Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Like the other reviewers, I read TM hoping to discover how to actually mediate. What I found was a book that featured charts summarizing past studies on the benefits of Transcendental Meditation. I did not find out how to promote better health, unfold my creative potential nor create peace in the world having read this book.

To actually learn TM, according to Robert Roth, you need to traverse 8 steps which involve attending seminars and listening to tapes.

This book is helpful to those who'd like to conduct research on the effectiveness of TM simply because the references used in the book refer to several clinical studies on TM.

If you want a practical "How To" guide on meditation check out Kathleen McDonald's "How to Meditate: A Practical Guide".

effective technique--I have practiced for years. Seems to have more substance than that of learning from a book. They, Maharishi and co., seem to promote it as a 1-way ticket to enlightenment and peace within, but the truth seems to be that it is a very useful technique, but no replacement for the personal spiritual journey, through education and experience, necessary in the journey toward true enlightenment. Tm does not give spiritual consciousness, but does seem to put one in a better purer place if one is interested in that pursuit. I believe, from my own experience, that it provides worthwhile health and spirtual benefits, in and of itself and as an adjunct to spirtitual work, but I am not comfortable with their telling people that it gives wisdom and peace in and of itself. But if one were to study the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jesus, and other enlightened beings, and make the commitment to search for spiritual truth, then, and only then, is Tm extremely valuable. This is based on my personal experience.

3 years ago, I had "sucker" written on my forehead. I read the book and actually paid for lessons to learn TM. A typical lesson costs anywhere from $200 to the $1000+ range. Here's the lesson in a nutshell. You're merely taught to repeatedly recite out loud, your so-called secret mantra (mine was "shreem"). You'll then be guided to gradually bring down the volume of the recited mantra to a whisper, then finally reciting it in your head in silence. Hey, now you're meditating! I did get headaches for the first two weeks, and practiced TM for a long time. Yes, it does calm and quiet the mind but also try joining a normal meditation class, which I did before trying TM. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and gang write some of the best fishing lures on the planet. They were able to hook $900 out of MY pocket. Great job. For more information on TM before even trying it, check out the Trancenet website.

This is the first book about Transcendental Meditation (TM) that is simple, direct and a quick read. It doesnt tell you HOW to meditate (that is available only through a private, one-one-one instruction with a trained TM teacher) but it DOES answer alot of questions about what TM is (and isn't) and give examples what TM has done to improve the lives of many people around the globe.

I am 48, a journalist and a TM meditator for almost 30 years. I can honestly say that I could not do all that I do without the technique. I say this because I read Robert Roth's book with some trepidation, concerned that he would make the technique out to be more esoteric or philosophical than it really is. He did not. I liked the book a lot and recommend it to all my friends who are interested in what I am doing for those 20 minutes twice a day.

I was under the impression I would actually be reading about the techniques, breath work, mantra, etc. used in TM. I feel like I bought a book of advertising and contact lists. I wish I had read reviews on this before I purchased it!

Targeting excitable housewives and undereducated middle-managers, this entire book consists of a business case to enroll in one of Mahesh Yogi's schools.

I do not dispute merits of his technique - how could I, if there is not a single word about it in the book?! Thank Zeus I've got this book from the library - I've seen more exciting writing coming out of the Federal Government's accounting departments. One should be paid to read this.