TM - Transcendental Meditation : A New Introduction to Maharishi's Easy, Effective and Scientifically Proven Technique for Promoting Better Health, Unfolding Your Creative Potential, and Creating Peace in the World [Paperback]

Robert Roth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1994

A new introduction to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's easy, effective and scientifically proven technique for promoting better health, gaining relaxation, and increasing creativity and intelligence. This is the only book endorsed as a primer on transcendental meditation by the Transcendental Meditation Organization of North America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Primus; Rev Upd edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556114036
• ISBN-13: 978-1556114038
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

172 of 185 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars All Hype, No Substance, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: TM - Transcendental Meditation : A New Introduction to Maharishi's Easy, Effective and Scientifically Proven Technique for Promoting Better Health, Unfolding Your Creative Potential, and Creating Peace in the World (Paperback)

I was extremely disappointed with this book. I thought I was getting a book that tought Transcendental Meditation - what I got was a book telling me how effective TM is in a variety of different ways, but never actually teaching me how to meditate. In fact, the whole point of the book is to lure you into singing up for one of their "seminars." In other words, after reading this book, I have no idea how to meditate - it was never described in the book. I am still intrigued by TM, and will still attempt to learn it via another book (hopefully) - in that respect I am a believer. It is just unfortunate that this author chose to mislead its audience into thinking they were getting a book that would teach them Transcendental Meditation, when in reality this book is a means to get you into a seminar. Please don't make the same mistake I did.

131 of 149 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Yeah, Right., September 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: TM - Transcendental Meditation : A New Introduction to Maharishi's Easy, Effective and Scientifically Proven Technique for Promoting Better Health, Unfolding Your Creative Potential, and Creating Peace in the World (Paperback)

This is really a sales brochure. It makes (vague) promises of better health... IF you give the TM organization hundreds of dollars for a beginner's "introductory" course, and preferably thousands more for the "advanced" courses.

TM uses this - and other - books to promise the readers pots of golds at the end of the rainbow, in the form of "Yogic perfect health" that can be achieved after the "advanced" courses had been completed and the TM organization enriched with roughly $10,000 or so of the reader's money. TM claims that these vague, odd claims are really "scientific" because - supposedly - they agree with Quantum Mechanics' claims. This is, quite simply, a lie, but to start and dissect in detail just WHAT is wrong with TM's "scientific" claims would take dozens of pages, since just about *everything* they say about Quantum Mechanics is based on popular misunderstandings of what QM is, or on deliberate misquoting and distortion of what scientists actually say to make it *seem* as if they agree with TM's wierd claims. Instead in going that way, let us examine just what is the difference, in practice, between TM's claims and reality.

TM is *very* vague about what Perfect health" consists of. Dr. Chopra, one of the Maharishi's closest associates, is more specific: "Yogic perfect health", through the use of "quantum healing" (of course) can stop or greatly slow down the aging process, and cure cancer. But one needs only to notice that both the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Dr. Chopra, the two main proponents of "Yogic perfect health", are quite obviously growing older and weaker just like the rest of us. Just compare their recent photos to those made 10 or 20 years ago. So much for the "Reversed aging" claim. As for the cancer bit, Doug Henning, one of TM's most famous supporters, recently died - at age 54 - from liver cancer. Apparently, Chopra's medical advice of how to "reprogram your quantum consciousness to fight cancer" came up short that time. TMers, incidentally, explain Henning's death by saying that he really *was* cured of cancer, but his subconsciousness somehow "decided" that it was "time to go", so he died anyway (in "perfect health", of course.) Such a desperate rationalizations hardly requires a reply, but it's interesting that if it WERE true, it makes TM look much worse: apparently, people who achieve "Yogic Perfect Health" are in constant danger of their subconscious deciding that it is time for them to drop dead, even as their bodies are healthy. Certainly a goal worth spending thousands of dollars on, don't you think?

TM wants you to pay them lots of money for vague promises of "perfect health" that are a). not true, b). misleadingly labeled as "scientific". Of course, they also insist that the ONLY way someone can really reached "perfect health" is through the "official" channels of the very expensive TM courses, and that all the rest of the Yoga teachers more or less "distort" the "real way". This is understandable propaganda: after all, if one discards TM's claims of "perfect health" (as evidence suggests one should) all TM is really offering is some *extremely* overpriced Yoga classes. Naturally, TM doesn't want you to shop around and realize that there are many Yoga teacher that (unlike TM) are honest, charge modest prices, and simply teach you relaxation and Yoga without making extravagant, false promises of "perfect health" that will occur if you only give them lots of money. This book is part of TM's attempt to stop you from looking around. Remember: *ONLY* the TM organization knows what's good for you - if you have the money to pay up, that is.

54 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It's Only an Infomercial, March 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: TM - Transcendental Meditation : A New Introduction to Maharishi's Easy, Effective and Scientifically Proven Technique for Promoting Better Health, Unfolding Your Creative Potential, and Creating Peace in the World (Paperback)

I was looking for the "How To" book which apparently does not exist on the subject. This book is like a quick speel from a salesman who wants you to plunk down a chunk of money for something. In this case it's for the class which is conviently offered around the country for a mere $1000. Look elsewhere for help, this is only hype.