jonw@azure.UUCP (Jonathan White) (01/09/84)
In a recently published book called "Big Secrets", William Poundstone reveals that there are really only 16 different mantras given to graduates of Transcendental Meditation. Of course, this number differs somewhat from the number claimed by the maharishi, who has been quoted as saying: "There are thousands of mantras." Apparently, mantras are assigned on the basis of age. Here are the mantras that Poundstone claims are issued by TM: ENG 0--11 years SHIRING 26--29 years EM 12--13 years SHIRIM 30--34 years ENGA 14--15 years HIRING 35--39 years EMA 16--17 years HIRIM 40--44 years AENG 18--19 years KIRING 45--49 years AEM 20--21 years KIRIM 50--54 years AENGA 22--23 years SHAM (!) 55--59 years AEMA 24--25 years SHAMA >= 60 years Would any ex-TMers out there care to verify whether their mantra fits into this list? If so, mail me and I will post the results if the response warrants it. Jon White [decvax|ucbvax]!tektronix!tekmdp!azure!jonw
tischler@ihuxv.UUCP (Mark D. Tischler) (01/11/84)
It also should be mentioned that there have been 2-page ads in recent Time magazine issues (and maybe other magazines as well) that try to sell Maharishi's methods. The article was hilarious to read, and served to point out a number of fallacies in this whole business of TM. Maharishi over and over again has claimed that a country needs one percent of its population to convene and meditate to bring peace and harmony to the country. His ad states that "the square root of 1%", that is 10%, is needed (apparently he never took a math course). The amount of name dropping in the article is incredible. It's as if Maharishi has just heard about people like LaGrange, Abel, Hamilton, and LaPlace, but has never taken the time to sit down and find out what they did. There are numerous other hilarious points in the ad. If anyone comes across it, read it; it's worth a few minutes of your time. By the way, I once tried TM, and my brother was most likely at the recent gathering of 7000 people in Iowa to meditate to bring peace and harmony to the country (they have already taken credit for the stock market upsurge, and Maharishi has said that all crime in the world will disappear by the end of 1984), although we haven't queried him about it yet. So, I know what I'm talking about.
mauney@ncsu.UUCP (Jon Mauney) (01/11/84)
I think you have misparsed the phrase "the square root of 1%". It should be parenthesized ((the square root of 1) percent) -- that is, 1%, or possibly -1%. -- _Doctor_ Jon Mauney, mcnc!ncsu!mauney \__Mu__/ North Carolina State University
sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer) (01/12/84)
I know nothing about the TM folks, but it seems to me that whether or not TM assigns one, two, 12, or 20,000 different mantras to their clients (and ascribe importance to that) is about the most irrelevant observation you can make about the organization. A mantra is simply something to be used. People derive value from TM, and they do it themselves--no one gives it to them. If I had taken TM, practiced meditation and felt better for it, and then found out that there were only 16, I'd have a good laugh, and get on with my meditation. I haven't read "Big Secrets", but from this one story, it sounds pretty juvenile. -- /Steve Dyer decvax!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbncca