what is transcendental meditation and where can i learn how to?
TM was introduced by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, guru to the Beatles (who were not entirely pleased with it). You chant a “matra” to “transcend” to a state of “restful alertness,” without the concentration or active thinking of other techniques. There is a LOT of information, including free videos, on the TM web site. It doesn’t take long to learn. They offer classes that are two hours a day for seven days, and you’ve got the basics. You can even learn from the books. The benefits… are somewhat overstated. Meditation has been demonstrated scientifically to produce benefits to body and mind (lower blood pressure, better mental focus), but not nearly as large as the TMers claim. And you’re not going to learn to fly or bring about world peace. (They’re pretty subdued about those parts of the program on their web site.) None
