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For information on Frederick Lenz, try Rama-Llama-Ding-Dong's "Getting Started" page, where you will find starting points for newcomers, members, former members, families and loved ones, the media.
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Jim Picariello, Rama- Llama- Ding- Dong editor, talks about Frederick Lenz on Dateline NBC, Friday, 8/16. In most areas the show airs 9 p.m.
All three segments of the show are scheduled to discuss Rama/Lenz --
including interviews with former members. As of this writing, editor Jim
Picariello ends the show with a powerful recounting of his personal
experiences.
Moderators are scheduled to briefly discuss information available on the
Internet regarding Lenz/Rama.
Website dedicated to Dr. Frederick Lenz, AKA "Rama," "Zen Master Rama," "Anatmananda," "Vishnu," "Shiva" (when he's in the
mood), "Fred," Crazy Fred, "Freddy," and "Hey you! Where's my
daughter?"
by Don Krieger, former Executive Governor & TM Teacher
The TM technique is simple mental repetition of a
"mantra" or word. The TM movement claims that only
specific "words" can be used. They claim that the selection of
words is based upon a secret formula. Court documents have shed some
light on this "secret" process. It is nothing other than a set
of words given out by age, and/or age and sex, depending on the teacher
training course the TM teacher attended. Here are the mantras from a
1978 course.
Notes: "Age" is that of the initiate at the time of
learning the technique. The symbol preceding each mantra indicates the
meaning: '=Saraswati, devi of learning, music, speech; `=Lakshmi, devi of
wealth; ^=Bhuvanesvari; ~=Devi Kalika; "=Shiva.
The Maharishi himself, in a quote from the Beacon Light of the
Himalayas, admits that the mantras he dispenses invoke householder
gods: "For our practice, we select only the suitable mantras of
personal Gods. Such mantras fetch to us the grace of personal Gods and
make us happier in every walk of life." (Beacon Light of the
Himalayas, Maharishi [Bala Brahmachari] Mahesh Yogi [Maharaj], 1955,
p. 65.)
Is TM a religion? MALNAK v. YOGI, APPEAL FROM THE UNITED
STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY, (D.C. Civil Action
No. 76-0341) -- found that the TM technique, Science of Creative
Intelligence, and the TM puja are religious and are to be excluded from
being taught in New Jersey public schools. "The teaching of SCI/TM
and the Puja are religious in nature, no other inference is permissible
or reasonable...." This decision was subsequently upheld: MALNAK v.
YOGI, Nos. 78-1568, 78-1882, UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD
CIRCUIT, 592 F.2d 197, December 11, 1978, Argued, February 2, 1979,
Decided. "We agree with the district court's finding that the
SCI/TM course was religious in nature. Careful examination of the
textbook, the expert testimony elicited, and the uncontested facts
concerning the puja convince us that religious activity was
involved...."
Is TM harmless? Numerous negative psychological side effects
have been reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals including
partially impaired mental faculties, loss of self-determination and
motivation, derealization and depersonalization, "ego-alien"
and epileptic-like experiences, aggravation of preexisting mental
illness, and the onset of mental illness.
Below are some suggested questions to ask the
lecturer. Don't accept vague generalities, attempts to change the
subject, or evasive remarks. And don't be in a rush. A TM teacher will
know the answers to all these questions. If he/ she doesn't know the
answers, ask that they get them and you will call for them:
How long have you been involved? Are you enlightened? Why not?
Is TM a religion?
Is TM harmless, i.e. without negative side effects? Have you ever felt
spaced out, had strong emotions, had physical movements, or had headaches
as a
result of TM?
Is TM a life style? What were you doing before you started TM? What
do you
do now?
What are the names of the other organizations that are affiliated
with TM?
Is TM considered to be controversial by anyone? If people are
critical of
TM, what are their main objections?
What are Maharishi's background and qualifications? What don't you like
about him or the group?
Below is a translation of the ceremony of
thanksgiving in which you will participate when you start TM.
You will be required to bring fruit, flowers, and a new white
handkerchief to be used in the ceremony. You will be required to remove
your shoes before entering the initiation room. After the ceremony is
performed, you will be invited to kneel to the picture of the Maharishi's
dead master:
Whether pure or impure, whether all places are permeated by purity or
impurity, Whoever opens himself to the expanded vision of unbounded awareness
gains inner and outer purity.
Invocation: To Lord Narayana, to lotus-born Brahma the Creator, to
Vasishtha,
to SHAKTI and his son, Parashara, to Vyasa, to Shukadeva, to the great
Gauda-Pada, to Govinda, ruler among yogis, from him to his disciple, Shri
Shankaracharya, from him to his disciples, Padma Pada and Hastamalaka, to
him, Trotakacharya and Vartika-Kara, to others, to the eternal tradition
of our abode of the wisdom of the Shrutis, Smritis and Purana, to the
abode of compassion, to the personified glory of the Lord, to Shankara,
emancipator of the world, I bow down.
To Shankaracharya, the Emancipator, adored as Krishna and Badarayana,
to the
two authors of the commentary on the Brahma Sutras, I bow down To both
expressions of the Divine, in Shankara, I bow down again and again.
At whose door the whole galaxy of gods pray for perfection day and
night, Adorned with immeasurable glory, preceptor of the whole world,
having bowed to Him we gain complete fulfillment. Skilled in dispelling
the cloud of ignorance of the people, the bestower of happiness, the
glorious emancipator, Brahmananda Sarasvati, full of
brilliance, Him I bring to my awareness.
Offering the invocation to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering a seat to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering a ablution to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering cloth to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering sandalpaste to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering full rice to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering a flower to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering incense to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering light to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering water to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering fruit to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering water to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering a betel leaf to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering a coconut to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down
Offering camphor light.
White as camphor, the incarnation of kindness, the essence of creation
garlanded by the Serpent-King. Ever dwelling in the lotus of my heart, Lord
Shiva with Mother Divine to Him I bow down.
Offering light to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering water to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
Offering a handful of flowers.
Guru Dev is the glory of Brahma the Creator, Lord Vishnu the
Maintainer, and
the great Lord Shiva. Guru is the glory of the Supreme Transcendent
personified,
to Him, to the glory of Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
The Unbounded, like the endless canopy of the sky, the omnipresent in
all creation, the sign of That has been revealed, to Him, to Shri Guru
Dev, I bow down.
Guru Dev, Shri Brahmananda, Guru Dev, in the glory of the bliss of the
Absolute, in the glory of transcendental joy, in the glory of Unity, the very
embodiment of knowledge, who is beyond the universe like the sky, as the
goal of
"that thou art" and other (Shrutis which grant eternal unity of life).
The One, the Eternal, the Pure, the Immovable, the Witness of all
intellects,
whose status transcends thought -- the Transcendent along with the three
gunas,
the true preceptor, to Shri Guru Dev, I bow down.
The blinding darkness of ignorance has been removed by the
application of the
ointment of knowledge, the eye of knowledge has been opened by Him,
therefore to
Him, to Shri Guru Dev, bow down.
Offering a handful of flowers to the lotus feet of Shri Guru Dev, I
bow down.
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Some topics discussed on this site: Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Natural Law Party, John Hagelin, Reform Party, Deepak Chopra, Ayur Veda, Alternative Medicine, Cult, Cults, Thought Reform, Mind Control, Steven Hassan, Margaret Singer, David Koresh, Charles Manson, Rama, Frederick Lenz, Mantra, Sutra, Heaven's Gate, Do, Ti, Hale-Bopp, Millenium, TM-Sidhi, TM, Alien, Aum Shinrikyo, Boston Church, Catholic Splinter Groups, Children Of God, COG, Church Universal & Triumphant, CUT, Cult Awareness Network, Deprogramming, est, Erhard, Hare Krishna, John-Roger, Insight Seminars, Kripalu Yoga, MSIA, Jonestown, Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, People's Temple, Scientology, Solar Temple, Totalitarianism, Unification Church, Waco, Chen Tao, True Way, God's Salvation Church, House Of Jacob.
New resources on Transcendental Meditation A new issue of TranceNet includes three recent studies on the Transcendental Meditation technique that find it ineffectual at best, and damaging for some, in a variety of applications. A study of female athletes finds TM to be less effective than positive selftalk, a method that the Maharishi and his followers have ridiculed in the past. Renowned social scientist Daniel Druckman reports on a three-year study that found TM ineffectual in enhancing human performance -- and discusses the flawed methodology of pro-TM researchers' meta-analyses. Finally, two psychologists look at meditation techniques, including TM, and their use in therapy and find nearly two-thirds of practitioners experience negative side-effects, ranging from anxiety and panic to suicidal depression -- even psychosis-like symptoms. These findings are similar to those of a German study that the TM movement has derided for 20 years.
Two new web resources hold great promise for the critical TM researcher. www.unstress4less.org presents a "Public Warning Service" of the negative side-effects that many TM meditators experience -- referred to as the benefits of "unstressing" or "stress release" within the TM movement. suggestibility.org is the work of former TM teacher Joe Kellet. It tells of his personal journey down the "TM Rabbit Hole" and gives thought-provoking warnings to the public interested in becoming involved with this controversial organization. We recommend both as important additions to the growing body of critical information on the web regarding TM.
trancenet.net announces Unnatural FAQs John Hagelin, presumed presidential candidate of the Natural Law Party and one wing of the Reform Party, is represented in the mainstream press as a viable, alternative, third-party candidate. What few publications have dared to report is that Hagelin is a "stealth" candidate for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation movement -- an extreme, fundamentalist Hindu sect with bizarre goals for world domination.
Outlined in a quick, easy-to-read FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) format, Unnatural FAQs is an independent, critical resource on The Natural Law Party and John Hagelin. This Web site reveals suppressed and under-reported insider secrets, scandals, news archive, and more -- including violence, suicide, child molestation, and extreme psychological damage within the Transcendental Meditation movement.
Unnatural FAQs includes the submissions of numerous former members of Transcendental Meditation and the Natural Law Party. Neither Unnatural FAQs nor trancenet.net are associated in any way with the Natural Law Party, the Transcendental Meditation movement, the Maharishi, or any of the various front organizations that hold copyrights or other legal rights to their products.
Lisa McPherson Trust established to reform Scientology On December 5, 1995, Lisa McPherson was dead on arrival at a hospital north of Clearwater Florida. According to the coroner's report, Lisa was underweight, severely dehydrated, and had bruises and bug bites. She died in the Church of Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel after being held against her will for seventeen days. As the details of her tragic and senseless death began to be publicized, more and more people across the country came together through the Internet to oppose the abuses occurring in the Church of Scientology. The Lisa McPherson Trust started operations in Clearwater, Florida on January 6, 2000. It was formed after decades of exhaustive investigation by media and government agencies as well as firsthand accounts from hundreds of former Scientologists. For more than twenty-five years there have been outcries that the Church of Scientology abandon its abusive and deceptive practices. The Lisa McPherson Trust was established for that purpose and to call for specific reforms. These were the final wishes of Lisa McPherson's mother, Fannie, who died before the Church of Scientology was held to account for Lisa's death. We urge all trancenet.net readers to visit this important foundation's web site and consider supporting this worthy cause.
trancenet.net announces House Afire Edited by a former member of the secretive "Supreme Council of the House of Jacob of the USA" -- also known as the "House of Jacob" or "HOJ" -- this site includes secret teachings, allegations of sexual abuse, personal stories, news archive, and more.
Founded in 1910, this church now has missions in over 40 states. Many former members have labeled this group as a cult because of its destructive effects on their lives.
Victims say 2,500 still suffer from sarin aftereffects on 4th anniversary, Saturday, March 20, 1999 TOKYO, March 20 (Kyodo) -- Survivors and families of those killed in the 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system by the AUM Shinrikyo cult said Saturday some 2,500 people still suffer from aftereffects of the gassing. Shizue Takahashi, 52, leader of a victims' group who lost her husband Kazumasa in the deadly gassing, cited the findings of a survey conducted by the group and the National Police Agency, pointing to the lasting psychological scars the attack left on its victims. At 8 a.m. -- the time the lethal gas was released -- subway workers and representatives of the victims offered a 30-second silent prayer for the souls of the victims and laid flowers in their memory in a ceremony held at Kasumigaseki Station. The sarin attack killed 12 people and injured more than 5,300 others. AUM leader Shoko Asahara and other former senior members of the religious cult have been arrested and are on trial for alleged involvement in the release of the nerve gas in trains on five subway lines.
Playwright recounts life with "One Big Brother," San Jose Mercury News, Friday, March 19, 1999 Journalist warns of AUM's appeal to youths, Friday, March 19, 1999 Heaven's Gate anniversary approaches, Friday, March 19, 1999 Aum cult's quiet comeback causing new concerns in Japan, Sunday, March 14 Dozens of smaller parties jump into election in Israel, Los Angeles Times, Sunday, March 14, 1999
Important Note:We do not recommend contacting the Cult Awareness Network, or CAN. An extraordinarily courageous and useful organization in the past, CAN was forced into bankruptcy with the help of the Church of Scientology, who now owns their records and mans their phones.
At trancenet.net we plan to expand our coverage to the psychological manipulation practiced by corporations, governments, and abusive families. Naturally, our first priority is to report on as many abusive groups that former members label destructive "cults" as possible -- whether the abuse takes place in mainstream organizations, such as the Catholic Church, or new, unpopular religions, such as Transcendental Meditation.
Unlike some resources, we do not offer information on a long list of organizations of which we have no personal knowledge.To publish at trancenet.net, an editor must have intimate knowledge and personal experience with an abusive group. This is why, although we cover relatively few groups, you will find our documentation on each to be extensive and in depth.
We invite anyone with personal experience of any abusive group to consider working with trancenet.net. We offer our editors a very free hand in picking content. We offer one of the most public forums on the Web for reaching the public with your cultic experiences. We also offer HTML help when needed.
If you are aware of published news stories regarding abusive groups -- whether mainstream or relatively unknown -- we would be pleased to add them to our news archive. That kind of submission does not require deep editorial involvement.
"TM & Improving Human Performance" Renowned social scientist Daniel Druckman, of the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, discusses social science research consulting in the context of a three-year study undertaken for the National Research Council on improving human performance. This study is of importance to TranceNet readers for its findings that: (1) TM is ineffectual in improving human performance, and (2) its finding that the meta-analysis that pro-TM researchers have put forward as finding benefit for the technique are deeply flawed in their methodology.
"Meditation and Its Side-Effects in Therapy" This article, by Alberto Perez-De-Albeniz and Jeremy Holmes, reviews 75 scientific selected articles in the field of meditation, including Transcendental Meditation among others. It summarizes definitions of meditation, psychological and physiological changes, and negative side-effects encountered by 62.9% of meditators studied. While the authors did not restrict their study to TM, the side-effects reported were similar to those found in the "German Study" of Transcendental Meditators: relaxation-induced anxiety and panic; paradoxical increases in tension; less motivation in life; boredom; pain; impaired reality testing; confusion and disorientation; feeling 'spaced out'; depression; increased negativity; being more judgmental; feeling addicted to meditation; uncomfortable kinaesthetic sensations; mild dissociation; feelings of guilt; psychosis-like symptoms; grandiosity; elation; destructive behavior; suicidal feelings; defenselessness; fear; anger; apprehension; and despair.
"The Use of Psychological Skills by Female Collegiate Swimmers" This article, >by Kaia E. Thiese and Sharon Huddleston, presents research on 147 female collegiate swimmers, approximately 50% of whom use psychological "skills" to enhance performance, such as autohypnosis, autogenic training, blank meditation, bracing, color, cue words, mantra meditation, and Transcendental Meditation. Of interest to TranceNet readers are the results that Transcendental Meditation had no significant effect, although techniques ridiculed by the Maharishi, such as positive self-talk, showed some indication of value.
"Analyzing the Maharishi Effect" In this balanced and deeply researched paper, philosopher of science Evan Fales and sociologist Barry Markovsky, both of the University of Iowa, discuss standards to which exotic scientific theories should be held. Using the "Maharishi Effect" -- Transcendental Meditation's claim that groups of advanced meditators can bring about peace in war- or crime-torn areas -- as an example, they give strong reasons why unusual theories deserve a hearing -- but not necessarily an endorsement -- from serious scientists.
As they point out, newspaper accounts, promotional materials, subsequent research reports, and their own communications with TM researchers, representatives, followers and defectors all indicate that the "Maharishi Effect" provides a special source of pride, vindication, and scientific legitimation for all affiliated with the movement. But when the authors analyze the theory and methods with the tools of the scientific method, they find the probability of the Maharishi Effect Theory is very close to zero. The Maharishi Effect Theory fails to predict or explain its purported effects, a crucial property of any scientific theory. Worse yet, the authors find mundane alternatives to the Maharishi Effect that may explain the data.
Their final conclusion? The Maharishi Effect theory and evidence are not ready to be given serious scientific consideration. The theory is vague and poorly constructed, and aspects of the methods and statistics used to test it are highly questionable.
As an interesting side note, Professor David Orme-Johnson, lead author of the study that was examined by Fales and Markovsky, repeatedly refused to supply Professor Markovsky with his raw data. This violates a standard scientific practice designed to allow the replication and further analysis of results. Within the scientific community, refusal to supply data generally calls into question any findings based on those data, and may severely damage the reputations of researchers who engage in such behavior.
Reprinted with permission from December 1997 in Social Forces Volume 76 (2):511-25.
There are many hundreds of documents and tens of megabytes of information stored at TranceNet on Transcendental Meditation, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Natural Law Party, and other related topics -- all available for free over the World Wide Web. So you may find locating the particular piece of information you are interested in difficult at times. There are four good ways to research TM using TranceNet.First, try entering keywords into the search engine at the top of this page. Provided as a service by PicoSearch, this search engine is very flexible and powerful -- and should be easy to use even by the novice. Another good way to explore is to try clicking on the department buttons at the top and bottom of most pages: "home" will always bring you to the trancenet.net home page; "research" is linked to our archive of scientific research that has found inconclusive or even destructive effects from the practice of Transcendental Meditation; "getting started" is intended for those with little or no knowledge about TM or this site; "personal stories" are the experiences of dozens of former TMers who feel they have been seriously harmed psychologically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually by their contact with the Maharishi and his TM organization; "secrets" include suppressed material on the selection and meaning of the mantras, the TM-Sidhi techniques (including "levitation"), the "Checking Notes" and other material hidden from the public -- and even some TM insiders; "news" features a growing archive of media reports on the TM movement; and finally, "about TranceNet" gives a little background about this publication and the organization that publishes it. You can also explore by clicking on the "Past Issues of TranceNet" link at the bottom of this page. TranceNet has grown in a series of "issues" over the years, as we release large amounts of information in chunks to the public. By clicking on this link you will be taken to previous tables of content complete with article summaries; each of these pages will have a similar link at the bottom of the page. Finally, if you have exhausted all these avenues, e-mail us. We do ask, however, that you consider this as a last step. While we are always ready to respond to an individual or family in need, we ask that those seeking simple research help try the methods above first.
TranceNet is a critical resource on TM; by this we mean that our web site focuses on material that is critical of the TM program. We do, however, include many links to online resources maintained by the TM movement and enthusiastic supporters of the TM movement. We offer our site not as a complete answer to questions about TM, but rather as a balance to the largely unbalanced and uncritical resources published by the TM movement and its followers. Many thousands of former members of TM have contacted us in the last 5 years. A large number of these people report that they believe that they had a cultic relationship with the TM organization. Neither trancenet.net Society nor its editorial staff conclude that any group discussed on this site is necessarily cultic in nature. We provide suppressed and alternative information so that you may make informed decisions for yourself.
Over the years we at trancenet.net have received many communications that are variations on a basic theme, "What do you have against meditation?" (Feel free to substitute "alternative health," "multi-level marketing," you name it, for "meditation.") Many of us are not critical of meditation itself for most people. Meditation is one of nature's miracles. For most people it is an extraordinary experience that adds much to life. Dr. Herbert Benson, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard University, and other researchers have shown that many forms of meditation offer specific benefits, such as lowered blood pressure and increased relaxation when practiced regularly. And TM seems to be as good or better than any of the forms of meditation that we know of. (Coauthor, with Maharishi University of Management's Keith Wallace, of seminal research on Transcendental Meditation, Dr. Benson later denied that the results from TM were substantively different from other forms of meditation.) We believe that the majority of people who practice TM will find that they enjoy it. We believe it is as good as similar techniques taught by Hindus, Christians, Muslims, hypnotherapists, and others. We do, however, think there is evidence that it is either not effective, not enjoyable, or downright dangerous for a certain percentage of the population, on the order of 10% to 20%. But the bottom line is if you enjoy Transcendental Meditation -- and the religious aspects or repressive policies of the TM movement do not conflict with your beliefs -- why not do it? We do feel, however, that the Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation movement and the Natural Law Party are in need of serious reform to bring it in line with the ethical -- even legal -- standards our culture expects. It's not our purpose to debate satisfied members of these groups. We have no reason to doubt that many, many have experiences and beliefs that are very fulfilling. Who can ask for more? It is our hope, however, that by raising concerns that many of us on all sides have in common, we can move the discussion of TM -- and similar groups -- past futile name-calling and on to meaningful discussion of where we might go from here. The jury is still out on whether TM and similar groups will become yet more radical -- or whether they will enter the mainstream. Honest attempts at measured reform may hold the balance. Current and former members together, the future of our groups is in our hands.
This site includes the submissions of numerous former members of Transcendental Meditation and the Natural Law Party. Neither TranceNet nor trancenet.net are associated in any way with the Natural Law Party, the Transcendental Meditation movement, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, or any of the various front organizations that hold copyrights or other legal rights to their products.
Some topics discussed on this site: Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Deepak Chopra, Ayur Veda, Psychology, Alternative Medicine, Politics, mantra, sutra, TM-Sidhi program, TM, consciousness, health, Natural Law Party, Maharishi University of Management, stress reduction, Cult Awareness Network, CAN, Deprogramming, and their connection to cult, cults, cultic studies, thought reform, and mind control.
PARIS, May 4 (Reuters) - The Natural Law Party
offered its own solution on Monday to tension
within the EU that led to the messy weekend deal
on a European Central Bank -- simply get 7,000
Yogic Flyers to meditate in Brussels. In a
statement, the French branch of the party, which
argues its meditating practices can further world
harmony, proposed "a coherence group of 7,000
people practising Yogic Flying to give the euro
the necessary stability." But it added it did not
have the money to pay for its scheme.
Newport Beach Therapist Sues Self-Help Guru Chopra, LA Times, Sunday May 3, 1998, 8:24:39 am.
A former Newport Beach psychotherapist has
filed a $100-million lawsuit against Deepak
Chopra, alleging that the noted author and
self-help guru plagiarized her copyrighted
manuscript in his best-selling book, "Seven
Spiritual Laws of Success." Chopra could not be
reached for comment on the lawsuit. In a letter
to Parvin's attorney, however, a lawyer
representing Chopra denied infringing on her
copyright. Parvin said she sent her original
manuscript, titled "Pattern Change Programming,
Creating Your Own Destiny," to Chopra for review
in 1994. While she had never met Chopra and was
not familiar with his work, Parvin said, she hoped
that he might mention her work in print. As a
result of the plagiarism, Parvin claims she lost
credibility among her fellow therapists, who
thought that she had copied Chopra's work.
Eventually, she said, she lost her practice as a
licensed marriage and family therapist and had to
close a therapy center she ran in Newport Beach.
Ex-head of AUM Osaka branch partially acquitted, Friday, May 1, 1998, 12:31 a.m. PDT
OSAKA, May 1 (Kyodo) -- The Osaka District
Court on Friday acquitted Kazuo Ishihara, 31, the
former chief of AUM Shinrikyo's Osaka branch,
accused of illegally confining an AUM follower in
1994, but convicted him for assaulting a woman in
1995. He was sentenced to three months in prison,
suspended for two years, for assaulting a woman
who tried to prevent her son from joining the
religious group in March 1995. He was found not
guilty of conspiring with four others to detain a
28-year-old AUM follower in a vehicle which was
traveling from the Osaka branch to the AUM
compound in December 1994. Ishihara had pleaded
innocent to both charges.
Italians swept up in new religions and cults, Thursday, April 30, 1998, 12:16 p.m. PDT
ROME (Reuters) - More and more Italians are abandoning Roman
Catholicism in favor of new religions and magic cults, an Interior Ministry
report said Thursday. According to the Interior Ministry's findings, some
76 new religious groups with roughly 78,500 followers and 61 magic cults
with 4,600 members have sprung up across the country over the last few
years. Its list of new religions ranged from the Communita Mamma Gina
which practices faith-healing, through the English-based Church of Cherubin
and Seraphin, which carries out exorcism, to the Orthodox Catholic Church
of Siri d'Antiochia, whose leaders are being investigated for fraud.
The most worrying groups, the report said, were ``psychological-sects'' such
as Scientology, which has some 7,000 followers in Italy.
Cult linked to subway attack meet outside Tokyo, Thursday, April 30, 1998, 3:11 p.m. PDT
TOKYO (AP) -- The doomsday cult blamed for a
deadly nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subways held
a large meeting outside the capital on Thursday,
raising fears that the group is making a comeback.
The group gathered at a wooded site in Yamakita,
45 miles southwest of Tokyo, for a series of
meetins that are scheduled to last until Tuesday.
The meeting is the latest sign the cult is
regrouping. Media reported 200 cultists
participated. Japanese newspapers reported the
meeting was mainly aimed at raising funds, saying
the 200 members paid up to $1,520 each to attend.
Lyons considers Baptist link to Rev. Moon, St. Petersburg Times, April 29, 1998
Rev. Lyons, president of the Baptist
Convention has discussed the possibility that the
Rev. Sun Myung Moon could address his convention's
annual meeting. Lyons met privately with senior
leaders of Moon's Unification Church in January
while he was in Los Angeles for a board meeting at
the National Baptist Convention USA Inc. They
discussed the possibility that Moon could address
the covention's annual meeting, which is expected
to draw 20,000 Baptists to Kansas City in
September. Moon's representatives also invited the
convention to join with the Unification Church in
a special day of seminars devoted to family
values. The Rev. Lyons, who has been charged with
racketeering and grand theft, agreed to consider
at least one of those requests and has had
subsequent contacts with Unification officials,
according to convention members who attended the
private meeting. Full
story.
British followers of U.S. guru released from prison, Wednesday, April 29, 1998, 7:49 p.m. PDT
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Two British former
followers of free-love guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
were released from prison after serving more than
two years for conspiring to kill a federal
prosecutor, officials said Wednesday. British
citizens Sally-Anne Croft and Susan Hagan, who
were convicted in 1995 of involvement in a murder
plot of a decade earlier, were released from a
California prison Tuesday into the custody of
immigration officials for deportation proceedings,
authorities said. Croft, an accountant, and Hagan,
an aromatherapist, were top officials in the
free-love cult that attracted some 4,000 followers
in the mid-1980s to a sprawling eastern Oregon
commune known as Rajneeshpuram. Hagan already has
been ordered deported to Britain and was scheduled
to leave Wednesday evening, said Virginia Kice,
spokeswoman for the Immigration and Naturalization
Service in Laguna Niguel, California. Croft was
awaiting a deportation hearing scheduled for
Friday. Rajneesh himself, known as the "rich man's
guru" because of his taste for luxury including a
collection of 93 Rolls-Royce automobiles, died in
India in 1990.
California Church Not Liable for Punitive Damages in Sexual Exploitment Case, San Jose Mercury News, Wednesday, April 29, 1998, 6:50 p.m. PDT
The San Mateo County Superior Court Judge
Lawrence Stevens ruled the Ananda Church of
Self-Realization won't have to pay $1 million in
punitive damages assessed against its former
leader, J. Donald Walters. Anne-Marie Bertolucci,
a former Ananda church member accused him and
other church leaders of abusing their authority by
sexually exploiting her. A Redwood City jury r
found the church liable for $330,000, Walters for
$265,000 and senior minister Daniel Levin, 42, for
$30,000. The church has said it is worth only
about $1 million and that trial-related costs have
brought it to the brink of financial collapse.
Pat Robertson settles libel suit with rebel professor, Tuesday, April 28, 1998, 4:01 p.m. PDT
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) -- Pat Robertson on
Tuesday settled the libel suit of a former law
professor who claimed the religious broadcaster
likened him and other professors to Jonestown cult
leader Jim Jones. The settlement was announced as
jury selection was underway in the case. Its terms
were not disclosed. The lawsuits stem from a
letter written by Robertson in February 1994 in
which he accused a group of professors of trying
to shut down the law school at the evangelical
Christian university he had founded. Hundreds of
Jones followers poisoned themselves in a 1978 mass
suicide at their jungle outpost in Guyana. The
Branch Davidians died in 1993 when their Waco,
Texas, compound burned to the ground after a
51-day standoff with federal agents.
Psychologist With Sex-Abuse History Runs School, LA Times, Tuesday, April 28, 1998
John Gottuso, a Pasadena psychologist who runs
a church and Christian school, lost his license 9
years ago to practice because a state agency found
that he was having sex with some of his patients.
Two years later, another state agency forbade
Gottuso from having any involvement with his
church's preschool, partly because agency
investigators said he once played "sex tag" under
a blanket with two girls. Last month, Gottuso
settled a sexual- and psychological-abuse lawsuit
by 11 plaintiffs. And Monday, a Pasadena
Municipal Court judge sentenced him to 30 days
house arrest and five years probation after he
pleaded no contest to demonstrating a sex act with
a 15-year-old girl in late 1995 in front of a
class at his Christ-Bridge Academy, now based in
Altadena. Gottuso teaches and preaches to
what disenchanted former followers describe as a
sexually focused, psycho-religious cult based on
unquestioning devotion and obedience to him.
In court papers, plaintiffs in the civil suit
gave accounts of Gottuso verbally abusing them
with sexually explicit street language and making
them believe that they were virtually enslaved by
their own sexual desires, and that the only way to
free themselves was to engage freely in sex.
Adolescent girls said in court papers that he
pinched or cupped their breasts, intimately hugged
and kissed them and persuaded them to disrobe in
front of him. Gottuso espoused a counseling
therapy that he called psytheosynthesis, which
melded psychology and theology to solve people's
problems. He recruited some of his original
followers, including the Rowe family, in 1979 when
a member of the nationally known Campus Crusade
for Christ invited him to a retreat in Guam to
explain his theories. Later, some Crusade leaders
began "rescue missions" to dissuade people from
following Gottuso after hearing women complain
about sexual abuse. Even today, Campus
Crusade members periodically distribute fliers at
the school warning parents and students of
Gottuso's record. In 1989, the state Board of
Medical Quality Assurance revoked Gottuso's
license to practice as a psychologist after nine
female patients, including married women,
complained to state regulators that Gottuso
engaged in a variety of sexual acts with them in
violation of professional standards.
Regulators found that Gottuso's treatment did
more harm than good, leaving several of them
"devastated emotionally, mentally, sexually and
socially."
Japan cultist says didn't think gas was so deadly, April 24, 1998, 5:21 a.m. PDT Friday
AUM victims to get 22-23% redress in Oct., Friday, April 24, 1998, 12:54 a.m. PD
"Vampire" leader loses bid for life sentence, Friday, April 24, 1998
Natural Law Party candidate begins campaign for governor, Tuesday, April 21, 1998, 10:53 p.m. PDT
Rev. Moon develops new operations center, Miami Herald, Tuesday, April 21, 1998
AUM ex-member, a murder suspect leaves for Japan, Saturday, April 18, 1998, 5:17 p.m. PDT
Diet enacts bill allowing AUM victims to get more money, Friday, April 17, 1998, 1:38 a.m. PDT
Unification Church gives up on mass wedding in Nagano, 5:48 a.m. PDT Thursday, April 16, 1998
Japanese cult killing suspect in Cyprus, Thursday, April 16, 1998, 2:44 a.m. PDT
Duma votes to investigate Kiriyenko, Wednesday, April 15, 1998
TWI FAQ No Way Out -- New Issue 1/98! Passing of a Patriarch --
The mysterious, often hidden account from Chris Geer explains the last days of founding president, Victor Paul Wierwille.
Entire text, first time on the Web.
Transcendental Meditation
TM FAQ TranceNet Yagyas Come out of the Closet Illustrated Weekly of India Exposé of MMY 6 New Personal Stories Scientific Critiques of TM Hypnosis vs. TM -- Any Difference? Secrets, stories, law, research, more!
Rama/Lenz
Rama-Llama-Ding-Dong Wealthy spiritual guru Lenz found dead on Long Island, Tuesday, April 14, 1998, 8:16 a.m. PDT Secret teachings, law cases, news archive, more!
Deepak Chopra
Shameless Mind New Issue -- 2/98 Secret teachings, law cases, news archive, more!
Cultic Relationships FAQ Shattered Hearts -- New Issue 1/98! Welcome to My Nightmare Cults and Elder Abuse DSM--IV 0n Abusive Personalities Recovery Using the Herman Model Are You Being Abused? Essays, archives, more!
Krishna/ISKCON
Krishna Today New Issue Released -- April 1998 Book excerpt -- entry into ISKCON [[#glossPatch On Leaving ISKCON|krishna/opinion/gelberg|]] A Woman's place ISKCON Letters to the Editor Lively debate, rumors, exclusive articles, and more!
Heaven's Gate
Heaven's Gate FAQ Heaven's Gate Secret teachings, law cases, news archive, more!
Timely information on the ongoing tragedy.
Plus academic readings, news reports, and significant Internet postings.
"Gatekeepers" jailed in California, The Seattle Times, Friday, October 16, 1998
Two members of a religious cult who sit in a
California jail on charges of armed robbery and
trying to kill a police officer also face murder
charges in the death of a Mountlake Terrace man in
March. Court papers filed yesterday allege Blaine
Applin shot Dan Jess in his trailer in the
early-morning hours of March 29, then jumped into
a getaway car driven by Chris Turgeon. Jess at
one time had been a member of the Gatekeepers, a
religious group of 10 to 20 people who look up to
Turgeon, a charismatic leader and self-described
prophet. Turgeon has claimed to hear God and have
apocalyptic visions. In March, after speaking
with Jess about him allegedly bilking money from
Snohomish County businesses and clients before
moving to California last year, Turgeon told one
follower that "God's calling us to destroy the
enemy," the charges say. Applin then said that God
had told him to shoot Jess, according to the
charges. Jess, who was 40, was shot six times
when he answered the door of his trailer home. If
convicted on the first-degree-murder charge in
Washington, the men will receive sentences of at
least 25 years in prison.
TWI FAQ No Way Out -- New Issue 6/98! Destruction of a Woman --
"Jennifer" shares sexual indiscretions of one of TWI's Way Corp. TWI Coordinator Imprisoned --
for conspiracy to commit fraud. Secrets, stories, news, research, more!
Transcendental Meditation
TM FAQ TranceNet Yagyas Come out of the Closet Illustrated Weekly of India Exposé of MMY 6 New Personal Stories Scientific Critiques of TM Hypnosis vs. TM -- Any Difference? Secrets, stories, law, research, more!
Rama/Lenz
Rama-Llama-Ding-Dong Wealthy spiritual guru Lenz found dead on Long Island, Tuesday, April 14, 1998, 8:16 a.m. PDT Secret teachings, law cases, news archive, more!
Deepak Chopra
Shameless Mind New Issue -- 2/98 Secret teachings, law cases, news archive, more!
Krishna Today New Issue Released -- June 1998 Book excerpt -- entry into ISKCON "Children of a Harsh Bliss" Synopsis & Excerpts -- Betrayal of the Spirit Letters to the Editor Lively debate, rumors, exclusive articles, and more!
Garbage Eaters
The Roberts Parents Group -- New Issue 7/98! Secrets, stories, news, research, more, on what critics have called the most mysterious Bible-based group of all. Featured on a heartbreaking ABC 20/20 segment this Spring. Essays, archives, more!
Cultic Relationships
Cultic Relationships FAQ Shattered Hearts -- New Issue 1/98! Welcome to My Nightmare Cults and Elder Abuse DSM--IV 0n Abusive Personalities Recovery Using the Herman Model Are You Being Abused? Essays, archives, more!
Heaven's Gate
Heaven's Gate FAQ Heaven's Gate Secret teachings, law cases, news archive, more!
Timely information on the ongoing tragedy.
Plus academic readings, news reports, and significant Internet postings.
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Creation has two sides: intelligence, which is the cause of
everything, and the manifestations of intelligence, which are the
physical and psychological features of the everyday world. Because
Transcendental Meditation directly approaches intelligence, rather
than the manifestations of intelligence, it solves problems by
introducing harmony and well-being at the most basic level, and not
by dealing with problems themselves. That's why it is so effective.
Consider this example: The gardener supplies water to the root of
a tree. That water, that nourishment, then reaches all parts of the
tree - leaves, branches, flowers, fruit - through the sap. We can
think of the sap as analogous to intelligence and the green leaves or
yellow flowers as analogous to the manifestations of the
intelligence. The leaves and flowers are the intelligence of the sap,
after it has been transformed. So intelligence - like the leaves and
flowers of a tree - appears as the many different forms of manifest
life. Those manifestations include every aspect of existence, from
the material and physiological, through the psychological,
intellectual, and spiritual. All of those features of life come from
transformations of intelligence. In meditation, we directly meet this
essential intelligence. Therefore, we have the possibility of
nourishing all of its other levels, and thus all levels of
manifestation, in a way that is harmoniously related to the whole
universe.
How is Transcendental Meditation different from the various other
forms of meditation?
Maharishi: The basic difference is that Transcendental Meditation,
in addition to its simplicity, concerns itself only with the mind.
Other systems often involve some additional aspects with which the
mind is associated, such as breathing or physical exercises. They can
be a little complicated because they deal with so many things. But
with Transcendental Meditation there is no possibility of any
interference. So we say this is the all-simple program, enabling the
conscious mind to fathom the whole range of its existence.
Transcendental Meditation ranges from active mind - or performing
mind - to quiet mind - or resting mind. In this resting mind, one has
purity and simplicity, uninvolved with anything other than the mind,
uninvolved with any other practice. In Transcendental Meditation,
because we deal only with the mind, we nourish all expressions of
intelligence.
The mind meditates, gains Transcendental Consciousness and brings
about transformation in different fields of manifestation. All fields
of life, which are the expression of intelligence, are nourished or
transformed and made better through experiencing Transcendental
Consciousness.
The mind, of course, is always concerned with other aspects, such
as the physiology of the body, the environment, and the whole
universe for that matter. But since Transcendental Meditation deals
only with the performance of the mind, from its active states to its
settled state, it remains unconcerned with those other aspects,
though it deals with them all, because intelligence deals with them
all. -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, unknown interview, copyright presumably held by Maharishi Vedic University, The Maharishi Foundation, or another group within the TM family.
Cults come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Categories of cults that are recruiting successfully today include:
Eastern meditation: characterized by belief in God-consciousness, becoming one with God. The leader usually distorts and Eastern-based philosophy or religion. Members sometimes learn to disregard worldly possessions and may take on an ascetic lifestyle. Techniques used: meditation, repeated mantras, altered states of consciousness, trance states.
Religious: marked by belief in salvation, afterlife, sometimes combined with an apocalyptic view. The leader reinterprets the Scriptures and often claims to be a prophet if not the messiah. Often the group is strict, sometimes using physical punishments such as paddling and birching, especially on children. Members are encouraged to spend a great deal of time proselytizing. (Note: included here are Bible-based neo-Christian and other religious cults, many considered syncretic since they combine beliefs and practices). Techniques used: speaking in tongues, chanting, praying, isolation, lengthy study sessions, many hours spent evangelizing, "struggle" (or criticism) and confession sessions.
Political, racist, terrorist: fueled by belief in changing society, revolution, overthrowing the "enemy" or getting rid of evil forces. The leader professes to be all-knowing and all-powerful. Often the group is armed and meets in secret with coded language, handshakes, and other ritualized practices. Members consider themselves an elite cadre ready to go to battle. Techniques used: paramilitary training, reporting on one another, guilt, fear, struggle sessions, instilled paranoia, long hours of indoctrination. -- Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, Lalich and Tobias, Hunter House, 1993.
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Creation has two sides: intelligence, which is the cause of
everything, and the manifestations of intelligence, which are the
physical and psychological features of the everyday world. Because
Transcendental Meditation directly approaches intelligence, rather
than the manifestations of intelligence, it solves problems by
introducing harmony and well-being at the most basic level, and not
by dealing with problems themselves. That's why it is so effective.
Consider this example: The gardener supplies water to the root of
a tree. That water, that nourishment, then reaches all parts of the
tree - leaves, branches, flowers, fruit - through the sap. We can
think of the sap as analogous to intelligence and the green leaves or
yellow flowers as analogous to the manifestations of the
intelligence. The leaves and flowers are the intelligence of the sap,
after it has been transformed. So intelligence - like the leaves and
flowers of a tree - appears as the many different forms of manifest
life. Those manifestations include every aspect of existence, from
the material and physiological, through the psychological,
intellectual, and spiritual. All of those features of life come from
transformations of intelligence. In meditation, we directly meet this
essential intelligence. Therefore, we have the possibility of
nourishing all of its other levels, and thus all levels of
manifestation, in a way that is harmoniously related to the whole
universe.
How is Transcendental Meditation different from the various other
forms of meditation?
Maharishi: The basic difference is that Transcendental Meditation,
in addition to its simplicity, concerns itself only with the mind.
Other systems often involve some additional aspects with which the
mind is associated, such as breathing or physical exercises. They can
be a little complicated because they deal with so many things. But
with Transcendental Meditation there is no possibility of any
interference. So we say this is the all-simple program, enabling the
conscious mind to fathom the whole range of its existence.
Transcendental Meditation ranges from active mind - or performing
mind - to quiet mind - or resting mind. In this resting mind, one has
purity and simplicity, uninvolved with anything other than the mind,
uninvolved with any other practice. In Transcendental Meditation,
because we deal only with the mind, we nourish all expressions of
intelligence.
The mind meditates, gains Transcendental Consciousness and brings
about transformation in different fields of manifestation. All fields
of life, which are the expression of intelligence, are nourished or
transformed and made better through experiencing Transcendental
Consciousness.
The mind, of course, is always concerned with other aspects, such
as the physiology of the body, the environment, and the whole
universe for that matter. But since Transcendental Meditation deals
only with the performance of the mind, from its active states to its
settled state, it remains unconcerned with those other aspects,
though it deals with them all, because intelligence deals with them
all. -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, unknown interview, copyright presumably held by Maharishi Vedic University, The Maharishi Foundation, or another group within the TM family.
Cults come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Categories of cults that are recruiting successfully today include:
Eastern meditation: characterized by belief in God-consciousness, becoming one with God. The leader usually distorts and Eastern-based philosophy or religion. Members sometimes learn to disregard worldly possessions and may take on an ascetic lifestyle. Techniques used: meditation, repeated mantras, altered states of consciousness, trance states.
Religious: marked by belief in salvation, afterlife, sometimes combined with an apocalyptic view. The leader reinterprets the Scriptures and often claims to be a prophet if not the messiah. Often the group is strict, sometimes using physical punishments such as paddling and birching, especially on children. Members are encouraged to spend a great deal of time proselytizing. (Note: included here are Bible-based neo-Christian and other religious cults, many considered syncretic since they combine beliefs and practices). Techniques used: speaking in tongues, chanting, praying, isolation, lengthy study sessions, many hours spent evangelizing, "struggle" (or criticism) and confession sessions.
Political, racist, terrorist: fueled by belief in changing society, revolution, overthrowing the "enemy" or getting rid of evil forces. The leader professes to be all-knowing and all-powerful. Often the group is armed and meets in secret with coded language, handshakes, and other ritualized practices. Members consider themselves an elite cadre ready to go to battle. Techniques used: paramilitary training, reporting on one another, guilt, fear, struggle sessions, instilled paranoia, long hours of indoctrination. -- Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, Lalich and Tobias, Hunter House, 1993.
® Transcendental Meditation, TM, TM-Sidhi, Maharishi Ayur-Veda, Science of Creative Intelligence, Maharishi, and Maharishi Sthapatya Veda are service marks registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation. The following service marks and trade names are
licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and used under sublicense: Maharishi Yoga, Maharishi Yagya, Maharishi Jyotish, Maharishi Gandharva Veda,
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Whether mentioned here expressly or not, all other trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade secrets remain the property of their respective holders. Their use on this website neither implies an endorsement nor ownership by trancenet.net, all-info.org, or any board member, staff, volunteer of these organizations.
Please address any questions or problems you encounter on this site to jmknapp53@gmail.com. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of trancenet.net, all-info.org, its
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http://www.trancenet.net/trancenet/levels.shtml.
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staff, volunteers, or donors. trancenet.net relies solely on "sharefare" donations from readers like you at
http://www.trancenet.net/trancenet/levels.shtml.
Taken from testimony in
the Kropinski trial, for many years copies of this tape were not even allowed to enter the continental US. Much like the Church of Scientology's OT materials, "Soma
and the Gods" lays out the Maharishi's freakish theology in a way that the
public is not deemed "ready" for by the Maharishi and the movement: a sort of parasitic relationship
between TMers and the Vedic Gods.
The concept of natural law literally refers to the "Laws of Manu," the smriti or Vedic law to which every TM teacher must swear
allegiance. With strict rules to maintain the caste system, strictures on abortion, and a definite opinion on woman's place in the world, here are a few highlights from your future -- if the Natural Law Party assumes power:
Most TMers, even TM teachers, believe that the initiation ceremony was written by the Maharishi himself -- or perhaps it has been passed down for generations. Tain't so. The Maharishi appears to have cobbled together scraps of Sanskrit poetry to create a "Hindoo ceremony" to wow the Western crowd. We include the true sources of the puja, with links to Sanskrit resources you can check out yourself.
Deepak Chopra wasted little time in staking out a clear marketing position, different from his old Master, the Maharishi. Clearly based on Transcendental Meditation, he claims the mantras he teaches in "Primordial Sound Meditation" are more precise than the Maharishi's. Have we been meditating with the wrong mantras all these years?
"Improving on Infinity" [being updated]
Beatles! Beatles! Beatles!
Try as he might, the Maharishi can't shake his most famous pupils. In this incredibly well-researched article, author Greg Panfile's "Inner Lite: The Beatles and the Maharishi, 1967-68" opines that the Fab Four's brush with the Maharishi "dealt a hammer blow to the international pedestal they had occupied
almost uninterruptedly for four years. They would never be exactly the same
again..."
Turns out that TM is affecting elections in ways beyond the Natural Law Party. In Massachusetts, the gubernatorial election may turn on US Sen. John F. Kerry's accusation that Gov. William F. Weld squandered nearly
$900,000 in federal funds on TM programs for prisoners. According to the Boston Herald, TM was found not to promote any measurable
benefits.Gov. Weld issued an apology to the state tax payers and promised that no tax
money will be spent on such foolish programs again.
"TM a Laff-Riot in Massachusetts Prisons 1" [being overhauled]
Critical Thinking after TM
Author Jennie Bergemann talks about regaining an objective perspective after decades of "magical thinking" in the TM movement. "As a former member of the TM Movement, I've wondered how I could have come to believe so many bizarre things. I've been concerned
that some of the conditioning was so effective that I still may
be thinking like a TMer, without realizing it." Based on a university course taught by Prof. Barry Markovsky.
trancenet.net director John M. Knapp finally begins to tell his story. The heartbreaking "Anon4" is told by Psychiatrist Gary Glass -- with implications for all long-term TMers.
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trancenet.net: No Way Out Top 10
Please address any questions or problems you encounter on this site to jmknapp53@gmail.com. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of trancenet.net, all-info.org, its
staff, volunteers, or donors. trancenet.net relies solely on "sharefare" donations from readers like you at
http://www.trancenet.net/trancenet/levels.shtml.
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TranceNet: Halloween 1996 Issue
Taken from testimony in
the Kropinski trial, for many years copies of this tape were not even allowed to enter the continental US. Much like the Church of Scientology's OT materials, "Soma
and the Gods" lays out the Maharishi's freakish theology in a way that the
public is not deemed "ready" for by the Maharishi and the movement: a sort of parasitic relationship
between TMers and the Vedic Gods.
The concept of natural law literally refers to the "Laws of Manu," the smriti or Vedic law to which every TM teacher must swear
allegiance. With strict rules to maintain the caste system, strictures on abortion, and a definite opinion on woman's place in the world, here are a few highlights from your future -- if the Natural Law Party assumes power:
Most TMers, even TM teachers, believe that the initiation ceremony was written by the Maharishi himself -- or perhaps it has been passed down for generations. Tain't so. The Maharishi appears to have cobbled together scraps of Sanskrit poetry to create a "Hindoo ceremony" to wow the Western crowd. We include the true sources of the puja, with links to Sanskrit resources you can check out yourself.
Deepak Chopra wasted little time in staking out a clear marketing position, different from his old Master, the Maharishi. Clearly based on Transcendental Meditation, he claims the mantras he teaches in "Primordial Sound Meditation" are more precise than the Maharishi's. Have we been meditating with the wrong mantras all these years?
"Improving on Infinity" [being updated]
Beatles! Beatles! Beatles!
Try as he might, the Maharishi can't shake his most famous pupils. In this incredibly well-researched article, author Greg Panfile's "Inner Lite: The Beatles and the Maharishi, 1967-68" opines that the Fab Four's brush with the Maharishi "dealt a hammer blow to the international pedestal they had occupied
almost uninterruptedly for four years. They would never be exactly the same
again..."
Turns out that TM is affecting elections in ways beyond the Natural Law Party. In Massachusetts, the gubernatorial election may turn on US Sen. John F. Kerry's accusation that Gov. William F. Weld squandered nearly
$900,000 in federal funds on TM programs for prisoners. According to the Boston Herald, TM was found not to promote any measurable
benefits.Gov. Weld issued an apology to the state tax payers and promised that no tax
money will be spent on such foolish programs again.
"TM a Laff-Riot in Massachusetts Prisons 1" [being overhauled]
Critical Thinking after TM
Author Jennie Bergemann talks about regaining an objective perspective after decades of "magical thinking" in the TM movement. "As a former member of the TM Movement, I've wondered how I could have come to believe so many bizarre things. I've been concerned
that some of the conditioning was so effective that I still may
be thinking like a TMer, without realizing it." Based on a university course taught by Prof. Barry Markovsky.
trancenet.net director John M. Knapp finally begins to tell his story. The heartbreaking "Anon4" is told by Psychiatrist Gary Glass -- with implications for all long-term TMers.
To comment on this or any other trancenet.net page, go to trancechat.
This page was last built with Frontier on a Macintosh on Fri, Jul 18, 1997 at 10:26:14 AM.
Creation has two sides: intelligence, which is the cause of
everything, and the manifestations of intelligence, which are the
physical and psychological features of the everyday world. Because
Transcendental Meditation directly approaches intelligence, rather
than the manifestations of intelligence, it solves problems by
introducing harmony and well-being at the most basic level, and not
by dealing with problems themselves. That's why it is so effective.
Consider this example: The gardener supplies water to the root of
a tree. That water, that nourishment, then reaches all parts of the
tree - leaves, branches, flowers, fruit - through the sap. We can
think of the sap as analogous to intelligence and the green leaves or
yellow flowers as analogous to the manifestations of the
intelligence. The leaves and flowers are the intelligence of the sap,
after it has been transformed. So intelligence - like the leaves and
flowers of a tree - appears as the many different forms of manifest
life. Those manifestations include every aspect of existence, from
the material and physiological, through the psychological,
intellectual, and spiritual. All of those features of life come from
transformations of intelligence. In meditation, we directly meet this
essential intelligence. Therefore, we have the possibility of
nourishing all of its other levels, and thus all levels of
manifestation, in a way that is harmoniously related to the whole
universe.
How is Transcendental Meditation different from the various other
forms of meditation?
Maharishi: The basic difference is that Transcendental Meditation,
in addition to its simplicity, concerns itself only with the mind.
Other systems often involve some additional aspects with which the
mind is associated, such as breathing or physical exercises. They can
be a little complicated because they deal with so many things. But
with Transcendental Meditation there is no possibility of any
interference. So we say this is the all-simple program, enabling the
conscious mind to fathom the whole range of its existence.
Transcendental Meditation ranges from active mind - or performing
mind - to quiet mind - or resting mind. In this resting mind, one has
purity and simplicity, uninvolved with anything other than the mind,
uninvolved with any other practice. In Transcendental Meditation,
because we deal only with the mind, we nourish all expressions of
intelligence.
The mind meditates, gains Transcendental Consciousness and brings
about transformation in different fields of manifestation. All fields
of life, which are the expression of intelligence, are nourished or
transformed and made better through experiencing Transcendental
Consciousness.
The mind, of course, is always concerned with other aspects, such
as the physiology of the body, the environment, and the whole
universe for that matter. But since Transcendental Meditation deals
only with the performance of the mind, from its active states to its
settled state, it remains unconcerned with those other aspects,
though it deals with them all, because intelligence deals with them
all. -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, unknown interview, copyright presumablyheld by Maharishi Vedic University, The Maharishi Foundation, or another group within the TM family.
Cults come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Categories of cults that are recruiting successfully today include:
Eastern meditation: characterized by belief in God-consciousness, becoming one with God. The leader usually distorts and Eastern-based philosophy or religion. Members sometimes learn to disregard worldly possessions and may take on an ascetic lifestyle. Techniques used: meditation, repeated mantras, altered states of consciousness, trance states.
Religious: marked by belief in salvation, afterlife, sometimes combined with an apocalyptic view. The leader reinterprets the Scriptures and often claims to be a prophet if not the messiah. Often the group is strict, sometimes using physical punishments such as paddling and birching, especially on children. Members are encouraged to spend a great deal of time proselytizing. (Note: included here are Bible-based neo-Christian and other religious cults, many considered syncretic since they combine beliefs and practices). Techniques used: speaking in tongues, chanting, praying, isolation, lengthy study sessions, many hours spent evangelizing, "struggle" (or criticism) and confession sessions.
Political, racist, terrorist: fueled by belief in changing society, revolution, overthrowing the "enemy" or getting rid of evil forces. The leader professes to be all-knowing and all-powerful. Often the group is armed and meets in secret with coded language, handshakes, and other ritualized practices. Members consider themselves an elite cadre ready to go to battle. Techniques used: paramilitary training, reporting on one another, guilt, fear, struggle sessions, instilled paranoia, long hours of indoctrination. -- Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, Lalich and Tobias, Hunter House, 1993.
For several months, TranceNet has received reports that
"Purusha" has harassed TM teachers, sidhas, and
meditators who step off the party line.
We reprint two letters here in full that threaten legal action
against a TM teacher -- with implications for every meditator or sidha
who ever signed a course agreement.
And in exclusive TranceNet interviews, WPEC president Thomas M. Hedley
and attorney Catherine Dziuba discuss this case and the future of WPEC.
In a surprise revelation, Mr. Hedley asserts WPEC is "winding down
operations."
David Smithstein is the Natural
Law Party 8th District Congressional Candidate for San Francisco, CA. On
January 2, 1996, he wrote John M. Knapp, editor, alleging TranceNet creates
"obsticles[sic]... for others" and warning "you need to play
out your own Karma." In his second letter, January 3, 1996, he asserts
that there is no scientific research that shows
negative effects from TM, implies that "karma" is not a term used within
the TM movement or Natural Law Party, and demands that his writings be
published unedited.
Selections from the Tantra of the Great Liberation, the Mantra
Sastra, and The Garland of Letters show that TM's supposedly
meaningless bija (seed) mantras invoke Hindu gods. For example,
"AING" is a name for Saraswati. We also discuss the meanings
of the "advanced techniques." With depositions
from the Kropinski trial that indicate TM may be derived from
japa as taught by Swami Sivananda.
TranceNet first published the controversial German Study on
the Web in November, 1995. Based on the findings of this study,
the German government declared TM a "psycho
group" or cult -- despite the TM organization's losing, 10-year court
battle to suppress the study and challenge its validity and publication.
This issue, we add several German texts that add to the controversy:
the full text of the high courts opinion,
and the opinions of two pro-TM experts who disagree with the
court's findings. [In German only, translation to come.]
"The "German Study": Update"
TM Lecture &
Interview Forms
Remember what they promised? Remember all those forms you filled out?
The "Age of
Enlightenment Techniques" were "developed" by the
Maharishi in the mid-70s. Presented for the first time on the Web, the
Age of Enlightenment Techniques are described in detail from testimony
from the Kropinski trial. With discussion of similar techniques taught by
Paramahansa Yogananda.
To comment on this or any other trancenet.net page, go to trancechat.
This page was last built with Frontier on a Macintosh on Fri, Jul 18, 1997 at 10:34:43 AM.
Creation has two sides: intelligence, which is the cause of
everything, and the manifestations of intelligence, which are the
physical and psychological features of the everyday world. Because
Transcendental Meditation directly approaches intelligence, rather
than the manifestations of intelligence, it solves problems by
introducing harmony and well-being at the most basic level, and not
by dealing with problems themselves. That's why it is so effective.
Consider this example: The gardener supplies water to the root of
a tree. That water, that nourishment, then reaches all parts of the
tree - leaves, branches, flowers, fruit - through the sap. We can
think of the sap as analogous to intelligence and the green leaves or
yellow flowers as analogous to the manifestations of the
intelligence. The leaves and flowers are the intelligence of the sap,
after it has been transformed. So intelligence - like the leaves and
flowers of a tree - appears as the many different forms of manifest
life. Those manifestations include every aspect of existence, from
the material and physiological, through the psychological,
intellectual, and spiritual. All of those features of life come from
transformations of intelligence. In meditation, we directly meet this
essential intelligence. Therefore, we have the possibility of
nourishing all of its other levels, and thus all levels of
manifestation, in a way that is harmoniously related to the whole
universe.
How is Transcendental Meditation different from the various other
forms of meditation?
Maharishi: The basic difference is that Transcendental Meditation,
in addition to its simplicity, concerns itself only with the mind.
Other systems often involve some additional aspects with which the
mind is associated, such as breathing or physical exercises. They can
be a little complicated because they deal with so many things. But
with Transcendental Meditation there is no possibility of any
interference. So we say this is the all-simple program, enabling the
conscious mind to fathom the whole range of its existence.
Transcendental Meditation ranges from active mind - or performing
mind - to quiet mind - or resting mind. In this resting mind, one has
purity and simplicity, uninvolved with anything other than the mind,
uninvolved with any other practice. In Transcendental Meditation,
because we deal only with the mind, we nourish all expressions of
intelligence.
The mind meditates, gains Transcendental Consciousness and brings
about transformation in different fields of manifestation. All fields
of life, which are the expression of intelligence, are nourished or
transformed and made better through experiencing Transcendental
Consciousness.
The mind, of course, is always concerned with other aspects, such
as the physiology of the body, the environment, and the whole
universe for that matter. But since Transcendental Meditation deals
only with the performance of the mind, from its active states to its
settled state, it remains unconcerned with those other aspects,
though it deals with them all, because intelligence deals with them
all. -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, unknown interview, copyright presumablyheld by Maharishi Vedic University, The Maharishi Foundation, or another group within the TM family.
Cults come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Categories of cults that are recruiting successfully today include:
Eastern meditation: characterized by belief in God-consciousness, becoming one with God. The leader usually distorts and Eastern-based philosophy or religion. Members sometimes learn to disregard worldly possessions and may take on an ascetic lifestyle. Techniques used: meditation, repeated mantras, altered states of consciousness, trance states.
Religious: marked by belief in salvation, afterlife, sometimes combined with an apocalyptic view. The leader reinterprets the Scriptures and often claims to be a prophet if not the messiah. Often the group is strict, sometimes using physical punishments such as paddling and birching, especially on children. Members are encouraged to spend a great deal of time proselytizing. (Note: included here are Bible-based neo-Christian and other religious cults, many considered syncretic since they combine beliefs and practices). Techniques used: speaking in tongues, chanting, praying, isolation, lengthy study sessions, many hours spent evangelizing, "struggle" (or criticism) and confession sessions.
Political, racist, terrorist: fueled by belief in changing society, revolution, overthrowing the "enemy" or getting rid of evil forces. The leader professes to be all-knowing and all-powerful. Often the group is armed and meets in secret with coded language, handshakes, and other ritualized practices. Members consider themselves an elite cadre ready to go to battle. Techniques used: paramilitary training, reporting on one another, guilt, fear, struggle sessions, instilled paranoia, long hours of indoctrination. -- Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, Lalich and Tobias, Hunter House, 1993.
The 150+ page report by Germany's "Institute for Youth
and Society" remains the most
thorough and prestigious study and critique of TM to date
-- labeling it a "youth group" and "psychogroup" (cult).
Although the TM movement understandably attempted to
suppress this report in German courts, it was upheld by
the German Supreme Court. The German government's findings may have
implications for everyone practicing mantra-based meditation:
76% of long-term meditators experience psychological
disorders -- including 26% nervous breakdowns
One of several "TM casualties" whose story is contained in the German
Report. "Anonymous TM Victim #3" was at the time of the interview still
unable to work and is under therapeutic care.
According to the authors of this study, his is the general case among
mantra meditators: "The young person involved with T.M. is
effectively hindered from becoming a responsible
independent adult, he regresses to an infantile and
narcissistic stage, expressed through appropriate behavior
on his part. The almost complete loss of a sense of
reality is caused, in our considered opinion, by the
practice of meditation, the teaching and T.M. movement in
the context of it being so organized in the particular way
it is. This loss of a sense of reality makes a person
unfit for work, unable to shape his life in a responsible
manner and unable to be socially active."
The transcript of a March, 1993, taped
interview with a former MIU student submitted anonymously
to TranceNet.
Today this 9-year TM Sidha suffers from fainting,
black outs, anxiety attacks, fear, and near constant
exhaustion. He
feels that he has "blown out his mind." (You
may want to
check out the companion piece
"Kropinski's List of TM Casualties".)
Dissociation -- what is it? The most frequently
mentioned negative side effect of TM in our "Personal Stories Archive,"
we begin a series on "atypical dissociation" with an
article from the DSM-IV that gives its
standard diagnosis. With quotations from Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita for comparison.
"The Initiator's Pledge of Loyalty"
For the first time on the Web, here is the oath all TM
Teachers are required to sign. We were
told this
agreement has no legal force, but that the TM movement
relies on the "laws of karma for enforcement -- which
operate for all eternity." Containing the direct address
to the altar of the Maharishi's dead teacher "Guru Dev"
and the direction to spread "the Light of God," it makes
interesting reading for those interested in the scientific
basis
of the TM movement.
A 1989 MIU University News ad
claims "MIU was among the top third of the nation's
colleges and
universities selected by U.S. News & World
Report" -- a claim still repeated today by TM
apologists on the
Internet. Here, in text and facsimile, is the
Executive Editor's letter accusing MIU of
misleading claims. Also included: facsimile of the
misleading ad.
This cover story from The Illustrated Weekly of
India
charges child molestation, death from
abuse and neglect,
corruption and more at Maharishi's compound in NOIDA,
India. If true, TM meditators in the US may be interested
to know that
their course fees,
product fees, and donations support these policies
at
Maharishinagar.
In our ongoing series on TM casualties, we present the
horrifying experiences of
a 15-year Fairfield sidha who alleges she was hospitalized
by MIU because
of psychological damage
from the TM-Sidhis. A courageous and awe-inspiring story
of pain,
cult-induced madness, and
ultimate spiritual freedom. Exclusive to TranceNet. (You
may want to
check out the companion piece
"Kropinski's List of TM Casualties".)
We inaugurate our "Independent Research Archive" with
studies done at
Laurentian University that indicate that TM and other
forms of meditation
can have disastrous side-
effects, including partial-complex seizures,
hallucinations of "sensed
presence," and more. We also
include Dr. Persinger's devastating attack on research
conducted by the
TM movement.
Here for the first time on the Web is the entire text
of The Holy
Tradition, a secret book given to new TM teachers.
Despite
judgments by Federal courts and
the ensuing disbelief of the media and public, TM
organizations still
insist they are not a religion or
religious. Religion or science? Read The Holy
Tradition --
you be the judge!
"The Personal Histories Archive"
Albert Miller presents more than a
dozen new personal stories
by ex-TMers Peter McWilliams (co-author of The TM
Book,
Mitch Kapor (founder of
Lotus and the Electronic Frontier Foundation), Patrick
Ryan (co-founder
of TM-EX), exit counselor
Joe Kelly, and many others. Of particular interest are ex-
MIU Professor
Roark's allegations of
systematic fraud in TM research, and ex-MIU Professor
DeNaro's
allegations that the Maharishi knew
about psychological damage caused by the TM technique
since the early
'70s -- and choose to ignore
it. Our most read section, "The Personal Histories Archive" is the
best place for new
readers to start.
An anonymous TranceNet reader reveals
that
he was trained as a
"Special Techniques" instructor. Once touted as cures for
"unstressing,"
overeating, smoking, and a
host of other ills, these expensive, secret techniques
were dropped by
the Maharishi in the late '70s --
reportedly for lack of results. The author explains in
detail how to do
the techniques. Exclusive to
TranceNet (Click here for information on how you
can submit
material to
TranceNet.)
You may know Mitchell Kapor as the founder of Lotus
and
the Electronic Frontier
Foundation. But Mitchell also spent 7 years deep inside
the TM movement.
In this interview from
TRICYCLE: The
Buddhist
Review, reprinted here with his permission,
Mitchell talks about
why he started TM, his
ultimate disillusionment with TM levitation techniques,
and "crossing
from slavery
into freedom" when he left his Six-Month Governor Training
Course in
Switzerland.
A TranceNet reader submits yet another
newspaper ad from 1977
published in
the Los Angeles area. More important documentation of the
Maharishi's
bizarre
claims of levitation, invisibility, and other supernormal
powers for the
TM-Sidhi program. (Click here for information on how you
can submit
material to
TranceNet.)
TM, a benign group -- perhaps a little wacky, but
basically harmless? The public,
the media, even ex-
members may think so. But the Teflon® may be peeling
off the
No-Stick Guru. Court transcripts
tell of self-
mutilations, suicides, psychotic breaks -- even druggings
of Maharishi's
personal staff. We invite your
submissions to this
emerging scandal.
We are fortunate to launch our Personal Histories
Archive with
author Joe Kellett's intimate memoirs. Joe details his
personal
relationship with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, gives a
teacher's
perspective on the TM program, and probes his spiritual
experiences. A
must read for every current
and former TMer.
Exclusive to TranceNet.
A subject of endless debate on alt.meditation.transcendental: Exactly which
techniques did Maharishi
teach -- and what results did he promise? Here are a
rogue's gallery of
printed advertisements from
the 70s and 80s that
should settle the question once and for all.
Is
MAV a non-guaranteed form of
self-improvement or an alternative medical system
masquerading as
food supplements? An angry California widow has taken MAV,
Deepak Chopra,
and others to court to
find out. Here is the
entire text of her complaint.
Many current and former TMers are in an advanced state
of denial about their
"contributions" to
Maharishi's World Plan. Complete a simple form to evaluate
your own
involvement.
To comment on this or any other trancenet.net page, go to trancechat.
This page was last built with Frontier on a Macintosh on Fri, Jul 18, 1997 at 10:31:49 AM.
Creation has two sides: intelligence, which is the cause of
everything, and the manifestations of intelligence, which are the
physical and psychological features of the everyday world. Because
Transcendental Meditation directly approaches intelligence, rather
than the manifestations of intelligence, it solves problems by
introducing harmony and well-being at the most basic level, and not
by dealing with problems themselves. That's why it is so effective.
Consider this example: The gardener supplies water to the root of
a tree. That water, that nourishment, then reaches all parts of the
tree - leaves, branches, flowers, fruit - through the sap. We can
think of the sap as analogous to intelligence and the green leaves or
yellow flowers as analogous to the manifestations of the
intelligence. The leaves and flowers are the intelligence of the sap,
after it has been transformed. So intelligence - like the leaves and
flowers of a tree - appears as the many different forms of manifest
life. Those manifestations include every aspect of existence, from
the material and physiological, through the psychological,
intellectual, and spiritual. All of those features of life come from
transformations of intelligence. In meditation, we directly meet this
essential intelligence. Therefore, we have the possibility of
nourishing all of its other levels, and thus all levels of
manifestation, in a way that is harmoniously related to the whole
universe.
How is Transcendental Meditation different from the various other
forms of meditation?
Maharishi: The basic difference is that Transcendental Meditation,
in addition to its simplicity, concerns itself only with the mind.
Other systems often involve some additional aspects with which the
mind is associated, such as breathing or physical exercises. They can
be a little complicated because they deal with so many things. But
with Transcendental Meditation there is no possibility of any
interference. So we say this is the all-simple program, enabling the
conscious mind to fathom the whole range of its existence.
Transcendental Meditation ranges from active mind - or performing
mind - to quiet mind - or resting mind. In this resting mind, one has
purity and simplicity, uninvolved with anything other than the mind,
uninvolved with any other practice. In Transcendental Meditation,
because we deal only with the mind, we nourish all expressions of
intelligence.
The mind meditates, gains Transcendental Consciousness and brings
about transformation in different fields of manifestation. All fields
of life, which are the expression of intelligence, are nourished or
transformed and made better through experiencing Transcendental
Consciousness.
The mind, of course, is always concerned with other aspects, such
as the physiology of the body, the environment, and the whole
universe for that matter. But since Transcendental Meditation deals
only with the performance of the mind, from its active states to its
settled state, it remains unconcerned with those other aspects,
though it deals with them all, because intelligence deals with them
all. -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, unknown interview, copyright presumablyheld by Maharishi Vedic University, The Maharishi Foundation, or another group within the TM family.
Cults come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Categories of cults that are recruiting successfully today include:
Eastern meditation: characterized by belief in God-consciousness, becoming one with God. The leader usually distorts and Eastern-based philosophy or religion. Members sometimes learn to disregard worldly possessions and may take on an ascetic lifestyle. Techniques used: meditation, repeated mantras, altered states of consciousness, trance states.
Religious: marked by belief in salvation, afterlife, sometimes combined with an apocalyptic view. The leader reinterprets the Scriptures and often claims to be a prophet if not the messiah. Often the group is strict, sometimes using physical punishments such as paddling and birching, especially on children. Members are encouraged to spend a great deal of time proselytizing. (Note: included here are Bible-based neo-Christian and other religious cults, many considered syncretic since they combine beliefs and practices). Techniques used: speaking in tongues, chanting, praying, isolation, lengthy study sessions, many hours spent evangelizing, "struggle" (or criticism) and confession sessions.
Political, racist, terrorist: fueled by belief in changing society, revolution, overthrowing the "enemy" or getting rid of evil forces. The leader professes to be all-knowing and all-powerful. Often the group is armed and meets in secret with coded language, handshakes, and other ritualized practices. Members consider themselves an elite cadre ready to go to battle. Techniques used: paramilitary training, reporting on one another, guilt, fear, struggle sessions, instilled paranoia, long hours of indoctrination. -- Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, Lalich and Tobias, Hunter House, 1993.
8/9/96, Exclusive Interview:
Dr. Deepak Chopra granted an interview to trancenet.net'sShameless Mind Wednesday, July 31, 1996, discussing
his time in TM, his decision to leave that movement, the Maharishi's
grave illnesses, the recent Weekly Standard allegations, issues
of spirituality and free speech -- and promised to direct his law firm
to immediately cease all legal proceedings against trancenet.net and
this author. Includes responses from Dr. Chopra.
On July, 16, 1993, the "Maharishi National Council" wrote to all TM centers claiming that not only had Deepak Chopra left the Movement, but all TMers "should ignore him and not try to contact him or promote him in any way" -- to preserve the purity of the teaching. Shortly after Deepak Chopra announced his departure from the TM movement. Two weeks later, Dr. Chopra wrote a letter dispelling "rumors and misunderstandings" -- claiming that he still supported the Movement and would be pleased to hear from anyone "who feels the need or desire to contact me." What really happened?
In a recent world-wide conference call, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi predicted
imminent biologic and genetic warfare on a global scale will break out
between the major industrialized countries within weeks.
According to attendants of the closed conference call in Fairfield,
Iowa, on or about May 27, the Maharishi claimed, "If we don't act
today, there may not be a tomorrow." He spoke of the horrific impact
of genetic and biological weapons that he believed will be released in
a devastating global war within weeks.
On August 11, Bevan Morris repeated the warnings of global war and discussed a total restructuring of the TM movement to avert the "crisis."
First Time Published Anywhere! Three Days Checking Notes are the outline for the follow-up course to TM instruction. They were dictated on Teacher Training Course, Phase III (TTCIII) to prospective initiators. Future initiators essentially memorize
the "notes." Includes overview and foot notes.
Are you or a loved one considering starting TM? Here are some basic facts which you and others may wish to know. Written together by a TM initiator and a
new meditator, this flyer outlines insider secrets and questions you may wish to consider. We also provide a versions that you may laser print.
New to TM? Based on an outline by Steven Hassan, this concise outline defines basic terms and gives a general overview. With special sections for current and former members, friends and loved ones, the media, and more.
Details on how TM teachers initiated children as young as 3 years old into the "walking word of wisdom" -- literally verbal
japa of Hindu diety names.
Some court records from Kropinski talk about signs of autistic behavior among some MIU children. Also the "German
Study" found that "....Some children who began the practice of T.M. at an early age, were diagnosed as having
developed autistic behavior."
To our knowledge this material has never before been published anywhere..
Judge Meanor's 1976 precedent-setting opinion that found TM, the puja, and the Science of Creative Intelligence all to be religious -- and barred TM from public schools. "Although defendants have submitted well over 1500 pages of briefs, affidavits, and deposition testimony in opposing
plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment, defendants have failed to raise the slightest doubt as to the facts or as to the
religious nature of the teachings of the Science of Creative Intelligence and the puja. The teaching of the SCI/TM course in
New Jersey public high schools violates the establishment clause of the first amendment, and its teaching must be enjoined." With links to the appellate decision and important American case law based on this precedent.
In January 1996 Memorandum Opinion, a Federal judge denies Diane Hendel's complaints against the TM movement, because it is a religion subject to all the constitutional protections and sanctions of any other religion. With appeal for review.
Is TM universally benign? Does long-term TM practice cause negative side effects? Why is the scientific research on these issues so contradictory. Professor Barry Markovsky, Director of the Center for the Study of Group Processes, talks about the issues facing researchers into consciousness phenomena.
In an unusual submission to TranceNet's "Personal Stories Archive," Don Krieger and Marcy Greene tell how they faced Don's exit from TM as a couple. Also, the story of "anon3," a TMer who found much spiritual good in the Maharishi's teachings --
but questioned Movement policies.
We publish -- for the first time anywhere -- several versions of the secret, on-again-off-again Nighttime Techniques taught by the Maharishi, Deepak Chopra, and others in the TM movement. Said to promote "witnessing sleep" and growth to Cosmic Consciousness, the techniques are among the most secret in the Movement's history.
The constant use of forms sets the TM movement apart from eastern
spiritual groups, where a personal relationship with one's teacher is the
norm. That these forms were important cannot be denied: They were subject to
the utmost secrecy, never to be revealed to the public. Our new "Forms Archive" includes a very incomplete selection of the dozens of
forms a TMer will complete during his or her involvement with the
movement.
Our vastly expanded Links Archive will direct you to over 100 TM, Natural Law Party, Rama, Chopra, Moon, cult, human rights, consumer protection, domestic abuse, and legal resources on the 'Net.
To comment on this or any other trancenet.net page, go to trancechat.
This page was last built with Frontier on a Macintosh on Fri, Jul 18, 1997 at 10:29:00 AM.
Creation has two sides: intelligence, which is the cause of
everything, and the manifestations of intelligence, which are the
physical and psychological features of the everyday world. Because
Transcendental Meditation directly approaches intelligence, rather
than the manifestations of intelligence, it solves problems by
introducing harmony and well-being at the most basic level, and not
by dealing with problems themselves. That's why it is so effective.
Consider this example: The gardener supplies water to the root of
a tree. That water, that nourishment, then reaches all parts of the
tree - leaves, branches, flowers, fruit - through the sap. We can
think of the sap as analogous to intelligence and the green leaves or
yellow flowers as analogous to the manifestations of the
intelligence. The leaves and flowers are the intelligence of the sap,
after it has been transformed. So intelligence - like the leaves and
flowers of a tree - appears as the many different forms of manifest
life. Those manifestations include every aspect of existence, from
the material and physiological, through the psychological,
intellectual, and spiritual. All of those features of life come from
transformations of intelligence. In meditation, we directly meet this
essential intelligence. Therefore, we have the possibility of
nourishing all of its other levels, and thus all levels of
manifestation, in a way that is harmoniously related to the whole
universe.
How is Transcendental Meditation different from the various other
forms of meditation?
Maharishi: The basic difference is that Transcendental Meditation,
in addition to its simplicity, concerns itself only with the mind.
Other systems often involve some additional aspects with which the
mind is associated, such as breathing or physical exercises. They can
be a little complicated because they deal with so many things. But
with Transcendental Meditation there is no possibility of any
interference. So we say this is the all-simple program, enabling the
conscious mind to fathom the whole range of its existence.
Transcendental Meditation ranges from active mind - or performing
mind - to quiet mind - or resting mind. In this resting mind, one has
purity and simplicity, uninvolved with anything other than the mind,
uninvolved with any other practice. In Transcendental Meditation,
because we deal only with the mind, we nourish all expressions of
intelligence.
The mind meditates, gains Transcendental Consciousness and brings
about transformation in different fields of manifestation. All fields
of life, which are the expression of intelligence, are nourished or
transformed and made better through experiencing Transcendental
Consciousness.
The mind, of course, is always concerned with other aspects, such
as the physiology of the body, the environment, and the whole
universe for that matter. But since Transcendental Meditation deals
only with the performance of the mind, from its active states to its
settled state, it remains unconcerned with those other aspects,
though it deals with them all, because intelligence deals with them
all. -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, unknown interview, copyright presumablyheld by Maharishi Vedic University, The Maharishi Foundation, or another group within the TM family.
Cults come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Categories of cults that are recruiting successfully today include:
Eastern meditation: characterized by belief in God-consciousness, becoming one with God. The leader usually distorts and Eastern-based philosophy or religion. Members sometimes learn to disregard worldly possessions and may take on an ascetic lifestyle. Techniques used: meditation, repeated mantras, altered states of consciousness, trance states.
Religious: marked by belief in salvation, afterlife, sometimes combined with an apocalyptic view. The leader reinterprets the Scriptures and often claims to be a prophet if not the messiah. Often the group is strict, sometimes using physical punishments such as paddling and birching, especially on children. Members are encouraged to spend a great deal of time proselytizing. (Note: included here are Bible-based neo-Christian and other religious cults, many considered syncretic since they combine beliefs and practices). Techniques used: speaking in tongues, chanting, praying, isolation, lengthy study sessions, many hours spent evangelizing, "struggle" (or criticism) and confession sessions.
Political, racist, terrorist: fueled by belief in changing society, revolution, overthrowing the "enemy" or getting rid of evil forces. The leader professes to be all-knowing and all-powerful. Often the group is armed and meets in secret with coded language, handshakes, and other ritualized practices. Members consider themselves an elite cadre ready to go to battle. Techniques used: paramilitary training, reporting on one another, guilt, fear, struggle sessions, instilled paranoia, long hours of indoctrination. -- Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, Lalich and Tobias, Hunter House, 1993.
trancenet.net readers are very interested in
related psychological freedom issues. As a service to our readers -- and
to realize our mission as quickly as possible,
we publicize similar sites whenever possible.
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own Isearch-based search engine, capable of
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The advantage to you is that our readers sample your site's content while
searching their own interests.
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files, but to make them available to Web readers of
trancenet.net.
The instructions below explain what you need to do to make your http
site searchable. Please complete steps 1 through 4.
Read trancenet.net's mission statement. If you believe your site is compatible with our mission --
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contact our staff.)
Test your HTML pages for conformance to HTML 2.0, using an
HTML checker such as Weblint Gateway. We
prefer that your pages be readable by lynx or text-based
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Please address any questions or problems you encounter on this site to jmknapp53@gmail.com. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of trancenet.net, all-info.org, its
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This page was last built with Frontier on a Macintosh on Thu, Feb 13, 1997 at 1:04:21 PM.
search.cgi2 100600 634 25 65553 7642717160 11763 0 ustar trance users #!/usr/local/bin/perl
# kidofwais.pl -- WAIS search interface
# (derived from sonofwais.pl, derived from wais.pl)
#
# a url of "http://your.www.server/cgibindir/kidofwais.pl" will search the
# default WAIS index; a url of the form:
# "http://your.www.server/cgibindir/kidofwais.pl/another_wais_src"
# will search the WAIS index called "another_wais_src".
# NOTE: To really make the best use of this script, create a "Source table".
# You can read about a "Source table" at
# "http://ewshp2.cso.uiuc.edu/multiindex_post.txt", and
# you can see a sample "Source table" at
# "http://ewshp2.cso.uiuc.edu/Source_table" .
# ----------- wais.pl and derivatives history:
# Tony Sanders , Nov 1993 Original author of wais.pl
#
# by Eric Lease Morgan, NCSU Libraries, April 1994 (sonofwais.pl)
# Modified to present the user "human-readable" titles, better instructions as
# well as the ability to do repeated searches after receiving results.
# eric_morgan@ncsu.edu
# http://dewey.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/morgan/morgan.html
# To read more about this script try:
# http://dewey.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/morgan/son-of-wais.html
# NOTE: the "headline" code only works right if you are using the "-t URL"
# option when you create the WAIS index using "waisindex"
# ---- Mike Grady, UIUC/CCSO, m-grady@uiuc.edu, http://ewshp2.cso.uiuc.edu/
# further modified by Mike Grady, UIUC/CCSO, June 1994 -- changed title routine
# to use some combination of original here and version from Sean Dowd, EDS
# (that version referred to as wais-ncsa-httpd.pl). Also used file typing idea
# from Sean's version and Kevin Hughes's (EIT) wwwwais.c.
# New: Added a hiliting option that works in conjunction with a second cgi
# script called "print_hit_bold.pl". It attempts to hilite the searchterms
# which occur in the document, and to place an "anchor" just before the
# first occurrence so that the document is positioned to there when it
# is displayed (at least this works with NCSA's HTTPD and Mosaic).
# Seeing the Encyclopedia Britannica's stuff got me to thinking how I
# might do this.
#
# also added support for Multitype (multiformat) query responses (using the
# option "-M TYPE1,TYPE2,..." when waisindexing). Waisindex blows up on me
# if I try to use the "-M" option AND the "-t URL" option. And if I tried
# adding a -T option (at least with TEXT), the "headline" ended up being just
# the filename without any path info. So don't use "-t" OR "-T" in conjunction
# with "-M" (the important thing is: make sure the headline field in the
# waisindex src ".cat" file has the form: "filename /path/to/file/" ).
# The alternate forms of the file available are listed following the "Score
# line. Marc Andreeson's "Mosaic And Wais Tutorial" discusses Multiformat
# indexing at "http://wintermute.ncsa.uiuc.edu:8080/wais-tutorial/wais.html".
# 6/29/94 -- Now have added in support for optional "title tables", both for
# indices themselves (used as title on "search" page), and for filetypes
# that don't lend themselves to extracting a nice title to display on the
# hit list (in my case, pdf type files).
# 6/30/94 -- Added support for searching multiple indices with one search. This
# uses a "Source table" which serves as both a title table for the indices (as
# mentioned above), and as a "process control table". See the comments in the
# sample table for more description. This is all "turned on" by setting the
# the flag $use_Source_table to "1"; if you set it to "0", no table will be
# expected or used.
# 7/20/94 -- Few minor changes in search "numbers" display: removed "lines"
# since it is often meaningless, changed "bytes" to be rounded to nearest kbyte.
# Small changes to processing in &extractTitle.
# 8/4/94 -- fixed a bug with multi-index code, added DEBUG option
# 8/15/94 -- fixed a bug: occasionally WAIS returns two "odd" files that are
# information from index.src and index.cat -- exclude these files from list
# 9/14/94 -- Bunch of changes. Dropped displaying relevancy rank, changed hit
# listings to one line per hit (except for Multitype), changed search option
# descriptive text a little, changed the text/display the user sees when no
# hits (no longer give a list of files), added a couple more potential fields
# to the Source_table (if you use one). These all stem from feedback comments
# of users on this campus. Added "-s" option to waisq call (same as "-c" option)
# 10/13/94 -- Again changed hit display -- now it "counts" the number of hits
# and tells you how many hits there are, and warns you if this number is the
# same as the maximum. This required "storing all the hit listings" before
# printing (which was already done anyway if searching multiple indices) so
# that we could count them and print out the total BEFORE the hit listings
# themselves.
# do we need to debug the returned lines from waisq? If so, write into log.
$DEBUG = 1; # set to 1 to turn on debugging code; set next to logfile
$debugLOG = "/home/ftp/pub/trance/www/log/wais_log";
# where is your waiq binary?
$waisq = "/home/ftp/pub/mhp/waisq";
# where are your source files?
$waisd = "/home/ftp/pub/trance/www/wais-sources";
# what database do you want to search? (Default)
$default_src = "trance";
# what is the opening title you want to present to users (default)
$openingTitle = "Search the Trancenet Information System";
# after searching, what do you want the title to be? (default)
$closingTitle = "Search results from the Trancenet Information System";
# Use a table to look up title (and other info) to use on Search page?
# If 1, then should supply filename for table.
$use_Source_table = 0;
$Source_table = "/var/info/www/wais-sources/Source_table";
# Specify the directory where your WWW docs reside
# (This is the same path you subtracted when you waisindexed (using -t URL)
# if you are indexing your whole site. If not, then this gives enough info
# to find the top of the docs tree, and the "Source table" will give enough
# info to find a particular set of docs and its index. Or you can make these
# point to a particular directory within your docs tree, and a particluar index,
# but then this copy of "kidofwais" can only be used to search that particular
# index. So do take a look at the "Source table" concept I created to go along
# with this script -- see "http://ewshp2.cso.uiuc.edu/Source_table" .)
$wwwDocpath = "/home/ftp/pub/trance/www";
# Specify the url for this WWW server
# (The same comments as just above for $wwwDocpath apply.)
#$mhp_patch = "/trance";
$mhp_patch = "";
$serverURL = "http://www.trancenet.net";
# maximum number of hits to return
$max_hits = 60;
# Should we use the "highlighting script" for filetypes that "make sense" for
# it? (1 is yes, 0 is no)
$use_hilite = 0;
# specify the www url to the "highlighting script" (used for .html and .txt)
# whether this is used is controlled by $use_hilite flag.
$hilite_script = "http://mhp.lightlink.com/cgi-bin/print_hit_bold.pl/";
# specify the "first hit anchor" to be used with hiliting
$anchor = "#first_hit";
# who maintains this service?
$maintainer = "<A HREF=http://mhp.lightlink.com/index.html>MHP</A> (mhp@lightlink.com)";
# and when was it last modified.
$modified = "1/5/95";
# you shouldn't have to edit anything below this line, except if you want to change the help text
sub extractTitle {
# try and get the <title> ... field from file
# only try to find it in the first 5 lines, and then give up
local($fl) = @_;
local($intitle) = 0;
local($title) = "$theFile: No title, please let $maintainer know.";
local($linenum) = 1;
local($_);
# read the file and extract the title
# this is a combination of code from Eric Lease Morgan and Sean Dowd
open (FP, "$fl") || return "File $theFile can't be read:($fl:$!) Please contact
$maintainer.";
while () {
chop;
last if ($linenum > 20);
$linenum ++;
if (/(.*)<\/TITLE\s?>/i) { # all on one line
$title = $1;
last;
}
elsif (/(.*)$/i) { # on multiple lines
$title = $1;
$intitle = 1;
}
elsif (/^(.*)<\/TITLE\s?>/i) { # finish of multiple lines
$title = "$title$1";
$intitle = 0;
last;
}
elsif ($intitle) { # add to title, and keep going
$title = "$title$_";
}
}
close (FP);
$title =~ s/^\s*//; # remove whitespace at front
$title =~ s/\s*$//; # remove whitespace at end
$title = "$theFile: Empty title, please let $maintainer know." unless $title;
return $title;
} # end sub extractTitle
sub extractTableTitle { # Get file titles from table. Add a call to this
# routine for any filetype that you decide to create titles for.
# Currently, only the PDF type is set up to call this. (See the
# subroutine &type_file). If nothing is found, it returns the current
# $doc_title unchanged (which is the filename relative to doc root).
# Table read into array at first reference to it.
local ($fl) = @_;
return $doc_title if ($file_title_table eq "");
local($_,$name_to_find,$table_entry,$filename,$filetitle);
# Change the next line to "$name_to_find = $theFile" if you want to
# use the whole path relative to doc root as the name to lookup in the
# table. The current code uses just the filename w/o path info.
$name_to_find = substr($fl, rindex($fl, '/') + 1); # "basename"
if ($current_file_title_array ne $file_title_table) { # Read in new
# table to array
undef %title_array; # erase current array
$current_file_title_array = $file_title_table;
open (TABLE_TITLE, $file_title_table) || return $doc_title;
while ($table_entry = ) {
chop;
next if $table_entry =~ /^\s*#/; # skip comments
next if $table_entry =~ /^\s*$/; # skip blank lines
next if $table_entry !~ /~/; # skip non-tilde lines
($filename, $filetitle) = split(/~/, $table_entry, 2);
$title_array{$filename} = $filetitle;
}
close (TABLE_TITLE);
}
if ($filetitle = $title_array{$name_to_find}) { return $filetitle;}
else { return $doc_title;}
}
sub send_index {
print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print "\n$openingTitle\n\n";
print "\n
", $openingTitle, "
\n";
print "To search, simply enter a query -- type the words you want to ";
print "search for in the 'search term box' (or follow the ";
print "instructions from your client as to how to enter a search). If you enter two or ";
print "more words, than any document that contains ANY of the words will ";
print "be found. (For example, if you search for ice cream, then ";
print "any document with either ice or cream will be on the ";
print "list.) If you want only documents containing BOTH ice AND ";
print "cream, then use AND between the words; your query ";
print "would be: ice and cream. See the list below for a full ";
print "description of searching options and their effect.
";
print "The result of this search will be a list of the documents which ";
print "satisfy your search request (or a reply that indicates that NO ";
print "documents match). The list is ordered by 'relevancy rank' (highest ";
print "first), which very roughly corresponds to the number of times the ";
print "word you searched for occurred in the document versus the size of ";
print "the document.
\n";
print "The following is a list of all the search options available:\n";
print "
\n";
print "
Right-hand truncation (stemming) queries -- Expand Your Search\n";
print "
The query 'astro*' will find documents containing the words";
print " 'astronomy' as well as 'astrophysics'. If you are not sure of the\n";
print " spelling or form of the word used in the documents, use this.
\n";
print "
'And' queries -- Narrow Your Search\n";
print "
The query 'red and blue' will find the intersection of all";
print " the documents containing the words 'red', and 'blue'.";
print "The use of 'and' limits your retrieval.
\n";
print "
'Or' queries -- Expand Your Search\n";
print "
The query 'red or blue' will find the union of all the";
print " documents containing the words 'red' and 'blue'.";
print "The use of 'or' increases your retrieval.
\n";
print "
'Not' queries -- Narrow Your Search\n";
print "
The query 'red not green' will find all the documents containing";
print " the word 'red', and excluding the documents containing the word 'green'.";
print "The use of 'not' limits your retrieval.
The query '(red and green) or blue not pink' will find the union of all";
print " the documents containing the words 'red', and 'green'. It will then add (union)";
print " all documents containing the word 'blue'. Finally, it will exclude all documents";
print " containing the word 'pink'.\n";
print "
\n";
print "";
print "This page is maintained by $maintainer, and it was last modified on $modified.
\n";
print "
\n";
}
sub type_file {
# Set file type based on file extension; also has the "side effect" of
# modifying the $url_to_use if $use_hilite flag is turned on and the
# file type is appropriate to use it.
# You can add other types if you want very easily. Also, if you have
# created a "file_title_table" and want it to be accessed for a
# particular filetype, just add "$doc_title = &extractTableTitle ($_);"
# to the appropriate do{} structure below. See the "pdf" file type
# below for an example.
local($filename) = @_;
local($type) = "";
local($_);
SUFFIX: for ($filename) {
/\.html$/i && do {
$type = "HTML file";
$doc_title = &extractTitle ($the_full_File);
if ($use_hilite) {
$url_to_use = $hilite_script . $filename .
"?" . $query_plus . $anchor;
}
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.te?xt$/i && do {
$type = "text file";
if ($use_hilite) {
$url_to_use = $hilite_script . $filename .
"?" . $query_plus . $anchor;
}
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.gif$/i && do {
$type = "GIF graphic";
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.ps$/i && do {
$type = "PostScript file";
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.pdf$/i && do {
$type = "PDF";
# try to get a better file title
$doc_title = &extractTableTitle ($_);
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.jpg$/i && do {
$type = "JPEG graphic";
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.mpg$/i && do {
$type = "MPEG movie";
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.Z$/i && do {
$type = "compressed file";
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.gz$/i && do {
$type = "compressed file";
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.au$/i && do {
$type = "Sun audio file";
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.hqx$/i && do {
$type = "Binhex file";
last SUFFIX;
};
/\.tar$/i && do {
$type = "tar'red file";
last SUFFIX;
};
$type = "Unknown type"; # "fall thru" default case
} # end suffix
return $type;
} # end sub type_file
sub byscores { $scores[$b] <=> $scores[$a];} # descending numeric sort routine
sub print_it { # Print out the hit list, or if multiple sources, save all
# the info to be printed in a array (where all the info for
# "one" hit becomes one array element), only to be printed
# once all sources are searched. This is so we can sort the
# combined hit lists into descending order by score.
local($line) = @
I also know most people aren't in a position to make that kind of sacrifice.
Providing information
is the all-important first step. Frequently, a cult
veteran, family, or loved one requests professional help, and
we provide referrals to organizations who offer credentialed
programs.
Moderators are scheduled to briefly discuss information available on the
Internet regarding Lenz/Rama.
Important New Titles 1/22/98!
Children's Initiation
