Is Transcendental Meditation (TM) a cult?

Dr. Sandeep Chaudhary, Medical Director of Endocrinology, Scripps Memorial Hospital:

"If anyone is concerned that the TM program might be some kind of religious sect or cult, then just ask yourself: How many so-called cults have been awarded $24 million in research grants by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, or offer programs verified by research studies in

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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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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 #10: Transcendental Meditation organization is a $3.5 billion empire

It’s a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) educational organization. The money from TM course tuition goes entirely to support teaching activities — including the subsidizing of meditation courses in inner cities, on Native American reservations, for impoverished students in developing nations, and meditation programs for the homeless — all of whom can learn the TM technique free of charge.

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What about conflicting info about Transcendental Meditation on the Internet?

Sure, conflicting definitions of just about everything can be found online. The Web is the Wild West — lots of diverse stuff going on, not all of it guided by the light of reason.
 


(Watch a scientific introduction
to the Transcendental Meditation technique)

A few folks on the Internet have attempted to deconstruct the TM technique, presenting what they claim are its components (not that

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More about religion, science, and the Transcendental Meditation program

Did a U.S. Federal Court once decide that the Transcendental Meditation program is a religion?

No U.S. court has ever ruled that the Transcendental Meditation program is a religion. In fact, over the last 25 years, numerous government programs involving the TM technique have been approved by Federal and State governments, implementing or researching the TM program in health facilities, schools,

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