Transcendental Meditation: How does it work?

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a special meditation teaching that has been taught since 1957 in an organization founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which has been called the "Global Land of World Peace" since 2000. The meditation technique is taught in courses and is subject to a fee. More than 5 million people worldwide are said to have already learnt TM technology.

What is TM?

The meditator should repeat a mantra, i. e. a short word order or the name of an Indian deity, in a comfortable position with closed eyes in mind. This mantra is individually chosen by the student's TM teacher at the beginning of the meditation training. Through the permanent repetition of the mantras, the meditator should be able to switch off his thought activity as far as possible, in order to experience his own consciousness - and thus his self - without disturbing influences and to dive into a state of deep spiritual peace. The meditation exercise should be carried out twice a day for 20 minutes.

How to learn TM?

The original TM technique can only be learned by attending a seven-step basic course. Attendance of information events and a personal meeting with a TM teacher are free of charge. The actual meditation technique is then learned in a basic course, which consists of four two-hour lessons and a review of the technique and costs around 2,400 euros in Europe. The TM technique is a registered trademark and is taught exclusively by authorized teachers. Copycat courses are often offered at lower prices, but are not recognised by the TM organisation.

Meditation no better than snooze?

One will rightly ask oneself what is special about the TM, because in the final analysis it is a relaxation technique that is relatively easy to learn and comparable to autogenic training. The supposedly positive effects of meditation on the psyche of meditators are the subject of heated discussions by TM practitioners and critics. Proponents believe that TM is a miracle: Drug addicts should not be addicted to addiction, criminal energy should be wasted, heart and stroke risk should be reduced, ADHD children should find rest, etc. So far, however, it has not been possible to prove an extraordinarily positive effect of TM in solid and comprehensible studies. In June 2011, for example, the respected journal "Archives of Internal Medicine" withdrew the publication of a TM study at the last minute because of serious concerns about the credibility of the data supplied. Doing business with a simple relaxation technique? Critics see the TM as the commercialization of a simple relaxation technique comparable to autogenic training, praying or just having a nap. A long-term and far-reaching personality change, which is said to follow the TM method, is not to be expected. Rather, the TM is nothing more than a mixture of imagination, suggestion and placebo effect.