Ex-Transcendental MeditationTM (TM) Gina Catena with Steven Hassan July 6th 2013
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- čas přidán 25. 12. 2014
- Gina Catena was raised and married within the Transcendental MeditationTM (TM) Movement with nearly 50 years of family involvement. She has a depth of knowledge and experience about the truth behind the PR of the group. She is a health care professional with deep compassion for those who have had a very negative experience with this religious group.
She co-moderates a blog, tmfree.blogspot.com , where there is a wealth of information and material about the organization on the Internet including the mantra fraud, deleterious effects of the meditation techniques, especially when practiced for many hours of the day for many people.
I am practising TM for about 41 years, and I can say I am satisfied with results in my life. For me it is practical thing, I feel more calm, with better health an more happiness. It is my experience with TM. Many thanks to TM.
I did not have to bow as part of the initial teaching session. My TM teacher bowed and said some words in a language I did not understand. I was told that there was no expectation that I would participate in this ritual, which was very sweet to observe.
I have not been asked to sign any non disclosure with respect to my mantra.
I have been told that my mantra word is a word without meaning and that the sound of the word in my mind is what distracts the egoic mind and allows me to go into a deeper meditation.
I have practiced many different types of meditation over the years, and I still use some of these when I’m working as a writer as it helps my mind to go into a more relaxed state of mind which allows me to access my creativity.
But with TM I feel nothing except a benefit. Not during the meditation but afterwards, when I’m going about my daily life. For me it has calmed my anxieties. I’ve also noticed that I’ve stopped procrastinating and just get on with my life.
I share with this lady her concerns about being raised with TM from childhood. I have no problems with adults choosing to take up TM, but I draw the line at indoctrinating children because childhood is the time when children are learning about things such as feelings, thoughts, social behaviours etc., and their minds are like sponges. Whatever the parent teaches them about anything to do with spirituality the child will absorb.
But then I have strong beliefs about not indoctrinating children into any religion. I am a spiritual person and I follow a Buddhist philosophy of life, but if I’d had children I would not want them to follow that path just because I do. I would want them to find out for themselves what they want to believe or not believe. In other words their beliefs need to be shaped by themselves and I would be mindful enough not to impose my beliefs on them.
Besides which, childhood is about play, learning through play, and developing into being the best possible adult version of themselves that THEY (the child) want to be. Not my version of who I think they should be.
I’m sorry to hear that some people haven’t had a good experience of TM. I think I am lucky with my TM teacher in that he’s very much of the opinion that if we want to do TM he’s happy to help, but if we don’t then that’s also ok. He’s very clear when he teaches TM that he teaches it in a secular way, and he is honest about his personal commitment to TM and the Maharishi Foundation, but there is no expectation on his part that his students follow this same path. Our TM group is made up of a mixture of people, mostly people who just want to do TM and don’t want to go any further inside the Maharishi Foundation. One or two are interested, and our TM teacher gives them the links and then leaves it up to them as to whether or not they take it any further.
It is expensive to learn, but having had a positive response to this meditation 🧘♀️ because it’s broken my old habit of procrastination, then I think that for me, it has been money well spent.
Thank you for the best comment I'v read today so fairly and wisely well said. Everything you say makes sence. I'd only quibble slightly on the point children shouldn't get to learn spiritual stuff. I agree they should not be I indoctrinated into "faith and beliefs" but I learnt the childs method of TM at 5 and helped me a lot even back then but then my parents didnt speak in spiritual absolutes they were happy to discuss theological possibilities n to quote various philosophers and bits of Eastern wisdom. When I grew up I realised how lucky I was to not have been heavily indoctrinated into any faith or belief and realised I didnt have all the unhelpful hangups a lot of others have attached to "sin" n archetypal programming making me feel guilty for doing perfectly natural things that upset and hurt no one.
Anyway thanks again your post was a breath of fresh air after folks talking about TM causing bad mental health n accusing people of wearing crowns lol
I practice this but I do it at home and I don't pay for a coach to teach me. There are many who share how to do it and it is working for me. Mentally, I am now able to work with better creativity.
Thanks for this information, we have a right to know what goes on within the TM movement
I've been doing TM 42 years and I'm very pleased with the results. It helped me to pass through many life difficulties. Every day after meditation I feel more relaxed and energetic. I'm thankful to TM.
As a 40 year practitioner of TM I agree that the TM organization has many failings, and I don't associate myself with it, but the meditation itself is sublime and very beneficial. I can't see myself without practicing it daily because of all the good it has done for me. Catena brings up some valid points about the organization, but vastly underestimates the value of just meditating daily without any "advanced techniques" (which I learned also), or weekend retreats. I can see why, being thrust into that organization as she was, that she would have the opinion that she has. I had some similar feelings about the organization, but the basic meditation technique, if practiced as prescribed without effort, is very sound and life affirming.
+patrickhnoe There are a lot more effective techniques out there that are vastly superior than TM. I will never go back to TM anymore than a POW will want to get locked up again.
Then enjoy that practice stephen.
Please share 1 or 2 of these techniques, so that I may save $.
It is only his opinion. By all means do whatever you feel to do Paul.
Can you show us? Put up a video or share links on exactly how to do it. I noticed that TMers love to talk about it, but never show you how to do it.
I learned the TM technique in 1975 when I was 13 years together with my Mother ( Psychologist ) - after a few weeks, when we started to feel the wonderful benefits of our twice 20 minutes my sister and brother also learned - finally my Dad ( pediatrician ) learned - since 400 years Transcendental Meditation has been THE tool no. 1 that helped all of us to cope with the increasing tempo of life, demanding situations, and to enjoy life...
Placebo effect
It is very difficult to eliminate placebo effect from research on meditation, but some study designs are better than others.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2693686
Is the best study I know of. Alexander was a researcher who practiced and promoted TM. Langer is a researcher who promoted mindfulness. Newman is a researcher who was into a different practice than either of the first 2. The study was designed to put all three practices on an equal footing with respect to expectations, and so any measure where one practice did better than the others would be due to something more than placebo.
knee jerk.
troll much.
@@sunnysandiego1593 doesn't matter even if it is a "placebo effect". If it works, it works.
I have meditated since the seventies. Only benefits, no downside. Sometimes people have psyche issues who would be better off not doing meditation practice. Every meditation takes you to the same source. TM is not a repetitive mantra practice. No doubt they were doing the technique incorrectly.
I have never known a TM Teacher who discouraged anyone seeking mental or medical care. This person had really gone into “attitude” mode.
what do you mean? TM is not a repetitive mantra practice??? That is how you do it. Please explain….
Hi Gina,
Brilliant Interview! I still do Effortless Mantra
Meditation, and I still use my Original TM Mantra as it is an original mantra -
it woke up in me after about a year - it cured me of ‘Anorexia Nervosa,’ and I
consider my mantra to be my personal Ishta Devata!
I will continue, but I understand where you are coming from,
and I can’t say anymore right now for obvious reasons!
I don’t have or practice any advanced techniques, and I have
nothing to do with or have any involvement with the TM Organization - basically
I think it’s a brilliant Technique because
I got a the mantra they gave me - Not
so much the technique - much more to do with the energy contained in the Mantra
!
The mantra is the key, and it must be authentic!
Warm Regards,
Bill
I have tried many forms. This form is the most effortless and effective for me.Much of what they say has not been proven. I can see my blood pressure go down 10 to even 20 points in a session.
This lady has her own point of view. I have lived in Fairfield, Iowa since 1980, so I am quite familiar with this world. I completely love TM and recommend it for others because: 1.) It is an effortless practice that requires no belief for it to be 100% effective. 2.) TM is effortless and yet it has tremendous positive impact on the health, clarity of mind, the emotions and quality of social life, and performance. 3.) The way that TM is taught is brilliant and without comparison in the world. 4.) Even one human nervous system experiencing a deep state of coherent consciousness can have a strong positive impact on many , many other people--with out them having any idea of where the good influence is coming from. Higher states of consciousness have an great environmental influence on others, and this does not need surface level of engagement or interaction to make this influence felt--it radiates out, unseen, like waves of consciousness.
Any references for these claims?
hey where are the links ? he interrupted her and said they would be written under the video but they arent.
I went through the TM initiation 23 years ago and it was very helpful for me to have learned a specific meditation technique to use. I did have some negative side affects that went away when I met a mentor that helped me shift my practice from the hypnotic method of TM to one that incorporated breath and alert focus, both of which are absent from the TM method. He and his wife had also discovered meditation through the TM movement and like many, left when they discovered some questionable practices. The state of hypnosis is the dangerous part of TM and I would not recommend it to anyone. But it’s not necessary to throw the baby out with the bath water. Meditation can and should support you to live a more sane, productive life and bring more ease in living amongst society. Not cause anxiety and disassociated states of mind.
I've been practicing TM for several years now and I've seen nothing but significant reductions and stress, anxiety while adding a more thoughtful reflective positive perspective of life.
TM won’t answer life’s questions like a life hack. You still have to participate in this reality. You can do simple meditation w/without earplugs, or relaxing music like the sound of rain. Also, “Discipline” is needed on a daily basis; try one min then two, etc etc just by counting ur breaths, it will help u stop the chatter in ur head. Took me 2 yrs to stop the mindless thought patterns in my head, so I could focus on just my true thoughts. Doing hrs of meditation a day is like sleeping all day long...of course ur going to be full of anxiety, u feel like Uve missed out on life cuz u slept all day. Meditation is to help u “check in with yourself,” it’s not suppose to suck the life out of you.
agree and TM teachers say it is a 15 to 20 min twice daily and then always rest and get active
Gina is a wonderful, caring, intelligent and articulate person.
TM isn't a cult. It's sitting down for 20 minutes twice a day and tapping into the depths of your mind. There's always going to be people who take things to far but at its source TM is a technique for the health of the brain much the same as going to the gym for the body
michael Gormley TM is Just japa yoga or japa Ajapa yoga which mantra soham
Absolutely, I started 37years ago...never got asked for a penny more than I initially paid..which was enormously subsidised. It's fine.
You paid for bullshit
TM isn't japa if you mean repeating a mantra over and over and over again.
"japa yoga or japa Ajapa yoga which mantra soham" These practices are probably going to turn out to be some sort of effortful concentration practice. It is hard for people to understand , but for sure, TM does not involve effort or trying to hold a sound in the mind. (Also TM does not involve trying to keep thoughts out of the mind.)
Can someone help me understand how to hear the mantra instea of thinking it saying it jn my mind
She reminds me of the younger version of Lillian, very charming. We've all had our problems with the movement's administration as anything this big will have problems. But from the many hissy fits with the TM administration I've had in the past I've always come out of TM fresher clearer and stronger. And I forget about the problems.
I love TM and the advanced TM Sidhi program. I have lived in Fairfield Iowa mostly since 1980 and am very familiar with the TM world from the inside. I have been doing TM since 1971, and love it's benefits. I have nothing bad to say about the practice or the way that it is taught. I recommend the practice be applied broadly in society.
I learned the siddhis in 1977 in Switzerland It was a marketing ploy and a hoax as no one ever levitated. I agree the TM technique works though!
Disclaimer: this post is not for or against TM, but rather a post encouraging those to discern information through critical thinking and intuition (if the belief applies to you). The fact is all our experiences are influenced. Everybody is going to have an opinion on what they think is best for you and most advice will be subjective on the person's own experiences (unless this person knows you very well and has all the information on the matter you seek advice on. Even then, I would encourage you to always check in with yourself. ). I encourage people to look into mindfulness meditation as a way to get to know themselves and how they feel, to rely less on other people's opinions and connect more with what feels right with them as well as what is rational. I also encourage people not to be afraid to question and ask for more information if something does not feel right. Skepticism, opposed to complete opposition, is scientific in nature and is the process for furthering truth . Skepticism simply means being open to new information but not accepting an answer until your concerns, doubts, questions are answered to your satisfaction in a logical, rational and provable manner. This is where my support for mindfulness meditation comes in, IN MY OPINION. (Do your own research) Sometimes you get a feeling but you suppress it. We are sometimes more accustomed to listening to others instead of ourselves, because we are afraid of making our own decisions and failing. If you always have the intention to do what is best for yourself, you will never truly fail. You may learn from lessons of growth, but you will never fail. Mindfulness, when focussed on the body and emotions, teaches you to listen to your body and your emotions. Studying/ contemplating your emotions leads to answers. Emotions may at first seem irrational but when you go deep enough there is always a rational reason, my experience at least. Maybe it's linked to your childhood, a trauma, a past event, etc. Also, this is not a post for advertising mindfulness meditation. It's simply a technique I found to be helpful in connecting with my own feelings to eventually make my own decisions. I'm relatively young and I grew up in an environment where I disassociated from my feelings and did everything I was told without question. I eventually learned to critically think on my own. This is a reason I feel so passionate to comment. I want people to develop their independence and learn to trust themselves.
My opinion on TM:
I feel, like all things, TM meditation is just a tool, and depending how you use it, it can be beneficial or harmful. I think it's important to check in with one's intuition and/or critical thinking to see what TM could do for you. We are all so unique. There's numerous techniques out there and not all of them are going to resonate with you.
I have never done TM, but I am very familiar and knowledgable in other forms of meditation. I am interested in TM, because I think it can be used with other techniques to benefit my life at least to some extent. I do think TM can be very helpful in making decisions and soothing stress as long as it is not used as escapism. Stress is always self-induced, usually when we blow situations up to proportion. It is also not good to make decisions when stressed. A 20 minute TM session can give one the opportunity to get centered again, to realize the truth in the situation, look at a situation with new eyes, give one an opportunity to calm down, before making a decision.
In my opinion at least, I don't think one should let TM take over his or her life. This is where it gets very individualistic. It depends what type of life you are deciding to live. Are you in a monastery type situation where you are seeking the truths of the universe through spending most of the day in contemplation? Or are you working a 9-5 job and TM is your stress-reducer? I think it's very important to know your intention when trying TM, as with anything! What do you want to get out of it personally? How far do you want to go? Ask yourself these questions. Know what you want before starting an activity. Know your boundaries and where you are comfortable. The ones who get dragged into cults are the ones who do not know what they want and the seek others to tell them that. They need others to help them find their purpose in their lives. (Mentors are not always bad. You should seek out someone who is a great listener and wants to help you figure out what is best for you, instead of telling you what is best for you. That is the difference between control and guidance.) They like the feeling of acceptance they are receiving that they never got from others, etc. Only you know what you want, only you know what is best for you! Learn to trust yourself, learn to listen to yourself, learn to allow your emotions to flow, learn to follow your gut and learn to question things and answers with which you are not satisfied. A person who is truly seeking truth will not be upset by your questions, as long as your purpose in asking them is for truth and not to start a fight or prove "your are right." (:
I'm not sure if TM would be classified as a cult. I believe there are 9 characteristics. My friend took a college class on it and told me about what she learned. You would be surprised that the military and organized religion also have cult characteristics, but do not have all 9 to be classified as one. I'm not here to start debates, just here to encourage critical thinking and getting to know oneself. At the end of the day, you have nothing to fear as long as you always question things and trust your own feelings. You have to learn what is best for you and only you know the answer!
I liked this video a lot. It was very reasonable.I like how the woman at the end suggested websites for critical thinking. I like how she gave her opinions but was not trying to convince. Well done. (:
I'm a little skeptical about the price. I would want to know why it is so expensive and where the money goes. I'm hoping a lot goes to charity, or at least there is a good reason.
I do believe that focussing on negative thoughts, likely increases the outcome of the situation having a negative outcome, but I do believe it is important to contemplate on why you are feeling the way that you do. Emotions come up for a reason. It we study them without reacting to them when we are triggered, we will always find a root and this way it will be completely cleared from your conscious and cease to affect you. Thoughts, in my opinion, are just energy that need to be released. There is a big difference between optimism and naïveté, however!
These are just my loving opinions. I hope this helps for those who needed it. (:
Also, I would like to weigh in on those who say "TM increase anxiety." Having had major social anxiety and OCD for years (fully cleared of both now), I realized that my anxiety was caused by not allowing myself to feel my anxiety. My anxiety went away, when instead of ignoring it or trying to push it away, I just observed it and figured out why I was anxious. If you can observe yourself without judgement or reaction (mindfulness), you will get your answer. You will find the root, the cause and you can heal. My psychologist said OCD is currently not curable, but I have cured myself. I can only give you opinions on what worked for me since I healed myself. I think TM can increase anxiety, simple because the anxiety is not addressed with the mantra. The situation that is causing the anxiety is not addressed. One is just ignoring the "elephant in the room", trying to focus attention on something else. Focussing on a mantra, actually is a good way to go deep in the mind and let deep traumas and issues come up to clear, that part of TM I don't mind. It may be a little scary though, when they do come up. This is where one might want a EMDR therapist or psychologist to help if they don't want to do it alone. Everything you feel comes up for a reason. It's like a toddler wanting to be heard. The toddler is pacified when you listen to it (inner-child work). I hope for those who resonate with it that it helps them. (:
Derek, the best advice I can give to someone who is going to learn TM is that TM is quite distinct from other practices of meditation. The term Meditation has become a generalized, generic, term that really has no meaning. For instance in TM one never puts any attention on one's breath as one does in mindfulness/vipasanna types of meditation. Focusing on the breath is incompatible with TM practice--it is irrelevant if one notices the breath or heartbeat during TM or not. This next point is subtle, but in mindfulness/vipasana meditation one adopts a philosophical attitude toward one's thoughs in general--that your thoughts are not who you are. During TM it is not necessary to have any sort of philosophical attitude toward thoughts. What I am getting at is that there are so many ideas about what meditation is or should be--that these notions can be a sort of intellectual baggage when you go to learn TM. TM is amazingly simple and uncomplicated. The instruction and understanding that the TM teachers give during the course are just the simple truth of the matter. One should just accept the knowledge and instruction during the TM course innocently on face value--to add ideas from other meditation practices will only reduce one benefits from practicing TM. Hope this helps.
I've practiced TM since the early 70s ... It has been great. No downside at all.
Is your grievance toward the organisation or the practise itself? I'm here to tell you that I've been practisng TM since 1983 and I find it beyond beneficial. Stop telling lies to the public.
william beck I do simple meditation which I haven’t needed to pay anyone for and I also find it beyond beneficial! It got me through two dark and physically painful periods in my life. Go figure 😀.
Organisation most likely. The main danger of TM itself is addiction
One time at MIU in Fairfield, they had an "assembly" in the "Golden Dome of Pure Knowledge" and Joe Namath (footbal hall of famer) was visiting MIU at the time. Namath was sitting on stage. They asked him to come up to the podium to speak and the first thing Namath said was "I told them I did not want to speak." There are many examples of underhanded tactics and actions they do as described in the JAMA expose on the movement based on Deepak Chopra's lies to the JAMA.
To Gina Catena: Do other members of your family feel the same way about TM as you do. Do some of them still like TM and practice it ?
what is the second movie she mentioned?
I practiced TM for two years. I always had a weird feeling about it. My body was always resisting it. I stopped practicing TM and the “withdrawal” symptoms have been a NIGHTMARE. I am dizzy the whole time. It feel likes like vertigo. Don’t recommend it. Is NOT for everyone! It is scary!
Your body is removing your anxiety and fears, You need to continue practicing TM. It's a spiritual cleansing.
Back in the late 80s i got so interested in TM i read so many positive reviews and eventually enrolled on a paid class and to be honest i got no joy i felt just as anxious afterwards. It was frustrating to reach that certain point whilst saying the mantra in my mind. I was expecting far too much results in a short space of time. There is far too many techniques of so many meditations and i am still trying to find the right one.
Try the Benson technique
I quit coffee and then it started working for me lol
i should have watch this before i started with meditation practice, now i suffer from severe head pressure that no one knows how to eliminate.
non doctor couldn't provide me relief.
I see now how big mistake I have done,pressure has been wih me for almost a year now and it has destroyed my life.
Is there anyone in the world who knows how to remove it?
Thank you so much for sharing this paper with me,I wish I have read it before.
You've talked to your nearest TM teacher and gotten your meditation checked?
For the first year, it was great. I loved it. Then when I went on my teacher training course, things changed dramatically. I developed a pressure headache as I effortless silently introduced the mantra. The pressure increased so much that if I introduced quietly the mantra the pain became unbearable. For the remainder of my teacher's course all I did was allow my attention to just be with the
pain. Toward the end of my course one day in the afternoon, the pain dissolved and I spent 4 or five hours having the sensation of falling into greater and greater Bliss. Finally I merged with all that is and became one with the holy divine. From that moment forth my mind could not entertain thoughts. I could not pickup the mantra up. That is the day I stopped TM
One red flag for me was the fact that they were really reluctant to unveil the scientific studies in favor of TM that they were bragging about. They would not let me see their supposed mountains of research. I don't doubt that meditation (in general) can be beneficial, but the way they were protecting their "TM Research" was awfully suspicious. If the studies were good, they'd have nothing to hide. Another red flag for me was the fact that the "teachers" ASSUMED you were there because you were filled with anxiety. I'm not perfect, but my prime reason was curiosity and that didn't make sense to them, strangely. Ultimately though, I think the TM style of meditation isn't bad, but the TM structure and administration and teachers are oddly 'off,' for lack of a better term. I wouldn't doubt if it was a full-on cult if you deep dive into TM programs.
all appearances are the manifestation of a belief or point of view. life is a creative venture. and for this reason all that arises in consciousness presents itself as objective fact. the process of undoing conditioned mind is in finding the subjective nature of all experiences and withdrawing from it
Great video. Thanks Steve and Gina!
Those who develop anxiety, depression, even a major nervous breakdown are instances of "spiritual bypassing." That is to say, they already had emotional issues which MUST be satisfactorily resolved PRIOR to committing to a regular meditative practice. This happened in my own case(having anxiety attacks early on) but I persisted because I didn't have to resolve any psychological issues prior to meditating.
All I can say his thank you .. Thank you very much .bye for now Russel from Canada
Russel Turner t
Have visited your blog from time to time. Very interesting and useful resources. Thanks!
Thanks so much for the warning information.
if the whole world meditated the world would be a paradise babe.
You did not put links for those organizations
What a lot of opinions about TM. I can only say I paid € 90,- for learning TM and have enjoyed practicing it for 44 years now.
It has been the best investment and the most valuable thing and I learned in my life.
90 euro is ok. Some ask,900
I don't remember bowing to anyone during my initiation. It was more like a sweet ritual meant to honor the beginnings of TM via Guru Dev and the spiritual traditions from which he developed the technique. I thought it was a sweet way of bringing history forward into the present. I would agree. The cost is exorbitant. However, I can go to any TM teacher for retraining at no cost to me anywhere where one practices. However, if there is something to be said for putting some money into it. Because money is basically a modern and western form of energy. We invest a little to get a little. Unfortunately, money talks and our society and, often, things we don't spend money on, we don't value as much. There are scholarships (partial and complete) for those who need them through the David Lynch foundation. Anyway, I'm glad I learned TM. It was well worth the investment.
The money allows the TM organization to keep its doors open, and charging so much allows them to woo wealthy donors. Getting lots of donations allows them to teach TM for free to millions of kids. Check out the current projects in South America:
czcams.com/video/U7g379ES7gU/video.html
Learnt TM for free in Sydney by a TM teacher 18 years ago. Am shocked to learn the price people pay in the U.S. for a gift from India to all humanity. Even though free, it has not diminished its value for me at all, I value it in the same way, I value air & water, (which also used to be free!) Western culture is all about commodifng EVERYTHING & unfortunately, it has included this priceless treasure. Don't know about meditating 8 hours a day!!! I meditate 20 minutes twice a day which is perfect for me, still using the same word. It's just so simple!
@@LawsonEnglish Which is great IF you make the base assumption that TM is good for people and if you also assume that the free training ISN'T a gateway to the kind of manipulative indoctrination this woman is recounting, where people are encouraged to pay exorbitant amounts of money to undertake clearly nonsensical trainings. But I see your name come up _everywhere_ I have looked at even slightly critical accounts of TM, so I'm sure you will be able to reassure me that these concerns are unfounded.
@@Pneumanon Well, you might have a point if the TM organization wasn't also teaching government workers to be TM teachers so that THEY can teach TM for free.
@@LawsonEnglish Great, when are they making it affordable for everyone else?
Acem is an organisation which teaches the same technique. I used to attend their London classes, and it was easy to come & go.
First of all if this lady started her meditation and got her mantra when she was a child and there is no fee when you start as a child,and I think only Prusha and maybe in some occasions they do long meditation. I have been meditating for 33 years and have no complain. JGD
And yet thousands of some of the most well behaved and successful creative people have learned TM with great results.
I've acquired the ability of doing the "I'm on a hill overlooking river Danube, eyes open, not thinking of breathing or parts of my body, smelling the air, being impressed by everything that surrounds me, while birds and wind present mantras specifically chosen for the local ecosystem by the maker of everything" technique. I can do it for hours, effortlessly and naturally, with no thoughts but pure awareness, with only minor side effects like sunburn or a bee sting:) Or "Peeling the potatoes" technique. Very simple, effortless, requires no belief and with the added benefit of peeled potatoes afterwards, ready to magically convert into energy at the eater's disposal to use as he pleases. Love the world!
What about repeating a self made mantra? Is that damaging?
depression, anxiety, stress can all be relieved by accomplishment. Set goals, accomplish those goals, reach beyond them, and you'll feel so much better.
And lovee don't forget that one 😇
Transcendental Meditation does not require any beliefs or living style. if this women has a problem with the Maharishi organization she should frame it properly.
I lived there and can can back up what she says. TM damaged me and it took me years to recover. Some people do well with it and myself and others I know, including a cousin ended up in a mental institution. TM should be marketed as cigarettes, with a warning label.
It’s very simple - if it doesn’t work for you don’t do it. Take responsibility for your own life and actions. If you can’t do these things, taking a Pez could mess you up.
the preliminary evaluation of TM by the University of Chicago included teaching it to 60 kids who traditionally had mental health problems. At the end of the year, the reports were "glowing." The teacher in charge of that group of kids said that the TMing kids had ZERO official mental health reports.
Im sorry about your cousin, but how do you know that TM was the culprit?
It's not slander if It is true. Bitch pleaase I know a cult when I see one. I was born in one. Don't get mad when people dont share your hallucination
Stephen Coleman You would have ended up in a mental hospital anyway. Don't blame that on TM.
The Transcendental Meditation differs from a neutral healing method by the religious accentuation. Maharishi-authorized TM teachers vowed in an affidavit to exclusively use the Mediation method mediated within the Association and to obey and worship the Maharishi and his organization. The delivery to the masters of tradition is at the heart of the "puja," the ritual introduction of each meditator to the Transcendental Meditation, in which Hindu deities are called.
The experience of kneeling before the Puja sacrificial altar was like a conversion into the world of Hindu spirits and gods to which I was also consecrated during the puja.
My God JESUS CHRIST warned me in my youth in the first of the known 10 COMMANDMENTS not to worship any gods other than HIM alone!
I worked for Maharishi Ayurvedic Products International in Colorado Springs as a health educator/order-taker for 4 years, left for 4, and came back for 4 years as the supervisor for the order dept & customer service. My 1st time around I learned TM but had been practicing Taoist meditation for years, which I found to be far more beneficial. In my 2nd 4 years there I experienced working with 6 "Rajas". It was an eye-opener. The TM "Movement" is a cult. Plain & simple.
Wait, don’t they say only 20 min 2x daily
Thank you for saying the truth
Is David Lynch the Tom Cruise of TM...?
OMG 😲 thank you for this eye opening interview on TM. I did not know so much money was involved. My question now is ‘why would you want to pay thousands to know how to meditate ‘better’ ?😂. These people claim to be enlightened? Hmmm ooookaaaaay! I personally am quite happy to partake in my own style of meditation 🧘♂️ as simplistic as it may be.... I always feel so much better spiritually afterwords and working things out for myself is so much more interesting. It has also helped me greatly to get through very dark times, in particular terrible physical pain following two serious accidents, the first one being the worst period of my life and I know it would have been so much worse if I hadn’t started my simple form of meditation.
Seems like they're paying to have someone (an "expert") tell them they are doing it right...
I think the problem is finding the right balance. People seem to go overboard with everything, especially in things that are good for them. Remembering the old saying, too much of a good thing can be bad for you is important when tempted to do things excessively.
Nearly 50 years ago, it was the "Wild West" with respect to TM, and Prudence Farrow inspired a song by the Beatles because of her stated goal to meditate for 72 hours straight at the ashram ("Dear Prudence, won't you come out and play...").
50 years later, there are strict guidelines on the advice for how long to do TM: no more than 20 minutes at a time, nor more than a few times a day. Even the 8 hour/day meditate-for-world-peace project only has a few TM sessions in the mix. The rest of the time is spent doing other mental practices besides TM.
The woman in the video omits that little detail. The TM organization's advice on the matter has evolved since Mia Farrow's day, or even since Gina Catena's day, which is still at least 30 years ago from what I gather.
>But if the practice is so old and perfected thousands of years ago, then why does the TM organization need to have updated or changed the advice it gives to people in the last 30 years?
Well, the practice isn't a few thousand years old. It is merely normal thinking in the context of a "meditation session." Normal thinking dates back to the dawn of human existence.
The teaching method has been refined a bit over the years, based on feedback from the TM teachers. THe part that has been most-changed concerns the practicalities of life. Your average 21st century person deals with far more chronic stress than anyone could have dreamed of thousands of years ago, and the practice was primarily preserved by monks and hermits, so the advice they were giving to their students was directed towards people who lived in entirely different circumstances than today.
Maharishi looked on his simplification of a standard monastic meditation as a revival of the original practice, but the advice concerning how long to meditate for, or how long to take to "come out of' the meditation state, is based on feedback. What is cool for a hermit living in the forest with no demands on them other than foraging or begging is not necessarily good for someone running a major company, or going to school in a high-tech world.
THAT is what has changed: the practicalities of life that surround the practice.
Try this. Close your eyes and visualize the number 1 then say "one". Proceed toward infinity. When you are smoothed out, continue with your day. Repeat at will.
James Lyons this saved my life thank you
Do you speak each number number vocally, or silently?
@@stevengolden1585 speak, it reinforces the action you are seeking.
I remember Gina at MIU. Sweet girl!
I've recently started to learn Ziva Meditation which primarily is TM. I'm so grateful to have come across this content! Sounds like TM is parallel to Scientology?!!!
I can only speak from my experience. I learned the TM technique in 1997 and have meditated off and on for 25 years. It's been a positive experience for me and helped me with migraine headaches.
I'm not familiar with some of the things she discusses, so no opinion from me there.
TM may work great, but it costs thousands of dollars to learn and if that doesn't raise a warning flag as for the organization around it, nothing will.
silvercrow Yup, like Scientology is very expensive as well
You had to spend thousands of dollars to learn how to close your eyes and repeat a mantra in your mind while focusing on it for 20 minutes, twice a day?
no it does not cost 'thousands of dollars'
Thank you for exposing Transcendental Meditation. Just makes too much sense. Then we continue.
way too noisy in the background,too distracting as a presentation
Maharishi tried its best here in Europe and America. He was trying to bring lifestyle that exist before Kali yuga (before 3100 BC). Before Kali yuga civilization were Jeevan Mukti ( final liberation) oriented. Our civilization is money and job oriented. This kind of lifestyle is in exact collision to Jeevan Mukti lifestyle.
Where was this woman - around many hours of meditation?!! No bowing😂. Mantra not to do with deities!!🤣.
If you haven't read Transcendental Deception by ex TM teacher, Aryeh Siegel. Please do. Here are a couple of blogs I did on TM freedomofmind.com/meditation-yes-but-please-be-careful-and-do-your-homework-regarding-transcendental-meditation-tm/ and freedomofmind.com/the-moonies-and-tm-attempt-to-reinvent-themselves/
Learn some manners and stop butting in. Let your guest speak uninterrupted.
I see lots of comments about people having practiced TM for 40 or 45 years, giving them lots of calmness and energy which is great. But none of them actually mentions higher states of consciousness in daily life, or awakening say like Eckart Tolle for example.
Seeing reality for what it actually is, becoming fully present!
This leads me believe that this form of Meditation which differs from all other forms of meditation is as Osho has previous said, just a deep state of rest and nothing more.
Theta brainwave is a good thing
From what I have seen, most only do the basic technique for 40 minutes a day total. Perhaps, longer sessions are required to achieve even deeper states of meditation, but if the trance state is maintained for too long, complementary techniques would be needed to prevent people from dissociating completely or risking psychotic-like episodes.
Other methods can be used to reach glimpses of Turiya. Yoga Nidra and Kriya yoga practices, as mentioned by Swami Rama and Swami Satyananda, seem to achieve this after sufficient repetitions. Self-inquiry questions would be another way potentially.
I practiced TM for years. Felt better after I stopped. Mindfulness meditation works better. Even better is 6 second breathing. Both completely free.
God i hope i'm interested in someone or something enough to not have the time or need to meditate
Very interesting!
Whoever comes to learn TM comes with their own particular nervous systems and streams of karma. In my experience TM helps most people who try it.
aardvarkansaw o
I kind of think that TM is like Psychotherapy. Some people are geared up to it and some people aren't. I can see it can be addictive and potentially destructive. My personal experience is that I have virtually no interest in the organisation side of it whatsoever. I trained for my own benefits. I have found it to be very powerful and something that needs to be practised very carefully. It does expand your sensory consciousness and can induce a psychadelic experience. I have not found it to be a perfect vehicle but something of a rollercoaster with some unbelieveably positive results. As for training people up from youth, I do not agree with this. You must choose to do it yourself. If you're weak minded, are afraid of change and want a religion to follow, look elsewhere.
Exactly what and where the marbles was she to be doing 8hrs Med a day?!!
I'm on the fence about this tm, but seeing the video recommended with Howard stern and Seinfeld makes me want to try it. I don't see either one being a bullshit artist. I'm going in August learn, give me some feedback...
its your money and time...
Whatever happened with your TM practice.
I'm interested in Gina connecting some qualities of TM to living in addiction. I work with in substance abuse treatment, I see some parallels on the periphery too- loss of control, loss of self, being stuck in a cycle through guilt and shame... great video!
My take is that TM meditation as I used it is good for me. However becoming a teacher exposed me to indoctrination which took years to shake off, so I have conflicted views. MMY was a skilled entrepreneur. It is a pyramid scheme selling a kind of spiritual cure for deficiency of a self who wants to become an enlightened self. Perhaps we need to go through these organisations to eventually realise we are the beginning and end of knowing - we need nothing.
Self realisation has nothing to do with new age aspirations of becoming perfect individuals, it is discovery of an experiencer beyond any definition, that cannot be found, then living in that reality.
What most folks don't know about the maharishi is he's a big real estate investor. According to the United Kingdom's Guardian newspaper, the maharishi's combined real-estate and business holdings total out at $3.6 billion. These days, the maharishi presides over a corporate empire Indian sources have estimated to be worth more than $5 billion -- a sort of Wal-Mart of the spirit, encompassing extensive land holdings in India, hotels in Europe, and publishing houses in the United States.
The family is no longer in charge in India.
@@PauloBenites The Maharishi Foundation, or TM Group, has or has collected plenty of money:
"In 2005, the Global Country bought an 800-plus acres farm in Goshen, New York, USA for $4 million in cash, with plans to create an organic farm training site, as well as a Peace Palace. According to broker Steve Perfit, the 818 acres (3.31 km2) were put up for sale in April 2009.[40]
"
"In November 2000, the GCWP made a proposal to the President of Suriname, offering $1.3 billion over three years for a 200-year lease of 3,500 acres (14 km2) of rural land..."
And, it regularly solicits donations for projects, some of which never really make progress. As J Ma has written:
" All of that is owned by his family now, and the organization...most of it from big time donors who never got/get to see where their money goes. Incredible."
Wait ! You have to bow before an alter and swear allegiance to a Hindu God???
yes but the officiate does the bowing FOR you.
It's a cliché that institutions inspired by great spiritual leaders are corrupt: read The Acts of the Apostles! If you read Maharishi's two books it is obvious he is a great spiritual teacher - a guru. So you have to use your intelligence to separate the wheat from the chaff as the New Testament puts it.
The bible is based on fairy tales. You really think the entire planet was destroyed in a flood 3k yrs ago?
man... are you aware everything you say is a jaded knee jerk, generic catch all response? have you anything from your own mind to say or can you only repeat jaded atheist rhetoric... is there a comment about a man on a cloud from you yet? Sunny, your comments are all generic repetitions, sound bights, no logic, no argument.. you make no points at all... and John spoke of using your intelligence to work out the rubbish from the quality, and your response is this attack on the bible! so, if something is in the bible, it's rubbish by definition??? fairy tales and fable have wisdom in them, so even from that perspective you can take value from those "fairy tales"... man, your mind seems stuck on well worn rails... John just referenced the bible, and a bit that has value whatever you believe,,, but you are fixated on religion, and one very limited and generic view of it, that you bypass that just to make, yet another, generic and mindless attack.
Is this the Scientology of meditation?
Hardly
What a challenge for the interviewer to listen to the answers.
This is important. Far too many people watch a video and start practicing. On a small minority, the psychological effects can be devastating. Please read the mediation literature. There are are hundreds of ancient Hindu and Buddhist scriptures that detail the experiences of meditators (start with Patanjali’s YogaSutras). They tell you what to do, what to avoid, and how to fix errors. And if you start seeing a negative impact, stop, immediately. And for God’s sake, don’t start your own CZcams channel after spending five days in a Himalayan ashram. Too many of those idiots out there.
Any kind of meditation can have negative effects if you overdo it. More than 1 hour a day of any meditation is going way overboard.
This sounds bizarre, and so unfortunate that such charlatans give meditation such a bad name. Inconceivable that this guru charges such exorbitant prices just to teach others how to get still and quiet the mind. I think the whole world would benefit from regularly "meditating" or simply getting still. It's empowering, because it does bring peace and often intuitive insight. Even just closing one's eyes and sitting still for a few minutes can be beneficial. No bells or whistles needed. I read on their website that there's no focus on the breath. Ah, that's interesting, because deep breathing is empowering. Religion isn't. Religion is about something other than us having the power, and typically needing a guru to get to that power. It's a lie, and I'm amazed that celebrities fall for it, and pay these supposed spiritual experts so much. But it would seem we all have our path from which to learn. Even so, I'm hoping most ppl are moving toward waking up from all this control-freak BS, and realizing the power is within them. Get still, BREATHE and "know that I am God." Yes you are, know that there is nothing above or below you. "God" is nothing more than your own highest consciousness. Get still in any way that is comfortable for you, BREATHE deeply, feel the peace, and simply listen, and you'll hear your own higher wisdom. Learn to trust it, and allow no one to "lord" over you. You are the lord of your own life.
some will never know....and that's okay
Can't help, but, feel sad for them.
sorry u had bad experience meditation is a good thing the moment u try to make anything into religion u miss the point just get rid of the shit
iM SORRY If im wrong but this sounds like bollox to me Iv never heard of anyone sighning any NDA's thats rediculouse!
My parents met through TM Iv practiced since i was about 5 I swear to
all that anyone holds sacred that TM is a good thing the organisations
built up around it are only human I dont agree with everything they do
but the courses I used to go on are preciouse child hood memories of
Royden Hall in England No one in my family have eber been pushed or
pressured to buy Ayervedic products or go on any courses !!!
The transcendent realm exists beyond the world sustained by generic perception. People meditate to achieve a different state. If during our meditatively provoked transcendence we lose our awareness of 'reality' we literally conform to the dictionary definition of the word psychotic. Most return to the prison that is generic perception and are therefore considered sane. If we are unable return to a state where generically perceived reality is all there is, psychosis may be our diagnosis. Psychosis in some form or other is the only way to permanently transcend the limits placed upon our mind by generic perception. An awakening is the realisation that those limits do not 'in fact' exist, thereby realising our mind's liberation. Most do not permanently integrate their transcendent state in a way that it can be shared with the world and so its called a 'trip'. A conditioned mind cannot consciously or through effort achieve transcendence. Hence the decades spent by some in meditation. Salvation can only come by the grace of God. Forget the TM just pray to God!
I did not like it that I was not told what my mantra means because it is always good to know after all we all want knowledge and it is important to know what we need to know in order to grow. I do believe that because we are all individuals what works for one person does not work for someone else. TM does have cult like propensities and I do believe that meditation is beneficial and is important that people explore meditation. You do not have to go to India to become enlightened it can happen sitting in your living room. The Maharishi was a very clever man, much like many celebrities and now Oprah, Dr. Oz, Ray Lynch are all famous TM practitioners are in deep support of this, again they utilize physicists like Dr. John Hagelin. Many people are attracted by meditation, beware that meditation does not overtake your life, it is supposed to help you relax and calm your nerves, reciting a mantra that you do not know anything about could make you irritated and not relax if you truly want to know what you are thinking when you think the mantra....choose something that works for you where you can be yourself and are free to ask questions and get an answer or better yet, find your own answers.
+Catherine Sidoti The whole point of the mantra is not to have a meaning - in fact I don’t even know if TM has a “meaning" assigned. They also ask you not to write it down. The reason for this is the when you meditate, the SOUND brings you to a meditate state. If for example if you knew the word meant “horse” you would be thinking about horses, or if you wrote it down you may be visualizing the word “horse” on a piece of paper. The whole point is to not think about these things and to have no conscious thoughts at all. So lose your mind and come to your senses.
I do know what the point of TM is and it is to enjoy life more and more there are positive things about TM however I do like to know what I am thinking and for me ignorance is not bliss, TM states that one need not know the mantra to preserve innocence and that is fine, at least is nice to get that information up front. Interesting points you have made though and meditation is very beneficial and really who makes the rules? There are many paths of meditation, who is to say what is the most correct way to meditate, everyone has similarities and everyone also has differences too. We each need to find our own individual path, with individual being the operative word.
But the fact remains she was lied to and what else have they lied to us about?
Steve Hassan asked me to watch the movie "David wants to Fly" so I rented it online. It is not something you can get in the US you have to look on the Internet for it and it was quite surprising what I discovered. Just because celebrities practice something like this does not mean it is legitimate. After all most of them are impressionable and what was interesting to note that in this movie the TM centers for the pundits in India were never completely established for their projects and they kept these people encased with a barbed wire fence so they would not escape. That is not freedom of thought, it is a scam to get money. You should see the movie if you can, you will find out things that you did not know before because the film maker investigates the TM movement.
Catherine you are long winded and all over the place. You don’t like it. Well TM has it reasons which are very valid and have already been discussed here. So get over it. If you don’t like Big Macs - then don’t go to McDonalds. Get over it.
Any movement or church organization has malcontents. The supporters of TM vastly outnumber them.
i took tm then took tools and never went back - the problem is when you stay in a cult or stay in group then it gets crazy. the moonies lived next door to me growing up and they looked glassy eyed- sometimes a limo would go down to their house carrying the rev moon. for me i am not cult material- i went to Tm use the meditation and thats it.
The person speaks as if TM Siddhi programme is an endless meditation when it is not. it is recommended only twice a day not for" Long hours" like she says. either she did not do it the right way or she has not learned from the right people. She does not seem to know that most "Mantras" in Vedas are secret in the sense that they are not said loud, even Gayatri matra is supposed to be chanted just enough for you alone to hear. This is completely misleading opinion. I can for one swear by near miraculous improvements in health and attitude. Do not go by it. Discredit it by a ignorant person who does not seem to understand who or what sage Patanjali's sutras are. Its like describing an elephant by a blind man.
It's funny how TM not only stands for Transcendental Meditation, but also Trade Mark.Not just a coincidence,I'm sure. What price the Truth? If it wasn't for The Beatles, we would never had heard of this K-Mart meditation.
The woman in this video is coming from a very unique place of not personally choosing meditation. Maybe it wasn't right for her. A lot of what they say in this video is either false or very far from the norm. Nobody meditates 8 to 10 hours a day in TM. It's not a cult. You don't have to pay money and go to advanced courses. Only the first initiation is required. It's not secret so much as it is private. Yes, there is a short ceremony where the teacher is paying respect to the lineage of gurus that have passed down the wisdom. I have studied many different martial arts, every class begins and ends with a bow to the teacher and a bow to the image of his or her teacher. It's a sign of respect. Something we have a lot to learn about in the West. Yes, they ask you to not teach others what you have learned. If I teach you and you teach your friend and he or she teaches someone else, it doesn't take long for the purity of the teaching to be lost. That is the purpose of being asked to not share what you learn. So what if they charge money for it. It's the best money you will ever spend. Maharishi recognized that here in the west, we would value something more if we paid for it.
The mantra is not repeated over and over, except in the very beginning. Eventually it changes, and you don't repeat it. As far as yogic hopping goes. This is an advanced technique that most meditators will never experience. People don't even understand what they are looking at when they see video of it. It's not muscular. There is no effort. Only a temporary suspension of the law of gravity. One lifts off from the level of consciousness. I have seen a room full of people doing this. No one is breathing hard. It's very blissful. Kind of a miracle, really.
Each of us has within us a seed of divinity. Eventually we recognize this, maybe in this life, maybe the next life. Maybe a thousand lives from now. When you do, you are consciously on the path to union with God. Then begins the long "journey" to fully connect with that inner divinity. Meditation is a technique to dramatically speed up that process. TM works. There are other techniques that work also. I think TM is the simplest and requires the least time commitment.
Haters are gonna hate. People are going to judge without any knowledge. Let them. TM has made life worth living. You can take my word for it or trust some moron who have never tried it or tried it for a month. You get out of it what you put into it.
It's like anything. Don't over do it. Meditation is great, just don't let it be the only thing you do all day!! Maharishi said 15-20min 2 x per day.
TM has over 500 Research studies done, the majority by independant researchers at www.tm.org/research-on-meditation Scientific research means it is Objective, repeatable & Universal. That means it doesn't matter what you believe and who you are, it should work and give you the same benefical results. Don't believe anything else than objective Scientific research.
One GOOD session of Ayahuasca with a Good Chaman will blow away years of ANY kind of meditation, as you will connect yourself with totally and understand and FEEL the purpose of life! ...now Meditation is good to keep your mind in tune...but you will never reach the level of connection as you do with a GOOD Ayahuasca ceremony......you can not even compare!
There is a ruthlessly competitive vibe within the TM movement which effects everyone who works full-time for TM
All the middle class prejudices apply just as much as they do in the professions: it’s who you know, not what you know that counts in the hierarchy, and if you haven’t got private means you have no chance of obtaining higher preferments.
So out in the big wide world there are many embittered ex-employees of the Movement who didn’t get the respect they consider they deserved. For all the careerists, actually practising TM and TM-sidhis the way it’s intended has never been a priority: the glamour of Maharishi’s reflected glory has been the magnet and if an individual doesn’t get enough it becomes resentful and vengeful
The interviewer should stop pretending he is doing an interview. He is annoying. Let her speak!!!
This is because you guys are not doing it the indian way
It seems to my uneducated perspective that these revolutionary personal findings people are achieving with “Trancendental Meditation” are actually just them positively reacting to meditation and self love/care in general. You don’t need a wacky cultish pseudoscience to practice meditation, awareness, and mindfulness.
It makes you anxious because you're calling up demons.
yes.
Always happens to me. Always get anxious but also get calm bouts too.
DAVID WANTS TO FLY WATCH IT EX TM TEACHER ONE EVIL MAN