THE DAY I SNEEZED AT MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI

Aryeh Siegel is a former teacher of Transcendental Meditation who left the cult and is revealing its hidden Hindu truths. He is the author of ‘Transcendental Deception’. Discover more at www.tmdeception.com

INTELLIGENT PEOPLE ALSO GET DUPED

In the mid-1970s, I decided to become a TM teacher. My gradual immersion into the world of TM parallels that of many others. What started off as a casual interest to relieve stress, morphed into an all encompassing way of life that lasted almost ten years.

I had a master’s degree in Community Organization from the School of Social Welfare at Case-Western Reserve in Cleveland, and another from Berkeley in Public Health Planning. I had started practicing TM at the recommendation of my best friend at the time, a physician in the same graduate program at Berkeley.

$35 ENLIGHTENMENT

After attending the required introductory lectures, I signed up to learn TM the following Saturday. The initial sessions presented how TM worked and described the mantras used to meditate as simple sounds that had no meaning. During the follow-up sessions, I had exposure to Maharishi and his teachings, but I recall only being told that practicing TM would lead to something called “cosmic consciousness.” Supposedly, I would become enlightened for $35, which seemed a pretty good deal.

In addition to stress relief, I was interested in the potential role of TM as an adjunct to traditional medicine. Eventually, my focus took a turn to the spiritual side, and I started exploring Eastern religions and philosophy. At the TM center, I watched videos of Maharishi discussing higher consciousness and presenting TM as the superhighway to enlightenment.

INTO THE GURU’S LAIR

I attended weekend and week-long courses, and I was meditating significantly longer than twenty minutes, twice a day, as was recommended by the TM teachers who led these courses. Slowly but surely, I felt I was part of a movement. I had a guru who promised enlightenment, not only for me but also for the whole world.

When I took TM’s teacher-training course in 1974 (a six-month requirement), I had the option of dividing the program into two segments. My first session in the summer was held at a hotel in Livigno, Italy, in the Alps. From what I recall, the routine entailed eight hours of daily meditation, each session lasting forty to fifty minutes.

Livigno, Italy. A fine place to meditate!

Between meditations, we did a set of yogic postures (asanas) and five minutes of breathing exercises (pranayama). Evening videos featured Maharishi discussing how TM worked, higher consciousness, and his vision for a harmonious world that would automatically result if enough people meditated. (According to him, we were the leaders of a coming global transformation.)

FINDING HOLES IN THE HOLINESS OF THE HOLY MAN

Maharishi visited the course three times, each time staying for a few days. His first visit came when we were about two months into the three-month course. We expected he would come towards the end of the course. We were told this was a very rare surprise visit, and even though it was no longer a surprise, the excitement was palpable and the energy electric; this was quite a feat given how spaced out we were from all the meditation we had been doing.

Why all the excitement? The answer for me, why I was excited, is embarrassing even some forty plus years later. The words that best describe my state of mind are enchantment, enraptured, awe, and devotion. I had never been in the same room with someone that I considered “holy,” let alone someone who was introduced everywhere as “his holiness.” I had advanced degrees from outstanding universities, and I turned off my critical thinking and normally analytical personality. I was “wow and bow” and devotion. It was emotionally overwhelming. The embarrassment I now feel is a recognition of how I let myself become so infantilized.

GETTING HIGH IN THE ALPS

There were probably a hundred of us in the course. Every one of us had interrupted our lives; most traveling long distances and paying a lot of money to somehow find our way to this hotel nestled in a small village in the Italian Alps, about a twenty-minute drive St. Moritz. We all had our own reasons for showing up. I came because I believed Maharishi offered a path to enlightenment. I had just come through a very rough divorce and enlightenment meant an end to the suffering I had been experiencing for a long time. I think at least a few others were in the same boat, leaving behind something better left in their personal rear-view mirrors.

St. Moritz: A very pleasant place to meditate.

ELIMINATE CRIME, BRING PEACE TO THE WORLD, AND OTHER PROMISES

Another aspect of Maharishi’s teachings appealed to that part of me that went into both social work and public health as career choices. My exploration of Eastern spiritual practices and teachings was interesting at first, but ultimately disappointing.

I discovered that enlightenment was an individual path that involved finding a guru and basically detaching from the world. Maharishi, on the other hand, not only talked about higher consciousness but also ending suffering for everyone. Crime would be eliminated, and lasting peace would come to the world. We, his missionaries, would spearhead this world transformation.

From the videos I watched before the course, I experienced Maharishi as clever, quick witted, and charming. He was certainly the most spiritual person I had ever encountered, and I had no doubt whatsoever that he was enlightened. I was counting the hours until he came.

MAHARISHI VISITS. I SNEEZE.

Preparing for his visit, the staff scrubbed everything down and set up the meeting hall with chairs in a semicircle with a wide aisle separating them in the middle. I assumed Maharishi would walk down the middle aisle to the little stage with a seat that was set up for him. I made a plan to get a seat towards the front next to the middle aisle, which I did. The morning of the visit, bouquets of flowers surrounded his designated seat and a wonderful fragrance filled the room. A low table, covered with a white cloth, was placed in front of his seat and a microphone was set up on it.

I knew that when Maharishi entered a room, it was always a spectacle. He would slowly walk through adoring crowds, and those who could get close enough would present him with the most perfect rose they could buy. By the time he arrived at his seat, his arms were filled with roses, one of which he would use as a prop when he spoke.

Our group planned to do the same. Everyone was rose-ready, but then another surprise. Instead of lining up to greet him with our flowers, we were going to be meditating as he walked in. The disappointment of missing the entrance procession would be tempered by Maharishi himself telling us to open our eyes. It seemed like a good trade, but it’s not like we were given a choice. My seat choice was excellent — third row on the right aisle as he entered.

Naturally, when I sensed he was coming in, I peeked. As he was passing my row, he slid off his wooden sandals, and that’s where they stayed until he finished talking some hours later. I knew he would have to pause by my seat on the way out to slip on his sandals. My sense of abject embarrassment writing these words is tempered by the understanding I’ve gained about the danger of surrendering one’s critical thinking to a guru.

Fatefully, sneezing (of all things) got in the way of my fast track to enlightenment. The menu was vegetarian and always included full-fat yogurt, nuts, and whole-grain breads. As nutritious as it seemed, I was unaccustomed to that much dairy and wheat and started sneezing a great deal, and I was consistently congested. So, the breathing exercises never went well, and my meditations no doubt were affected. Thus, while the scenery was spectacular, the full experience eluded me. Nevertheless, I went to work for the movement.

Eventually the spell was lifted, the facade dissolved around Maharishi’s holiness, and I left the movement. Not only did I get out of the cult and start thinking for myself again, but I could finally eat foods that didn’t make me feel sick…

[Excerpt from ‘Transcendental Deception’. Get the book at amazon.com]

***

Aryeh Siegel is the author of TRANSCENDENTAL DECEPTION: Behind the TM curtain — bogus science, hidden agendas, and David Lynch’s campaign to push a million public school kids into Transcendental Meditation while falsely claiming it is not a religion. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and family. Discover more at www.tmdeception.com

p17–19. Blog #3

I SURVIVED THE CULT OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

DAMAGED BY TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

TM proponents say that very few people have had any negative experiences practicing TM, and that those who did most likely had preexisting conditions that precipitated the problems they associated with TM. It wasn’t difficult for me to find dozens of people who claim they were severely damaged by their TM practice. Some of them sued TM and the TM organization chose to pay large settlements rather than face them in court. In my book Transcendental Deception I recount some of their stories in a chapter on TM casualties. 

I thought I came out of TM unscathed. I hadn’t thought about TM for decades from when I left in the late 1970s until its re-emergence in 2015 as the David Lynch foundation put millions of dollars into expanding the reach of TM. In the process of writing my book, I discovered that I too was damaged. At some point I spoke with Don Krieger, one of the pioneers who created an online forum that exposed many of TM’s highly guarded secrets. I wanted permission to include a story in the book that was personal to him. We spoke for a while and at one point he asked, “How did TM damage you?” I denied that it did and he didn’t believe me. A few minutes after hanging up, I realized he was right. For the first time I began to confront the reality that despite two master’s degrees and most of a Ph.D. from some top universities, I had not only turned off my critical thinking ability, but I had also allowed myself to become infantilized. 

CULT SURVIVORS

After reading extensively about cultic groups, attending workshops for cult survivors, and having discussions with cult experts like Steven Hassan and Patrick Ryan, I realized how insidious and damaging the experience had been. I became very concerned that TM’s deceptions would continue to ensnare people looking to deal with stress into something that could prove very detrimental to some of them as it had to so many others and me over the years. 

THE SHADOW SIDE OF TM

Although sharing how I got caught up in TM is profoundly embarrassing, I realized there is no book currently out there that discusses TM’s shadow side. So I decided to write the book. It covers an exposé of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the organization he created. It provides information that school administrators, principals, and parents should have available to make an informed decision about TM in schools. I strongly believe it doesn’t belong there. It gives celebrities information that may help them rethink if they want to continue promoting TM. And I invite journalists to apply critical thinking to the information presented by the TM organization and no longer accept that information at face value. 

A GUIDED TOUR THROUGH THE PUJA (TM’S INTRODUCTORY HINDU CEREMONY). 

So you decide to learn meditation. You’ve been hearing about meditation for years. Some friends and family members are now doing it. Sounds good. What could be simpler? You’ve read that meditation can reduce stress, improve concentration and productivity, and maybe even cure insomnia or high blood pressure. 

You are not interested in joining any religion, but you hear that meditation is not a religious practice and is based in scientific research. A co-worker raves about Transcendental Meditation. She’s been doing TM for years and it has made a positive difference in her life. She talks about how so many celebrities do TM–from Oprah to Jerry Seinfeld. And it’s so simple. You go through a short ceremony, get a special secret mantra, and then start quietly reciting your mantra for twenty minutes, twice a day. 

She assures you this is not a religion and the method has been scientifically validated. So you check it out and are surprised that it costs nearly a thousand dollars to receive this mantra, but you decide, let’s do it. 

On the day of your instruction, you have been asked to bring two pieces of whole fruit, six fresh flowers, and a white handkerchief. You silence your phone, step through the front door, and quietly take off your shoes. As your instructor greets you, she places the items you’ve brought in a basket and tells you to make yourself comfortable on the sofa in the waiting area while she prepares the space where you will be learning Transcendental Meditation. 

A few minutes later, she comes out and leads you back to a quiet, dimly lit room. It’s small and cozy, furnished like the den of someone’s house. The scent of incense fills your nose, and you can feel the soft plush carpet under your socks. 

There are two chairs in the center of the room, one for you and one for the teacher, and a small table with a framed picture of an old Indian man in orange robes. He looks like a guru, sitting in a lotus position that you are familiar with from your yoga class. You take another peek at the table. It looks like a small altar. You think to yourself, “What’s going on here? This looks a lot more religious than it does scientific.” 

But you keep quiet. She starts by reminding you that she’s chosen a personal mantra for you based on information you shared on your intake form. Because it is personal to you, you are not to share it with anybody: not your spouse, your parents, or even your children. If you forget your mantra, which is normal in the beginning, you can always set up a time to come see her at the center and she will remind you. She informs you that she will start meditating with you, and once you’re in it, she will leave the room. She will come back a few minutes before the end of your twenty-minute session, so you don’t need to worry about keeping track of time. You nod in agreement. 

The fruit, flowers, and handkerchief you brought are laid out on the altar in front of the photo. Your instructor tells you that she is going to perform a ceremony thanking the teachers who have preserved this knowledge over the centuries, and that all you have to do is observe. 

You listen as she sings several verses from memory in a language you don’t understand. When she finishes, she motions for you to join her in bowing down towards the picture. It. feels awkward, but bow anyway, because you don’t want to be rude or mess something up (or maybe you just want the full experience). 

As she slowly gets up, she whispers, almost imperceptibly, two syllables. Her voice gets louder as she gestures for you sit beside her and join her in repeating the sound. After about twenty seconds, her voice starts to get softer and softer. Eventually you notice, and you lower your own voice too, repeating the sound over and over until you are barely whispering. At this point she says, “When you’re ready, simply keep repeating the sound gently in your head.” So, you do. 

At some point, you hear her leave the room. You realize you are practicing your first session of Transcendental Meditation.

***

Aryeh Siegel is the author of TRANSCENDENTAL DECEPTION: Behind the TM curtain—bogus science, hidden agendas, and David Lynch’s campaign to push a million public school kids into Transcendental Meditation while falsely claiming it is not a religion. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and family. Discover more at www.tmdeception.com