maharishi, which insures that the person learning receives the practice in its purity. "In its purity" means in its original effectiveness, with nothing tampered with, nothing changed, the same as taught by the great Vedic meditation teachers of thousands of years ago. This insures maximum benefit for everyone learning today and for future generations. What Marisa and others promoting "Vedic meditation" fail to mention is that this ancient form of meditation, known today as TM, was lost to the world for thousands of years, and that Maharishi not only revived it but established its practical benefit on the objective ground of modern science. Before Maharishi developed the TM program, this simple, natural technique for 'transcending' was unknown even to Vedic scholars in India, the land of the Veda. Before Maharishi came along with his rediscovery of TM, common misunderstandings about meditation were the norm: meditation is difficult, it requires concentration or mind control, it takes many years to get good at, and rare is the case of anyone succeeding at it and producing demonstrable results, even among yogis who committed their lives to meditation. This was the background against which Maharishi introduced the TM technique. The claim that Maharishi merely mainstreamed a meditation practice that had been around for thousands of years and had been commonly practiced is simply preposterous. Even today, in India and elsewhere, the books being written about meditation and the online courses offer many different forms of practice involving concentration or contemplation, but none give clear, comprehensive instruction in how to effortlessly transcend — how to naturally and systematically allow the mind to settle inward to the source of thought and experience pure consciousness, the state of restful alertness documented by hundreds of research studies on TM. People may succeed at transcending in many ways, if they are lucky. But the only meditation instructors who are teaching this original form of meditation in it's purity and simplicity — the technique specifically designed for effortless transcending — are those trained by Maharishi. Where else would anyone have found it in our day and time? If you don't believe me, go to India and ask around. Or go to your local New Age bookstore. There are many varieties of meditation, but no one else is teaching anything close to the TM technique, including the "Vedic meditation" teachers. When you learn the TM technique, there is a thorough followup of personal instruction sessions and knowledge meetings, offered by well-trained TM teachers. This support system is absolutely necessary to ensure correct practice and maximum benefit and is available for the rest of your life at no further charge after you have paid the TM course fee. Learning TM is essentially a semester-long course, but the knowledge and guidance continues to be available indefinitely. This is the TM program. "Vedic meditation" does not offer the same kind of support and expert guidance. I'm sure that's one reason why they can teach their meditation practice for less money — it costs less to make it available, because much less is being offered. Why is TM trademarked? There's an important and profound reason. The TM technique is unique. There's no other practice that works the same way or produces the same results. Many scientific research studies conducted at independent research institutions and medical schools worldwide have investigated and compared the effects of TM to various other types of meditation practices — such as mindfulness, Zen, mantra meditation, and various relaxation techniques — and found that no other meditation practice produces the wide range of benefits that result from the TM technique. The only way to legally distinguish the TM technique from other types of meditation is to maintain the registered trademark. This way, when someone learns the TM technique, they can rest assured they are learning the real thing, because only highly trained and certified TM teachers can teach this technique or legally use the name ‘TM’. The registered trademark is another way of maintaining the purity of Maharishi’s programs — helping ensure that even future generations will benefit. Although the people teaching "Vedic meditation" have modeled their courses after the TM course, although they use Maharishi's terminology, although they claim to be teaching the same thing, it is clearly not the same. Perhaps the most honest statement Marisa's article makes is that she cannot vouch for the TM technique. That's OK, Marisa, because there are millions of people who can, and hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies to vouch for TM. But if you can't vouch for it, should you believe that you can copy it? Maharishi structured the non-profit TM educational organization for the sole purpose of maintaining the purity of the practice, so people will benefit for generations to come. What is at stake is the effectiveness and future endurance of a technique that brings freedom from suffering. That's why I offered this long clarification, to counter the misinformation that is proffered on the various websites that Marisa's article is promoting. These "Vedic meditation" teachers may personally enrich themselves and make money on their activities, they may believe they are doing good, but they are disseminating confusion about Transcendental Meditation, and that is a disservice to readers and to everyone seeking to get maximum benefit from meditation.