Of late many people have been coming here because they're specifically interested in David Lynch. If you're one of them you might want to just start on this page. There's also a discussion below.
This site is critical of Transcendental Meditation®
My name is Joe Kellett. Although I am a former "Transcendental Meditation"® (often just called "TM"®) teacher I no longer in any way represent the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi or any or his organizations.
On the contrary, the purpose of this site is to provide information and arguments recommending against involvement with said individual or with any of his organizations.
If you want the official TM position, go to an official TM organizational source . You also can find links to many additional official TM organizational sources at AllTM.org.
They're good people, but still trained to deceive you
However, after researching those sites then come back here. The reason is that TM teachers are trained to deceive you. They are good people and they deceive you from good motives because they want to hide from you things that "you aren't ready to understand yet." If you heard those things then your misunderstanding might prevent you from learning TM, and that would be a very tragic thing for you.
These well-intentioned TM teachers will deceive you in two ways. The first way is that they freely employ a technique of deception called "mental reservation." This form of deception involves hiding information from you while letting you believe that you have all of the information that you need. This was the form of deception employed by Bill Clinton when he said "I did not have sex with that woman." He wasn't "lying" (at least not according to his private unstated mental definition of "sex") but he was still deliberately "deceiving." As he famously said "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is"; TM advocates are pulling identical mind-tricks on you!
TMers also quite freely and egregiously employ a form of propaganda called "spin doctoring." This is a form of deception involving deliberate distortion of the facts.
In this website I will show you how both of these techniques of deception are used.
I intend no criticism of any individuals other than the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi!
I really mean what follows... When I was a TM teacher, I was quite sincere about what I was doing. I truly believed that I was "doing good" in promoting and teaching TM to people. Now, as you will see if you keep reading, I feel much different about what I was actually doing.
However, I still assume that TM officials and TM teachers sincerely believe everything they tell you. Sometimes they may not give you all the information that in my opinion you should know. However, they think they are withholding such information "for your own good" because you are "not ready for it." They mean well.
So I don't mean to imply criticism of any individual other than Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I assume that everyone else involved in TM is just another victim who thinks they are "doing good." That absolutely includes David Lynch, who I'll be aiming a lot of observations at; he's obviously a great guy.
And all of this applies even when I begin to address the question of whether TM is a "cult." The rank-and-file people in cults are almost always very well-intentioned people.
I have no religious agenda
TM advocates like to think that strong critics must necessarily have an underlying religious agenda. In many cases they are right. Many Christian organizations, in particular, have caught on to the fact that TM is a religion (which isn't very hard to figure out if you look under the covers even just a little bit).
However, I don't happen to have a religious agenda. My problem with TM is that (a) it is taught by a cult, and (b) becoming involved with it can be very very damaging, both psychologically and financially.
But TM sounds pretty innocent!
If you know anything at all about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and if you're old enough to remember the British Invasion and Johnny Carson, then you undoubtedly think that MMY was a harmless eccentric. After becoming internationally famous as the guru of the Beatles, he appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Carson. MMY giggled constantly through the entire interview and became secondarily internationally famous as "the giggling guru." And he presented the same giggly facade in every public appearance for decades.
If you've heard of him at all more recently, perhaps from his Larry King interview, then you also probably considered him at worst a harmless eccentric. For example, he was always coming up with incredibly bizarre schemes for attaining world peace, as demonstrated in that interview.
Or you may have heard about TM from the publicity generated by the famous director David Lynch. A TMer for decades, Lynch has in the past few years been making college tours to speak about TM. And he has put his money where his mouth is by putting up millions of dollars to promote TM in public schools.
And if you know any details at all about the Transcendental Meditation technique itself then you probably think that it is just a harmless 20-minute-twice-a-day relaxation exercise.
But don't judge a book by its cover. This is all a facade for a psychologically dangerous cult that is also a full-blown and highly dogmatic religion.
Not everyone ends up in the cult. As a matter of fact, there's a wide spectrum of involvement. Most people who begin TM quit relatively soon. Somewhat fewer just meditate "20 minutes twice a day", enjoy it, and don't get further involved. But the remainder, in my metaphor, end up falling like Alice down the rabbit hole into an extremely bizarre TM Wonderland. Those are the people I discuss in this web site.
But, but... it's been scientifically validated!
If you've been doing any research on TM at all you'll have been pounded over and over and over again with the words "scientifically validated." If you've swallowed that claim whole then you've been seriously spin-doctored.
In fact there are lots of problems with this "scientifically validated" claim.
TM can significantly distort your sense of reality
It is popular nowadays to laugh at Tom Cruise and his fellow Scientologists for believing in the absolutely literal gospel truth of L. Ron Hubbard's revelations about a long-ago Galactic ruler named "Xenu."
But what the general public doesn't know is that hard-core TMers believe in some equally bizarre things also.
They believe, for example, that they can literally physically levitate. Yes, TMers really do believe that they can lift off of the ground under supernatural influence! But all they do is hop around! TMers believe that hopping around on their butts is literally "the first stage of levitation."
Play this video. Hard-core TMers hop around like that for hours a day! The music in that video is whimsical but the video is not a joke. It's an actual video of TMers thinking that they are levitating! Yes, TMers really do believe that those men are lifting off of the ground under supernatural influence! They "don't get very far up", and "they don't stay up for long", but TMers believe that what you are seeing really truly absolutely is "the first stage of levitation."
I absolutely believed that this was levitation too! How did I get that crazy? In exactly the same way that Tom Cruise got so crazy, i.e. via cult indoctrination . Tom Cruise believes absolutely that 75 million years ago the evil galactic ruler Xenu perpetrated massive atrocities that are causing the population of the entire world to suffer intensely to this day. The reason that we are suffering is that our own souls are encrusted with "body thetans", migrant souls that were created when Xenu blew up volcanoes containing millions of people who were in suspended animation.
So the reason that Tom Cruise is so passionate is that he believes that he is helping to undo the damage that was caused by the evil Emperor Xenu all of those millions of years ago. He's accomplishing this by helping everyone in the world to learn how to rid themselves of their body thetans. Cruise is thus literally saving the world.
Hey, I'm not pointing fingers. I was just as crazy in thinking that I was levitating!
Heavy TM involvement can create severe psychological problems
Attorney Anthony DeNaro, former professor of economics and business law at the private TM university Maharishi University of Management, as well as being a former legal counsel to the same institution, described a very serious and deliberate pattern of fraud, and that "outright lies and deception, are used to cover-up or sanitize the dangerous reality on campus of:
A disturbing denial or avoidance syndrome, and even outright lies and deception, are used to cover-up or sanitize the dangerous reality on campus of very serious nervous breakdowns, episodes of dangerous and bizarre behavior, suicidal and homicidal ideation, threats and attempts, psychotic episodes, crime, depression and manic behavior that often accompanied roundings (intensive group meditations with brainwashing techniques). Euphemisms are employed to describe essentially dangerous, unstable and injurious behavior. "Unstressing," for example,
...There were meditators who experienced serious breakdowns during and following meditation. MIU and the counseling staff usually opted for banishment in these cases, although their practices often triggered mental breakdownsx. Many students who experienced severe and uncontrollable trauma from meditation came to me for assistance and counseling since Jonathan Shapiro and his staff were punitive and hostile in their "therapeutic" approach.
You can read about this in more detail here.
The weird world of David Lynch
A lot of people are coming to this site curious about David Lynch. David Lynch is just as crazy as Cruise, and in fundamentally the same way! Lynch is a whole lot nicer, but just as nuts.
Lynch believes the following (taken from "David Lynch: The weird world of David Lynch", "The Independent", 21 July 2005 -- read the whole article!):
Students who meditate, Lynch assured the New York Post yesterday, will: "Start shining like a bright, shiny penny and their anxieties will go away. By diving within, they will attain a field of pure consciousness, pure bliss, creativity, intelligence, dynamic peace [emphasis mine]. You enliven the field, and every day it gets better. Negativity recedes."
Ok, that qualifies as "eccentric" but not as "nuts" yet. It gets better:
With his new outfit, Lynch also intends to ease tension for all the rest of us by putting together " peace-creating super groups of 8,000 meditators" [emphasis mine] around the world, who will all chant simultaneously for peace and harmony. It is important that each group has 8,000 participants because "it's the size of the square root of one per cent of the world's population."
But it gets much better! (taken from the same article):
Lynch has insisted in recent interviews that he still has some way to go with TM before achieving full enlightenment. A few years ago, however, he did achieve the status of "siddha", or yogic flier. In other words, he is one of those people whose state of meditation becomes so profound that they are meant to levitate from the ground [emphasis mine]. (In practice this seems to involve a lot of hopping about one knee, hopefully on a rubber mat.) "I'm not a great flier," he said recently.
Here's that "levitation" clip again. Seriously, Lynch really believes that these people are rising up into the air via supernatural powers! Now we've reached the level of "nuts."
He also firmly believes that by continuing to practice this budding skill twice daily it will only be a matter of time until TMers will be able to hover in place, and that after that they will eventually be able to zoom about at will. (Go here and search for "2525" -- perhaps "by the year 2525" they'll be hovering, but it seems like "Stage III" zooming might take awhile.)
And as a trained "yogic flyer" himself Lynch practices this skill himself, faithfully, at least twice a day, whenever possible. Yes! Lynch believes that he can levitate!
And those "peace-creating super groups" mentioned in the quote above will be thousands of people hopping on their butts on foam rubber under the illusion that they are levitating. There's a crazy complex theoretical basis as to why this would bring world peace.
And that's just a start
And, again, that's only the tip of the TM doctrinal iceberg. For example, TMers believe that the practice of TM will eventually bring them to a state of moral perfection. And after that they will achieve a state where they will have a direct perception of God!
So I am comparing myself to Cruise and Lynch? Most emphatically not in terms of such things as talent and accomplishment. But all three of us are human beings who put our pants on one leg at a time. All three of us share that we have a human psychology. And most, importantly, all three of us also share that our paths to our crazy beliefs involved the exploitation of the same extremely common vulnerabilities in human psychology. These are the vulnerabilities that are exploited by all cults.
How much money do you have? Get more!
Learning the basic TM technique will set you back $1500 in the US. How much more money do you have? However much it is, it's not so much that you can't spend it all on TM. TMers often end up spending everything they have on TM-related offerings . For example:
- You will definitely want to purchase levitation instruction. The last I heard this is on the order of $3000.
- You can seek "perfect health" by buying "Ayurvedic Medicine" consultations, and then buying ayurvedic remedies.
- You can seek to put your life in order by buying astrology horoscopes and readings.
- Based on your chart, the astrologer will recommend that you "eliminate dangers and negative tendencies in your life" by buying some yagyas (that's the same page as just given for astrology, just go down a few paragraphs). These are prayer ceremonies to Hindu deities. Hey, that's cool if you're Hindu, but it's something that definitely doesn't come up when the David Lynch Foundation pitches TM to an assembly of school parents. The DLF definitely practices deception by mental reservation at those meetings Maybe some of the parents don't want their kids exposed to surreptitious religious evangelism that will lead some of the kids to the eventual purchase of yagyas as adults.
- Based on your chart, the astrologer will also recommend gemstones for you to purchase and wear.
- You can buy what's called an "advanced technique." This involves merely having your mantra adjusted for which you pay over $1000.
- You can buy a house built according to Mahesh's brand of "Vedic" feng shui. Specifically, you'll want a "Fortune Creating Home."
But TM is just a relaxation technique!
TMers will tell you over and over again that TM is just a "simple, natural relaxation technique" that requires no faith in order for it to work. So what am I talking about? How can a "relaxation technique" be a "cult"?
Here's the first egregious deception by "mental reservation" that you will encounter. When TMers say that TM is "just a relaxation technique" they are employing a mental reservation because there are two meanings to the term "Transcendental Meditation":
- There is, indeed, "TM-the-relaxation-technique."
- But there is also "TM-the-dogmatic-spiritual-teaching ."
They are deceiving when they tell you that TM is a simple relaxation technique because despite having told you that, they are also going to teach you TM-the-dogmatic-spiritual-teaching as an integral part of your instruction in the relaxation technique! And their conscious hope is that you will come to believe in this teaching.
In other words, they are pushing both "TMs" at you at once, one overtly and the other covertly. I discuss this at length elsewhere in this site . And some people will in fact come to believe in the TM spiritual dogma because of suspension of their psychological "reality testing" mechanism.
It is TM-the-dogmatic-spiritual-teaching that is a cult. Saying "TM is just a relaxation technique" is much like saying that "Scientology is just a personality test." This is because in both cases the covert goal is that you will come to believe in the spiritual teachings.
Both the TMers and the Scientologists are very good people. (Yes, I include the Scientologists, most people in cults are very good people, Tom Cruise is a very good person who truly and sincerely cares greatly about you, he's only trying to do the right thing for you and the world; the fact that he does this in an oppressively arrogant and offensive way is a different matter.) These good people only want the best for you. TMers consciously deceive only because they are afraid that if they tell you the real plan for you up front that you will run away, to your own very great spiritual detriment.
(A note: I can't keep saying "TM-the-relaxation-technique" and "TM-the-dogmatic-spiritual-teaching" throughout this web site. You'll have to figure out which one (or maybe the combination) that I mean by the context.)
But, but... Scientology?
Tom Cruise jumps on couches, gets in Matt Lauer's face, and has crazy-eyes. But David Lynch seems quite normal except for some apparently harmless eccentric views. So how can I compare TM with Scientology?
Because TM and Scientology differ in degree but not in kind. The things that I'll be talking about are much more obvious in Scientology, which makes the comparison an effective way of pointing out the same things in TM.
A quick tour?
In this website I'll go into much more detail. Perhaps more detail than you really want. If you're intimidated by the Table of Contents below then at least take a look at the following to see if you want to read more of the site:
- It might be interesting to just quickly skim the Table of Contents below.
- Perhaps check out this partial list of crazy TM beliefs.
- Here's a one-page description of how the TM technique itself is merely trance and suggestion.
- Here's an explanation of how TM is a full-blown religion.
- Most importantly, I describe how TM is a psychologically dangerous cult.
- But it needn't all be gloomy, have a look at "Fun with TM web links." Also try clicking on some of the trademarks below.
If you're still interested then keep reading. But just one more thing before going
into detail. I suggest that you also have a look at the TM-Free blog . You'll find
very informed ex-TMers there who know where the bodies are buried. There's
lots of good stuff to read, and you can post there with any questions that you may
have. Also take a look at Coming To Life
Stories. This is Gina Catena's blog. I mention her in my discussion of David Lynch. She literally grew up in
the "TM Movement" (as TMers like to call it). She is also a frequent contributor to
the TM-Free blog mentioned above.
Table of Contents
Who is that man behind the curtain?
What is "TM"? How does it work? (short version)
What is TM? How does it work? (long version)
Part 1: The "introductory lectures": Setting you up with suggestions prior to trance induction
"Part 2: Personal instruction": Your personal trance induction session
The "Residence Course": your first experience of headache and lingering dissociation
Surprise! Unpleasant, even dangerous, things can result from TM practice!
You get caught in "The TM Catch-22": "Something good is happening!"
The TM Doctrine of Spiritual Darwinism -- there was something wrong with you!
"You didn't follow instructions!"
"Something good was happening -- you were wrong to stop!"
"You probably had serious psychological problems before starting TM!"
The TM-Sidhi Program: you think that "bumping on your butt" is "the first stage of levitation"
But hasn't TM been "scientifically validated"?
Should you trust David Lynch with your children?
Common objections, and frequently asked questions (FAQ)
I have already learned TM and this all sounds pretty scary! Am I in a cult? Should I stop meditating?
I (or my friend or my relative) never had anything but good experiences from TM.
If some people do have good results from TM, why are you so completely negative about TM?
Are you attacking TM because you have some sort of agenda against Eastern religion?
[Trademark notice]
[Copyright notice]
Copyright Notice
Except where noted the entire contents of this site
copyright © 2000-2010
by Joseph W. Kellett
All rights reserved
Trademark Notice
Many terms used on this site, including but not necessarily limited to "TM"®, "Transcendental Meditation"® and "TM-Sidhi"® are trademarks of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation.
Please see the trademark notice at the bottom of the TM.org copyright page for what I presume is the current complete list. Below is the list from that page as of March 8, 2008.
® Transcendental Meditation, TM, TM-Sidhi, Maharishi Ayur-Veda, Maharishi Ayurveda, Science of Creative Intelligence, Maharishi, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, Maharishi Global Construction, Maharishi Yoga, Maharishi Yagya, Maharishi Vedic Astrology, Maharishi Jyotish , Maharishi Gandharva Veda, Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health, Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology, Maharishi Instant Relief, Instant Relief, Maharishi Rejuvenation, Maharishi Rasayana Program, Maharishi Vedic Management, Maharishi Corporate Development Program, Consciousness-Based, Maharishi Vedic University, Maharishi Vedic School, Maharishi Vedic Center, Maharishi Ayur-Veda School, Maharishi Ayur-Veda University, Maharishi Ayur-Veda College, Maharishi Ayur-Veda Foundation, Maharishi Ayur-Veda Medical Center, Maharishi University of Management, Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment, Maharishi Medical Center, Maharishi Vedic Medical Center, Maharishi Medical College, Maharishi Vedic, Maharishi Vedic Medicine, Maharishi Vedic Psychology, Maharishi Self-Pulse, Maharishi Heaven on Earth, Maharishi Center for Excellence in Management, Maharishi Vedic Management, Maharishi Master Management, Natural Law Based Management, Maharishi Corporate Revitalization Program, Maharishi Global Administration through Natural Law, Maharishi Vedic Development Fund, Thousand-Headed Purusha, Maharishi Thousand-Headed Purusha, Maharishi Purusha, Purusha, Thousand-Headed Mother Divine, Mother Divine, Ideal Girls' School, 24 Hour Bliss, Spiritual University of America, Breath of Serenity, Maharishi Amrit Kalash, Maharishi College of Vedic Medicine, Vedic Science, Maharishi Vedic Science, Maharishi Vedic Observatory, Vastu Vidya, Maharishi Vastu, Time Zone Capital, Council of Supreme Intelligence, Prevention Wing of the Military, are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and used under sublicense.
Basically, if you assume that any English phrase beginning with the word
"Maharishi" is trademarked then you'll be heading in the right direction. There
are others too, though. My personal all-time favorites are "Thousand-Headed
Mother Divine"®, "Council of Supreme Intelligence"®,
and "Thousand-Headed Purusha"®.
You may find it interesting to follow some of the links above.