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By Root 1062 0

(sanctified?) pronouncements of the Maharishi himself. The letter combination "TM" is even trademarked and patented, so watch out! You see, when you have the future of mankind in your hands, you cannot be too careful of your rights. But as we shall see, such precautions are a little like trying to get exclusive ownership of the wheel, air, or dandelions. The whole thing has been done before, using the same gimmicks. And though there is no question that it is attractive to many millions of people who need something more than they have already, its claims do not stand up under scientific investigation any more than any other mystical philosophy or notion. TMers will scream at the use of the term "mystical," but it applies.

We are told by psychologists that there are three "states of mind." One is the state of wakefulness, in which the brain and body are active. The second is the sleep state, wherein the brain and body are at rest, and the third is the dream state, wherein the body is at rest but the brain is active and productive. All of us are familiar with these three phases. But the many schools of meditation therapy would have us believe there is a fourth state, which they call the state of meditation. Use of this state, they tell us, will reduce anxiety; improve job performance, perceptual skills, and I.Q.; produce "coherent brain waves"; and bring deeper rest. In the long run, say the TMers, humanity will improve across the board—but we'll deal with that claim later. Right now, let's take a look at the miracles wrought by the TM movement, rather than the many other cults that teach some of the same lessons, the same plus variations, or somewhat different ends with similar methods. For it is the TM movement that claims many millions of followers around the globe and therefore should be subjected to the most intense investigation.

Meditation, this "fourth" state of mind, we are told, is achieved in four ways, used at the same time. The practitioner assumes a relaxed posture (the "lotus" posture is preferred) in quiet surroundings, affects a passive attitude, and endlessly repeats a "mantra." This mystical word is a specially chosen sound that can only be granted by the teacher of these mysteries and is tailored to the individual. It is the first of the Great Secrets of TM. But is it something new? Hardly. Repetition of a "holy" word is traceable to sixth-century India, where it was just as obscure and marvelous. Christian philosophers and Hebrew scholars picked up the idea and introduced it into some of the more obscure secret writings of the multitude of religious sects that came and went over the years. None of them changed the world appreciably, but it is claimed that TM will. The TM mantra is assuredly borrowed from well-established sources. So what is new?

The Science of Creative Intelligence is what's new. This is what's going to save us, folks, and we'd better hurry along with it. When Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, went broke a while back, the Maharishi snapped up the premises and renamed it (you guessed it) Maharishi International University (MIU). Here students spend long hours meditating to sharpen their minds and bodies for learning, and everything is slanted toward the TM philosophy. For 2.5 million dollars the Great Guru bought the same kind of respectability that Oral Roberts purchased. It is significant that the students at Maharishi University are asked many times a day to close their eyes as they go into meditation; it gets them used to the idea.

TM is widely accepted even in the Western world, though in the United States such foreign philosophies usually take root only among a minority of cult-minded citizens. The big reason for this popularity is the apparently scientific evidence TM's devotees produce for our inspection. Okay, let's inspect it.

The TM course includes a number of "checking sessions" that follow the initial instruction in meditation techniques. Since some 50 percent of the students give it up at that point, it pays the organization to reinforce the teachings that