Why is it important to learn meditation from a certified teacher?

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The Transcendental Meditation technique is taught only by professionally trained

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What's so special about the Transcendental Meditation mantras?

Harmonizing, life-supportive effect: Different sounds affect us in different ways (think of a mother’s lullaby or a bugle reveille). The Vedic Tradition of meditation, as revived by Maharishi, is a science of consciousness that thousands of years ago established a systematic, comprehensive knowledge of mantras and their effects. Specific sounds were known for producing positive, soothing

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What is the Fourth State of Consciousness?

The Fourth State of Consciousness — Experienced during the Transcendental Meditation technique
by Steven Rector, MD

"Scientists call what happens during the practice of Transcendental Meditation a fourth state of consciousness, a state of restful alertness unlike waking, sleeping or dreaming. This fourth state, called Transcendental Consciousness, has it’s own physiological style of

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More about the Transcendental Meditation instruction ceremony (puja)

But doesn't the Transcendental Meditation instruction ceremony involve "offerings?"
 
The TM instruction ceremony derives from and retains many elements of the traditional Vedic custom of guest reception: offering a bath, fresh garments, food, etc. — all done symbolically during puja as gestures of respect. The puja used in TM instruction recites the names of the tradition of teachers and

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Myth #11: When learning Transcendental Meditation you undergo a religious ceremony

When you are instructed in the Transcendental Meditation technique, you indeed witness a short, traditional Vedic ceremony performed by the teacher — a preparation for teaching. It is not a religious ceremony because no one is being worshiped. It is a way of honoring the ancient tradition of meditation teachers who passed this knowledge down through the ages.

The Sanskrit word "puja" means honor

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Myth #9: Meditation can have bad side effects and make you go crazy!

The deep, coherent rest gained during TM practice has been found by medical and health researchers to have only positive benefits.

More than 20,000 TM-practicing subjects have been studied by scientists over the past 40 years, and no legitimate peer-reviewed studies on the TM technique have ever found the practice to be unpleasant or harmful in any way — all such studies show positive

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What about studies that critics claim show harmful effects from meditation?

A couple of anti-meditation websites present a handful of research studies that purport to show harmful effects from practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique — along with a few studies said to show that the program produces no significant benefit. However, these few papers all pertained to uncontrolled studies with so few subjects that the findings were statistically insignificant — and

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Myth #1: Meditation is difficult and it takes a long time to get results.

The Transcendental Meditation technique is easy to learn and practice — in fact, effortlessness is the key to its effectiveness — and most people report benefits right from the start.
The simple form of meditation known today as the TM technique had been long lost to society, even in India. The technique was revived by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who established its practical benefits on the

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Video: What is Yogic Flying?

The first stage of Yogic Flying



More About Yogic Flying:
In almost every generation, scientists discover ideas and phenomenon that challenge preconceptions about how the world works and what is possible for human life.

In recent years, quantum physics has glimpsed the most fundamental field of nature’s functioning, the Unified Field of all the laws of nature—the level from where all natural

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What if I'm not a "joiner?"

To learn the Transcendental Meditation technique and enjoy the benefits, you're not asked to join anything or accept new beliefs or change your lifestyle — beyond your own decision to add two, 20-minute periods of TM practice to your daily routine. You're learning a simple mental technique, not enlisting in some secret society...

People who consider themselves "non-joiners" usually pride

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So once I learn, I can’t teach the TM technique to others?

So once I learn, I can’t teach the TM technique to others?

The seven-step Transcendental Meditation course gives you all the knowledge you need to meditate effectively and enjoy the benefits, but the TM course doesn’t train you in the art and science of teaching the TM technique. If you’d like to experience the joy of being a TM teacher, you’re welcome to attend a TM Teacher Training

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Why are the TM mantras kept private?

It’s true that the TM mantras as well as the technique for using them have traditionally been kept private. This is to preserve the original effectiveness or purity of the Transcendental Meditation technique. If the mantras and the delicate procedure of how to use them were not carefully safeguarded, then proper instruction could not be guaranteed. The practice would be passed around

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Where do the Transcendental Meditation mantras come from?

Some people say the TM mantras have roots in a religious tradition — is this true?

The mantras or sounds used in the Transcendental Meditation program come from a tradition of knowledge that is thousands of years old, the Vedic tradition, whose origins are buried in antiquity.

Scholars of the Vedic tradition recognize that these ancient mantras were originally used in a way that was not

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Do Transcendental Meditation mantras have a religious connotation?

I heard that some mantras have meaning and can be religious — is this true of TM mantras?

No, this is not the case with TM mantras. It’s true that in certain other meditation practices, mantras may be used as meaningful thoughts for the purpose of contemplation or devotion and may have religious significance. But the mantras used in TM practice are not associated with any meaning, nor are

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What if I meditate using a mantra that has a meaning?

Meditation practices using actual words or phrases for mantras may have a pleasing affect, allowing one to explore concepts or enjoy the feelings or ideas that the words or phrases might invoke, but such practices are not so conducive to going beyond mental activity to the more settled states of awareness. This is because they tend to keep the mind busy and engaged more on the surface — in the

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Rare footage of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Los Angeles

Rare footage of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Los Angeles: This film from the 1960s shows Maharishi's arrival n L.A. and a few moments of his address to an audience of meditators. It gives a glimpse of the natural charm and spontaneity that Maharishi radiated, which captivated the hearts of so many people as he made his world tours to speak about the benefits of meditation. One of the most

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Video: Maharishi on Creating Ideal Relationships

Maharishi on Creating Ideal Relationships: Relationships are based on giving, Maharishi points out. But we can only give what we have — or what we are. Effective meditation creates a situation whereby we have more to give. Developing one's inner potential through twice-daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique establishes the basis of truly fulfilling relationships. (3:17)

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“Vedic Meditation” and other similar practices — how is TM different?

Recognizing the effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation technique and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's success as a teacher, some people teaching meditation have modeled their course of instruction after the TM Course. These meditation teachers typically use Maharishi's terminology and principles, follow many of his steps of instruction, and often claim to be teaching the same technique—but usually

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Video: A Scientific Introduction to the Transcendental Meditation technique

The Transcendental Meditation technique's wide range of benefits are often explained as a product of the deep, coherent rest gained during TM practice — a state of restful alertness distinct from ordinary relaxation and other meditative states. Renowned quantum physicist John Hagelin explains the life-transforming effects of the TM technique as resulting from far more than just deep rest: the TM

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Diving Within: My First Experience

A Personal Story —
Learning the Transcendental Meditation technique
By Tom McKinley Ball

Even though millions around the world have learned the TM technique, the practice is taught in the same, personal way that it always has been. With all the talk about scientific research and the technique's clinical applications, it's not always obvious how intimate and personal one's TM practice is. So

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