[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "whynotnow7" wrote: > > > > I wonder how the plan to teach TM to two million Brazilian school children > > is going? I give this one some credibility because it has been reported > > outside of the A of E Press. > > > > I thought it was only one million school children in Rio de Janeiro who were > informally on a waiting list to learn TM. THere is, or was, a .gov or .edu > webpage out of Brazil that mentions this, not to mention the PR you can find > on the web. The logistics required for this to happen are staggering however: > assume 200 kids per TM teacher per year are taught using the same Quiet Time > program and followup found in the states -that's 5000 teacher-years required. > > There aren't 5000 Portuguese speaking TM teachers in the world. > > L. There is no problem to for one teacher to initiate 200 students pr day. Each initiator only had to be supervised by a Portuguese speaking teacher. But Raj Luis insist on only Portugese speaking initiators, so this project could take some time.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
Oh well, its either that, or building the tallest building, which was also going to be in Brazil. The TMO must have good PR there. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "whynotnow7" wrote: > > > > I wonder how the plan to teach TM to two million Brazilian school children > > is going? I give this one some credibility because it has been reported > > outside of the A of E Press. > > > > I thought it was only one million school children in Rio de Janeiro who were > informally on a waiting list to learn TM. THere is, or was, a .gov or .edu > webpage out of Brazil that mentions this, not to mention the PR you can find > on the web. The logistics required for this to happen are staggering however: > assume 200 kids per TM teacher per year are taught using the same Quiet Time > program and followup found in the states -that's 5000 teacher-years required. > > There aren't 5000 Portuguese speaking TM teachers in the world. > > L. > > > > > > > > Lawson >
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: > [...] > > Barry, all that you say has merit. I would like to add that I don't think > > any of the TM'ers involved have a clue about what they are asking of > > people. Yes, they know it takes some time and money to learn TM and the > > siddhis and do the program.But they learned and paid for the siddhis 30 > > years ago. They have no concept of life without the siddhis, or how others > > can go thru life without having them. The transition from 20 min 2xper day > > to then a bout 3 hours per day is a given to them - not a big deal at all. > > In fact, it is a gift from the TMO to the public in their minds. And they > > no longer care what other people think - cause they know they have the > > Truth and are Right and Good etc etcetc. > > > > I practice TM and the TM-Sidhis 2x per day, 45 minutes at a time. That's > hardly the 3 hours you suggest. I am aware that MMY has recommended more > time, but I find it hard to keep to a schedule with the original minimum > session-time I was taught, so I tend to ignore his advice there on practical > considerations. I meant 1.5 hours in the am and the same in the pm for a total of 3 hrs. This includes pranayam, TM, special techniques and siddhis and lots of rest time at the end. You could do it all in less, but not if you are following the directions as given. Anyway, long long ago I too cut mine down to a much more manageable length, and now I don't do the siddhis very often at all. I enjoy TM when I can. > > I am aware that many people never ignore MMY's advice (forgeting his meta > advice of being easy on yourself), but that is THEIR problem, not mine. > > > I may be naive, but I don't think they are trying or aware of trying to > > get people in to TM to make money from their other products. I mean, who > > actually gets that money except the Indian TMO (I am assuming this)? No, I > > think they are displaying true True Believerism.They genuinely believe > > this stuff, doubt has been pushed far far back in their awareness, and they > > function like this on automatic. At this point, I bet the phrases and > > words just keep rumbling around in their heads and structure their > > thinking. They can't think or talk differently at this point. They have > > modified their brains and this type of verbiage and thinking just flows on > > out, effortlessly. > > > > I find that I obsess about TM only when I haven't been practicing it > regularly. I would assume that many other people have this experience too, so > the ones "in the domes" might be the least obsessive about the practice of > anyone. > > L. >
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: [...] > Barry, all that you say has merit. I would like to add that I don't think > any of the TM'ers involved have a clue about what they are asking of people. > Yes, they know it takes some time and money to learn TM and the siddhis and > do the program.But they learned and paid for the siddhis 30 years ago. They > have no concept of life without the siddhis, or how others can go thru life > without having them. The transition from 20 min 2xper day to then a bout 3 > hours per day is a given to them - not a big deal at all. In fact, it is a > gift from the TMO to the public in their minds. And they no longer care what > other people think - cause they know they have the Truth and are Right and > Good etc etcetc. > I practice TM and the TM-Sidhis 2x per day, 45 minutes at a time. That's hardly the 3 hours you suggest. I am aware that MMY has recommended more time, but I find it hard to keep to a schedule with the original minimum session-time I was taught, so I tend to ignore his advice there on practical considerations. I am aware that many people never ignore MMY's advice (forgeting his meta advice of being easy on yourself), but that is THEIR problem, not mine. > I may be naive, but I don't think they are trying or aware of trying to get > people in to TM to make money from their other products. I mean, who > actually gets that money except the Indian TMO (I am assuming this)? No, I > think they are displaying true True Believerism.They genuinely believe > this stuff, doubt has been pushed far far back in their awareness, and they > function like this on automatic. At this point, I bet the phrases and words > just keep rumbling around in their heads and structure their thinking. They > can't think or talk differently at this point. They have modified their > brains and this type of verbiage and thinking just flows on out, effortlessly. > I find that I obsess about TM only when I haven't been practicing it regularly. I would assume that many other people have this experience too, so the ones "in the domes" might be the least obsessive about the practice of anyone. L.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: [...] > Cult indoctrination is a long, slow process. NO ONE > could come to such ingrained beliefs overnight, or even > in a few years. It takes *decades* to become this > imprinted, and this much of an automaton. Plus it takes > constant reinforcement in "echo chamber" environments > in which pretty much everyone parrots the same BS, over > and over and over. > Much of what I heard in the first few nights of checking made perfect sense to me. In fact, some of MMY's pet theories espoused in the SCI course were things I had come up with on my own when I was in 4th grade, so I was pleased to hear some "great guru" agreeing with me. That doesn't make my 4th grade insights, or MMY's "validation" of them 8 years later, true, but it does refute your claim that "NO ONE" could come up with such ideas overnight. L
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: > > > > Barry, all that you say has merit. I would like to add that > > I don't think any of the TM'ers involved have a clue about > > what they are asking of people. > > I agree. I used to chuckle when people here and > on a.m.t. who paid $35 to learn TM said with a > straight face that $2500 was a fair price for it. > That's probably more than they spent on a year > of college. But they've been "in it" so long that > they now see it as being worth *anything* that the > TMO chooses to charge for it. Given my experience over the years, i would consider "any" price for TM instruction to be worth the cost. However, the official justification for the $2500 wasn't that it was a fair price but in fact, completely the opposite. The strategy appears to be working. L.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "whynotnow7" wrote: > > I wonder how the plan to teach TM to two million Brazilian school children is > going? I give this one some credibility because it has been reported outside > of the A of E Press. > I thought it was only one million school children in Rio de Janeiro who were informally on a waiting list to learn TM. THere is, or was, a .gov or .edu webpage out of Brazil that mentions this, not to mention the PR you can find on the web. The logistics required for this to happen are staggering however: assume 200 kids per TM teacher per year are taught using the same Quiet Time program and followup found in the states -that's 5000 teacher-years required. There aren't 5000 Portuguese speaking TM teachers in the world. L. Lawson
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > > The TMO is a cult. It is trying to gain new cult members by > > selling them (or even, if they can get rich people to pay for > > it) giving away the lowest rung of their cult hierarchy > > ladder (basic 20/20 TM). But their plans for these people > > don't stop there. "Nothing is more important" than getting > > them to eventually sign on to doing the full ($10,000, plus > > completely restructuring your life around the cult's > > rituals) "program." > > I think this is a significant exaggeration. As long as > they have what they consider adequate numbers of TM-Sidhis > practitioners doing program together, there's no intention > to have *every* TMer learn and practice the TM-Sidhis. The > TMO's not *that* unrealistic. > There are, or used to be, scholarships for people to learn the Sidhis if they pledged the time in the Fairfield domes. As well, a certain number of recipients of David Lynch Foundation money are also getting instruction in the TM-Sidhis. I believe that the leaders of the TMO would be delighted if every TMer learned the TM-Sidhis, and that it is their "intention" for this to happen, but I agree that they don't base their plans on it happening. L
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > > > > > > > Yes, and it should be a very good time right now to get the TM-Rajas and > > > that Prime Minister to abandon their linking having visited saints with > > > getting a current dome badge. > > > > > > I've been waiting to say this for some time Buck, but I think this is a > > very good time right now for you to have a checking ! > > > > My Dear Dear Nablusoss, Like you here, I feel we all should dig >down and > root out anyone here who is in the way of getting the dome >numbers up. Even those TM-Rajas and that Prime Minister. >Frankly however, with your interests dabbling in crop circles and that crème >guy I was going to offer to check your meditation when you visit Fairfield >next. How on earth did you have access to Vlodrop and Maharishi with such >confused leanings as a Governor? We should at least join together in group >meditation together, "where two or more are gathered..." > > In Love, > -Buck in FF >
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > > > > Yes, and it should be a very good time right now to get the TM-Rajas and > > that Prime Minister to abandon their linking having visited saints with > > getting a current dome badge. > > > I've been waiting to say this for some time Buck, but I think this is a very > good time right now for you to have a checking ! > My Dear Dear Nablusoss, Like you here, I feel we all should dig down and root out anyone here who is in the way of getting the dome numbers up. Frankly however, with your interests dabbling in crop circles and that crème guy I was going to offer to check your meditation when you visit Fairfield next. How on earth did you have access to Vlodrop and Maharishi with such confused leanings as a Governor? We should at least join together in group meditation together, "where two or more are gathered..." In Love, -Buck in FF
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
So, why do you care? As Tom Pall said, is anyone asking you to donate? Is anyone asking you to put up posters, or fold envelopes? I guess you are saying the TM is devoid of any benefit, and is soley a money making scheme to the big wheels. Is that what you are saying? Why don't launch a campaign to enlighten the world to your point of view about this instead of just these forty or fifty people who might read your post? --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wayback71@ wrote: > > > > I may be naive, but I don't think they are trying or aware > > of trying to get people in to TM to make money from their > > other products. > > While I agree, I "did the math" and figured out > that if David Lynch achieves his goal and manages > to teach TM to a million new people, then if the > TMO was successful in convincing only 1% of them > to learn the TM-Sidhis at 10K a pop, they've made > a cool 100 million dollars. > > All without investing a penny of their own money, > because they hornswoggled rich people into paying > for the initial TM instruction in the first place. >
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: > > I may be naive, but I don't think they are trying or aware > of trying to get people in to TM to make money from their > other products. While I agree, I "did the math" and figured out that if David Lynch achieves his goal and manages to teach TM to a million new people, then if the TMO was successful in convincing only 1% of them to learn the TM-Sidhis at 10K a pop, they've made a cool 100 million dollars. All without investing a penny of their own money, because they hornswoggled rich people into paying for the initial TM instruction in the first place.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
I wonder how the plan to teach TM to two million Brazilian school children is going? I give this one some credibility because it has been reported outside of the A of E Press. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > > The TMO is a cult. It is trying to gain new cult members by > > selling them (or even, if they can get rich people to pay for > > it) giving away the lowest rung of their cult hierarchy > > ladder (basic 20/20 TM). But their plans for these people > > don't stop there. "Nothing is more important" than getting > > them to eventually sign on to doing the full ($10,000, plus > > completely restructuring your life around the cult's > > rituals) "program." > > I think this is a significant exaggeration. As long as > they have what they consider adequate numbers of TM-Sidhis > practitioners doing program together, there's no intention > to have *every* TMer learn and practice the TM-Sidhis. The > TMO's not *that* unrealistic. >
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > The TMO is a cult. It is trying to gain new cult members by > selling them (or even, if they can get rich people to pay for > it) giving away the lowest rung of their cult hierarchy > ladder (basic 20/20 TM). But their plans for these people > don't stop there. "Nothing is more important" than getting > them to eventually sign on to doing the full ($10,000, plus > completely restructuring your life around the cult's > rituals) "program." I think this is a significant exaggeration. As long as they have what they consider adequate numbers of TM-Sidhis practitioners doing program together, there's no intention to have *every* TMer learn and practice the TM-Sidhis. The TMO's not *that* unrealistic.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: > > > > Barry, all that you say has merit. I would like to add that > > I don't think any of the TM'ers involved have a clue about > > what they are asking of people. > > I agree. I used to chuckle when people here and > on a.m.t. who paid $35 to learn TM said with a > straight face that $2500 was a fair price for it. > That's probably more than they spent on a year > of college. But they've been "in it" so long that > they now see it as being worth *anything* that the > TMO chooses to charge for it. Which people would those be, Barry? BTW, it's now $1,500 to learn TM. Has been since not long after MMY died, I believe. > > Yes, they know it takes some time and money to learn TM and > > the siddhis and do the program. But they learned and paid > > for the siddhis 30 years ago. > > And at a fraction of the cost. Um, no. When I took the TM-Sidhis course in 1986, it was, I think, at its cheapest, $3,000 total including the two- week in-residence flying block, no advanced techniques required. Prior to the inception of the Center Invincibility Courses a couple years earlier, you had to take several (four? six?) week-long in-residence TM-Sidhis prep courses, and the TM-Sidhis course itself was all in residence. I don't remember all the details of the course lengths and costs, but it would have been close to or even more than what it costs now, and certainly took much more of a chunk of time out of your life. TM *itself* was a fraction of the cost, $175 when I learned in 1976. When I got an advanced technique in around '84, it was $400. I believe the TM course was the same price at that point. Also remember that any of the prices back then would be about double if adjusted for inflation. > What gets me are the True Believers and apologists > here who trot out these pat answers *as if no one here > has heard them before*. They regurgitate the "prepared > answers" they were given on cue, seemingly unaware that > they are (on this forum, at least) talking to a group > of people who know the pat answers as well as they do, > and in fact could probably regurgitate them better than > they do. But they still expect them to "work," because > they were taught that they *would* work. Who are these people, Barry? It's so easy to make impressive-sounding statements about what "True Believers and apologists here" say and do when you don't name names. > Cult indoctrination is a long, slow process. NO ONE > could come to such ingrained beliefs overnight, or even > in a few years. It takes *decades* to become this > imprinted, and this much of an automaton. Plus it takes > constant reinforcement in "echo chamber" environments > in which pretty much everyone parrots the same BS, over > and over and over. Like on FFL, you mean? (Remember, he's talking about people *here*.) Not the first time Barry's made this mistake. > I agree with you that after a few decades of this, most > no longer know that they're parroting what they were > taught to say by their cult and its leaders. But I find > that even sadder than the fact that they do it. The very > rote mindlessness of it all is more of a "danger sign" > about cults and what they do to people than the things > that the individual cultists say or do. I don't think many would agree that there's much in the way of "rote mindlessness" on FFL. At least from the TM supporters.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > Yes, and it should be a very good time right now to get the TM-Rajas and that > Prime Minister to abandon their linking having visited saints with getting a > current dome badge. I've been waiting to say this for some time Buck, but I think this is a very good time right now for you to have a checking !
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" wrote: > > Barry, all that you say has merit. I would like to add that > I don't think any of the TM'ers involved have a clue about > what they are asking of people. I agree. I used to chuckle when people here and on a.m.t. who paid $35 to learn TM said with a straight face that $2500 was a fair price for it. That's probably more than they spent on a year of college. But they've been "in it" so long that they now see it as being worth *anything* that the TMO chooses to charge for it. > Yes, they know it takes some time and money to learn TM and > the siddhis and do the program. But they learned and paid > for the siddhis 30 years ago. And at a fraction of the cost. > They have no concept of life without the siddhis, or how > others can go thru life without having them. Worse, I would suggest that many of them can't *imagine* anyone going through life without building their life around trudging to the Morlock domes twice a day. > The transition from 20 min 2xper day to then a bout 3 > hours per day is a given to them - not a big deal at all. > In fact, it is a gift from the TMO to the public in their > minds. And they no longer care what other people think - > cause they know they have the Truth and are Right and > Good etc etcetc. Can't disagree. > I may be naive, but I don't think they are trying or aware > of trying to get people in to TM to make money from their > other products. I mean, who actually gets that money except > the Indian TMO (I am assuming this)? No, I think they are > displaying true True Believerism. They genuinely believe > this stuff, doubt has been pushed far far back in their > awareness, and they function like this on automatic. At > this point, I bet the phrases and words just keep rumbling > around in their heads and structure their thinking. They > can't think or talk differently at this point. They have > modified their brains and this type of verbiage and thinking > just flows on out, effortlessly. And they manage to *keep* it flowing, even though they were taught explicitly that what they were being taught to say was a "pat answer" -- "Every question is the perfect opportunity for the answer we have already prepared." What gets me are the True Believers and apologists here who trot out these pat answers *as if no one here has heard them before*. They regurgitate the "prepared answers" they were given on cue, seemingly unaware that they are (on this forum, at least) talking to a group of people who know the pat answers as well as they do, and in fact could probably regurgitate them better than they do. But they still expect them to "work," because they were taught that they *would* work. Cult indoctrination is a long, slow process. NO ONE could come to such ingrained beliefs overnight, or even in a few years. It takes *decades* to become this imprinted, and this much of an automaton. Plus it takes constant reinforcement in "echo chamber" environments in which pretty much everyone parrots the same BS, over and over and over. I agree with you that after a few decades of this, most no longer know that they're parroting what they were taught to say by their cult and its leaders. But I find that even sadder than the fact that they do it. The very rote mindlessness of it all is more of a "danger sign" about cults and what they do to people than the things that the individual cultists say or do.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: > > Thanks for reposting this, Rick. While it is nothing new -- same old > same old appeal to emotionalism and the elitism of the few -- there is a > phrase in it that I think needs to be examined in the light of the TMO > trying to seek *new* members of its group by promoting basic "20 minutes > twice a day" TM, as if that were all that they were selling. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" wrote: > > > > > > In light of the many challenges facing the world today, we would ask > that > > you consider these words: > > > > "Nothing is more important than our program. There is no greater > service one > > can do for me than to do the program." -Maharishi > > By "the program," there can be no doubt that Mr. Settle is referring to > the *full* "program," the several hours a day that would cost new TM > meditators at least $10,000 to learn, and would require a complete > restructuring of their lives to pursue. > > "Nothing is more important than our program." > > Oh really? The new TMers' lives, families, work, and personal interests > aren't more important? Their concerns and goals in life aren't > important? The *most* important thing in life should be trudging across > town lemming-like to some dome where they will be segregated by sex and > then expected to, twice a day, bounce on their butts for world peace? > > That's quite an admission for one TMO poster boy to admit, while others > are out there touting "20 minutes twice a day." To me it indicates the > basic duplicity and "bait and switch" mentality that underlies the DLF > sales pitch. > > *To the public*, they pretend that what they're trying to do is enable > more people to learn basic TM. They use this pretense to sucker wealthy > donors into helping to pay for initial instruction in TM. But is that > what they really WANT? I don't think so. I think what they want is a new > audience for their OTHER products -- the ones that cost $10,000 or more, > and that require one to essentially give up one's own life and adhere to > an artificial and (in most people's eyes) cultlike lifestyle no less > strange than the image of the Eloi marching into the Morlocks' domes > twice a day in H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine." > > Because -- as evidenced in this letter to the already-converted -- THAT > IS THEIR GOAL. "Nothing is more important" than TMers doing their full > program, in a group, in some approved TMO Morlock dome. > > Why haven't Ellen and Oprah noticed this? Why are *they* buying -- and > supporting -- the first stage of an obvious "upsell" or "bait and > switch" sales campaign? It is *clearly* the intention of the TMO to urge > as many people as possible to spend their $10,000 and join in this > "Nothing is more important" work. They not only ADMIT it in their > internal correspondence, they celebrate it. So why aren't they more up > front about this in their promotional materials? > > And while we're at it, let's examine the second phrase of Mr. Settle's > remarkable faux pas (emphasis mine). "There is no greater service one > can do for ME than to do the program. -Maharishi" > > This is a letter to the "already converted." Mr. Settle is so confident > of the mindset he is speaking to that he assumes that to them, equating > "Nothing is more important" with "being of service to Maharishi" > wouldn't raise an eyebrow. But to normal people, out in the world, whose > life neither revolves around cult rituals practiced several hours twice > a day or "being of service" to a cult leader, this should IMO raise a > few eyebrows, if not hackles. Combine this with the carefully-hidden > fact that the TMO expects people to be SO "of service" to Maharishi that > they'll excommunicate them for seeing any other spiritual teacher, and > you've got yerself a Class-A Cult. > > The TMO is a cult. It is trying to gain new cult members by selling them > (or even, if they can get rich people to pay for it) giving away the > lowest rung of their cult hierarchy ladder (basic 20/20 TM). But their > plans for these people don't stop there. "Nothing is more important" > than getting them to eventually sign on to doing the full ($10,000, plus > completely restructuring your life around the cult's rituals) "program." > And all in the name of "being of service" to the cult's leader. > Barry, all that you say has merit. I would like to add that I don't think any of the TM'ers involved have a clue about what they are asking of people. Yes, they know it takes some time and money to learn TM and the siddhis and do the program.But they learned and paid for the siddhis 30 years ago. They have no concept of life without the siddhis, or how others can go thru life without having them. The transition from 20 min 2xper day to then a bout 3 hours per day is a given to them - not a big deal at all. In fact, it is a gift from the TMO to the public in their minds. And they no longer care
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
I'm amused. TM popped up in the vast collegiate Boston area sprawl after Scientology. The Scientologists were everywhere, offering free psychological tests and a $30 communication course. Of course they were everywhere, because they had to sell courses so they could buy the next courses for themselves. Now it was very transparent to all (college area, remember), that this was bait and switch, perhaps also up sell. And very few bought it. Then shit eating grinned Jerry Jarvis and his shit eating grinned, identically suited cronies came to town. I went to see them in Hayden Hall, which was jam packed. Jerry was hard to understand because he broke down into giggles at least twice with each sentence. He offered us clearer minds, better grades, deep relaxation, bliss and joy. Now mind you the colleges had to close down early that year because of the anti-war demonstrations and riots. So Giggles didn't get any buyers. Giggles had no credibility. But there's something else. We had each of us been hit up by a Scientologist at least a few score times. We understood that they weren't selling a communication improving product. They were selling a lifestyle. Jerry was also selling a lifestyle, an ever costly lifestyle we intuited. Strangely enough, TM did enough bogus research, got placed in every mag from US News to Popular Mechanics, became a lot more dispersed, looked a lot "safer" and I decided to learn it. I learned it at just the right time. The undertow I stepped into sucked me and my money in so very quickly. But of course I was ripe for the picking. There /seemed/ to be a lot of TMers when I went to residence courses and to the centers but actually most had already dropped out and the many I saw on residence courses soon dropped out. Even the blond, silver tongued god of TM, Bob Lee first dropped out of TM then dropped out of living. Of course TM is a cult. Of course cults begin with bait and switch. Wonder into an evangelical church.You'll be surrounded with love. Love will follow to to your car, offer to drive you home, drive you back, be ever around you. Eventually, take the call, walk forward, take the long walk up the aisle. Soon afterwards you'll find out all the love stuff? That was the demo. So it's established. It was established on alt.med.TM decades ago. Why is it each new event is "news" that proves what we already know? Are we all doing "dingy Doug's" shtick? God. When will the gods free FFLers from having to push that boulder almost to the top of the hill, slip, have the boulder roll down on us and we have to start again? Can't a few of us leave the boulder there and walk off into a more interesting life?
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
Thanks for reposting this, Rick. While it is nothing new -- same old same old appeal to emotionalism and the elitism of the few -- there is a phrase in it that I think needs to be examined in the light of the TMO trying to seek *new* members of its group by promoting basic "20 minutes twice a day" TM, as if that were all that they were selling. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" wrote: > > > In light of the many challenges facing the world today, we would ask that > you consider these words: > > "Nothing is more important than our program. There is no greater service one > can do for me than to do the program." -Maharishi By "the program," there can be no doubt that Mr. Settle is referring to the *full* "program," the several hours a day that would cost new TM meditators at least $10,000 to learn, and would require a complete restructuring of their lives to pursue. "Nothing is more important than our program." Oh really? The new TMers' lives, families, work, and personal interests aren't more important? Their concerns and goals in life aren't important? The *most* important thing in life should be trudging across town lemming-like to some dome where they will be segregated by sex and then expected to, twice a day, bounce on their butts for world peace? That's quite an admission for one TMO poster boy to admit, while others are out there touting "20 minutes twice a day." To me it indicates the basic duplicity and "bait and switch" mentality that underlies the DLF sales pitch. *To the public*, they pretend that what they're trying to do is enable more people to learn basic TM. They use this pretense to sucker wealthy donors into helping to pay for initial instruction in TM. But is that what they really WANT? I don't think so. I think what they want is a new audience for their OTHER products -- the ones that cost $10,000 or more, and that require one to essentially give up one's own life and adhere to an artificial and (in most people's eyes) cultlike lifestyle no less strange than the image of the Eloi marching into the Morlocks' domes twice a day in H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine." Because -- as evidenced in this letter to the already-converted -- THAT IS THEIR GOAL. "Nothing is more important" than TMers doing their full program, in a group, in some approved TMO Morlock dome. Why haven't Ellen and Oprah noticed this? Why are *they* buying -- and supporting -- the first stage of an obvious "upsell" or "bait and switch" sales campaign? It is *clearly* the intention of the TMO to urge as many people as possible to spend their $10,000 and join in this "Nothing is more important" work. They not only ADMIT it in their internal correspondence, they celebrate it. So why aren't they more up front about this in their promotional materials? And while we're at it, let's examine the second phrase of Mr. Settle's remarkable faux pas (emphasis mine). "There is no greater service one can do for ME than to do the program. -Maharishi" This is a letter to the "already converted." Mr. Settle is so confident of the mindset he is speaking to that he assumes that to them, equating "Nothing is more important" with "being of service to Maharishi" wouldn't raise an eyebrow. But to normal people, out in the world, whose life neither revolves around cult rituals practiced several hours twice a day or "being of service" to a cult leader, this should IMO raise a few eyebrows, if not hackles. Combine this with the carefully-hidden fact that the TMO expects people to be SO "of service" to Maharishi that they'll excommunicate them for seeing any other spiritual teacher, and you've got yerself a Class-A Cult. The TMO is a cult. It is trying to gain new cult members by selling them (or even, if they can get rich people to pay for it) giving away the lowest rung of their cult hierarchy ladder (basic 20/20 TM). But their plans for these people don't stop there. "Nothing is more important" than getting them to eventually sign on to doing the full ($10,000, plus completely restructuring your life around the cult's rituals) "program." And all in the name of "being of service" to the cult's leader.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Dick Mays wrote: > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: Howard Settle > > Subject: Important message from Drs. Howard and Alice Settle > > Date: November 15, 2011 12:25:51 PM CST > > To: "Dick," > > > > > > Dear Dick, > > > > Like Raja Raam, the only other thing which we can think to do is to write > > to our very dear and heroic friends who are not on the Settle Grant, who go > > by the cherished name of "TSR." Alice and I have the deepest respect for > > you all. Over the years, no one has shown more dedication than you have by > > being part of the Fairfield / Maharishi Vedic City community. > > > > > > With all our devotion, > > Jai Guru Dev > > Howard and Alice > > > Yes, and it should be a very good time right now to get the TM-Rajas and that Prime Minister to abandon their linking having visited saints with getting a current dome badge.
