I'm amused at the resurgence of interest in TM on FFL because of some 
aging rock stars have attached themselves to Lynch's efforts.  And I 
always like the Beatles... when George Martin was producing them.  But 
FFL has always been a bit of an "nostalgia" group.  Probably better 
"nostalgia" than "neuralgia." ;-)

But I don't how much TM will be a sell during a recession.  I remember 
Charlie Lutes at teacher's meeting criticizing the movement for raising 
pricing during the 1970's recession.  It's kind of a "I'm going to get 
mine while I can" mentality I see with some businesses who have raised 
their price while others have taken the advice of many economists and 
found ways to offer affordable products to keep the revenue coming.  
Just look at your local grocer can guess who may be going out of 
business because they raised their prices.  I saw one local cookie 
company disappear that way.

And TM is very "been there, done that" for many boomers and for their 
kids "that crazy thing our folks did." I have a friend is very 
spiritually inclined and thought like many TM'ers did that his kids were 
probably reincarnated yogis but they never did develop any interest in 
spiritual things.  Probably because their folks seemed overboard on it.  
Bet many here have seen that one play out.

Not to throw cold water on the well intended enthusiasm but just 
underscores the fact that TM is really nothing more than "chakra 
pinging" compared to other "yogic meditation" techniques for the 
masses.  Not to say it doesn't work or that one won't reach 
enlightenment with it.  But I would still like to know if it was made up 
or did MMY really get it from some priest at a temple in Kerala.  I 
would love to know more of the history.  And I think other would too.

Vaj wrote:
> Americans United for Separation of Church and State nails it:
>
> Transcending The Constitution?: Why TM Doesn’t Belong In Public 
> Schools – Even If Ringo Wants It
>
> (...) I like Lynch’s work, but I’m not a fan of his efforts to slip 
> religion into the public schools. Lynch, backed by former Beatles Paul 
> McCartney and Ringo Starr and some other celebrities, has been roaming 
> the country looking to bring Transcendental Meditation (TM) into the 
> schools through a Lynch-sponsored foundation. They recently held a big 
> concert in New York City to raise money to promote TM to the public 
> schools.
>
> A suburban Chicago newspaper, the Daily Herald, talked about efforts 
> by TM promoters there to build on the concert and push for TM in local 
> public schools.
>
> Lynch, McCartney and others say TM is a simple relaxation technique 
> that reduces stress. I’m not so sure. Back in the late 1970s, 
> Americans United litigated against the use of TM in a New Jersey 
> public school. The court ruled in that case, Malnak v. Yogi, that TM 
> is grounded in Hinduism. Students were assigned the name of a Hindu 
> god to chant, and even went through a type of religious ceremony 
> called a puja.
>
> Has TM suddenly been secularized over the past 30 years? It seems 
> unlikely. The fact is, TM practitioners have always argued that their 
> beliefs are not religious. In 1978, an attorney for TM told the 3rd 
> U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that TM is a “true science.”
>
> Today, TM’s Web site tends to refer to it as “a technique,” an 
> “experience” or a “process.” But the site still refers to TM as a 
> series of “Maharishi Vedic Science programs.” The site steadfastly 
> denies that TM is a religion.
>
> That doesn’t surprise me. Like advocates of creationism, TM devotees 
> know that if they admit that their system is grounded in religion, it 
> will be summarily ejected from the public schools. So they deny it and 
> attempt to dress it up with scientific-sounding jargon. (...)
>
>
> http://blog.au.org/2009/04/06/transcending-the-constitution-why-tm-doesnt-belong-in-public-schools-even-if-ringo-wants-it/
>  
>
>
> LINK



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