Transcend With Transcendental Meditation
March 17th, 2008The goal of transcendental meditation is for the mind to transcend the physical body without using any special techniques or concentrations. It was introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1958.
There has been research into the effects and benefits of transcendental meditation that has shown that it may be quite beneficial to a person’s health.
Transcendental meditation is practiced for a twenty minute period two times per day. The position is a sitting position with eyes closed. The main difference between this type of meditation and other types of meditation is that there is no active thinking or concentration.
Most meditation techniques involve a mantra or some type of concentration to help bring the mind to that relaxed meditative state. With transcendental meditation, though, there is nothing like this.
Maharishi believed that active concentration prevents the mind from being able to transcend which explains why there is no concentration in this type of meditation.
The long-term goal of transcendental meditation is enlightenment. When the mind transcends the body and exists on the spiritual plane then a person has effectively used transcendental meditation as it was intended.
The effects on the body during transcendental meditation include lower respiration, lower blood pressure, increased circulation, decreased heart rate and overall relaxation of the body.
Research into transcendental meditation has been quite extensive. There have been over 200 studies looking at the benefits of transcendental meditation and how it affects a person when in the meditative state.
Learning transcendental meditation can be expensive. Training is done by certified teachers and classes range from five to seven days. The training is extensive and the classes are very secretive. They are also not offered everywhere. It can be work just to find and get into a transcendental meditation course.
Transcendental meditation is said to be very effective at allowing a person to reach the state where they experience enlightenment. It is said to work much better than other forms of meditation due to the specialized techniques of Maharishi.
Some people meditate for reasons like relaxation, connecting with their inner self and being able to connect with a higher source. With transcendental meditation the goal is to reach enlightenment when the soul transcends the body and becomes one with the higher spiritual existence. That is why transcendental meditation is taken so seriously. The goal is much more than expected from simple meditation.
With regard to Transcendental Meditation: Many critics consider Transcendental Meditation a cult led by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. For an alternative view of the TM Movement, readers may be interested in checking out TM-Free Blog, TranceNet.net, or my counseling site, KnappFamilyCounseling.com/cultsb.html, where individuals recovering from Transcendental Meditation and similar groups will find helpful information.
John M. Knapp, LMSW
http://KnappFamilyCounseling.com/cultsb.html
Actually, Transcendental Meditation does involve a mantra. It’s a very simple technique. You simply relax and “let go” for about 20 minutes, and repeat your mantra over and over, while you slip “consciously into your unconcious.”
The idea of meditations is to expand consciousness. This isn’t something mysterious. It’s actually scientific. What you are doing when you meditate is you are “waking up” parts of your unconscious mind, and allowing yourself more access to formerly “unused” portions of your brain (actaully, these portions are used, but they are normally used unconsciously; meditation makes them conscious). This is why many people feel more intelligent and more awake once they begin meditating.
Meditation is not sleeping or relaxing. It requires effort and attention, while letting go. But it’s not difficult. Also, TM is not a religion, or a cult, or anything other than a one week class (like a cooking class…you learn the technique, and then you go do it, if you want, and you never have to go back, and no one ever contacts you again). You can try other techniques, also. I’ve used many, although TM is my favorite and the least complicated.
Thanks,
Jeremy
Response to John M. Knapp comment:
Many critics consider John M. Knapp to be a self-promoting spammer who has nothing worthwhile to offer, but tries to make money by creating fear about useful programs like TM. A previous post of his indicated that he is a disgruntled former TM’er. With any organization that has attracted millions of participants, it is inevitable that a few people will become detractors. While I am impressed that John M. Knapp has shown the resourcefulness to transform his disgruntlement into a career, I do object to him labelling TM as a cult and spamming every article about TM on the Web. Although it is perhaps more worthy of sympathy to see an individual allowing his personal or professional life to revolve around some lingering bitterness, in the interests of fairness I feel I must counter the comments he is leaving.
The Transcendental Meditation technique has helped millions of people and will continue to do so. Its benefits have been validated by hundreds of scientific studies over the past 35 years, many of which were published in peer-reviewed journals. Its efficacy has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health, the premier body overseeing medical research in the US. And it has been introduced into school programs in the US, Canada, Peru, India, South Africa, the UK, and other countries. In the US, TM is taught by a federally-recognized nonprofit organization.
For more information, just Google ‘transcendental meditation’ and you’ll find plenty of good sources.