Transcendental Meditation Effective?

[mikeyy]

Does anyone use it or know if it gives good results like other techniques?

[PsiloPutty]

TM itself is indeed a product that costs money, but that doesn't mean that it isn't an excellent form of meditation. The thing is, from all I have heard and read and seen, it's simply a mantra-based meditation technique, which has been around for thousands of years. 

Google "Deepak Chopra effortless meditation" and watch the video. I have been told from people that purchased TM that what he is describing is almost exactly what Transcendental Meditation would teach you and charge you for.

In my own personal experience, I use a mantra every single day, both in sitting meditation and in my normal waking life. I just repeat "Hare Krishna, hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare" over and over again in my head. It definitely puts me into a meditative trance and clears my mind. When I get obsessed with an unproductive thought, 10 minutes of my mantra clears my head and brings me back to baseline.

I also use it in the first 10 minutes of an hour-long sit, and do vipassana for the remaining 50 minutes. Helps greatly in clearing the mind in preparation for vipassana.

[Enlightenment]

It's definitely one of the 6/7 most effective methods for awakening

[Leo Gura]

Careful, it is a cult-like organization.

You can find non-cult-like forms of meditation or yoga which are just as effective if not more effective, and without the cult ideology.

Many cults have legit spiritual techniques that they offer to newbies, but they are still manipulative cults.

[Prabhaker]

@mikeyy

If you cannot fall asleep in the night, if you suffer from sleeplessness, then methods like Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation are perfectly good. That method has nothing to do with meditation; it is neither meditation nor transcendental. It is simply a non-medicinal tranquilizer.

[pluto]

Why not try it? There is no such thing as time as there is no such thing as fear. Ultimately, they limit your experience of unconditional love and oneness/freedom. What works best for you is the one you are most drawn to and believe will work best for you.

You are interconnected with the Universe, You are the U in the Universe.

[Torkys]

@mikeyy I don't want to post links here but if you do some digging, you can find the technique and the mantras out there for free.

It's enjoyable and brings you to a silent mind (lol, Ether flashbacks) quicker and more efficiently than any other technique I have experimented with.

[Rilles]

@Prabhaker Haha i remember reading that in Book Of Secrets, Osho bashed it pretty good 

[passerby]

I've been wanting to start this form of meditation, but I keep reading all these 'danger' and 'warning' tags associated with it. and I'm not sure if it is the actual technique or the cultish foundation that has trademarked it is TM

(and if it is from the TM foundation, and they do have ill intentions, then why are they using this technique? Or is the technique itself pure and they have corrupted it? Maybe it has something to do with the 'initiation' thing they say you have to do, maybe it seems like just some weird shit you gotta do to get the mantra but its actually some form of dark 'magic' or something that 'gets you')

You should have a read of this letter someone posted (half way down the page), supposedly from one of the largest financial contributors to the foundation (I don't know if this is legit or not, as it IS the internet after all, but STILL...): https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/5496-transcendental-meditation-tm-siddhis-and-qi-gong/

should also check out this blog: http://tmfree.blogspot.com/

in the blog, they mention that lots of TMers have great experiences at the start, and then they seem to lose the quality they had at the start and end up practicing it for their whole lives trying to chase what they first experienced and ultimately going nowhere.

also check this link, it keeps saying that its just putting youself into a trance state where you are 'tricked' into believing your relaxing: http://www.suggestibility.org/

and like the other poster said, there are lots of celebrities endorsing TM, now im not an illuminati conspiracy nut hugger or anything, but I do believe that if high profile and wealthy people (celebrities) are endorsing something (especially something that alters your mind) then I am VERY weary of it, if not flat out run in the other direction tbh, as I do believe that these people do NOT have our best interests at heart.

I also go and Quora a lot (its like yahoo answers), and there are lots of TMers answering various questions about meditation, enlightenment, and TM itself. And I've noticed that in the comment sections a lot of them are very defensive when someone mentions the other cheaper alternatives and usually resort to 'show me the studies' to end the discussions. Seems to me that if someone is doing this program that is supposed to be so benefitial to your life, that they would have better attitudes.

I know there are a few alternatives that are just offering the technique without the other bullshit. such as Deepak chopra one, natural stress relief, and the one on the ayp site...

...But I still don't know how effective these techniques really are (I've never tried it myself, so I can't comment on that) for enlightenment and clearing our samskaras (spelling). I have read this saying a lot around the internet: "TM is not real meditation". 

And THEN, I find a blog like this (very long reads, but thought provoking at the least):http://kundalini-brahmajnani.blogspot.com/ Which says that ALL meditation techniques are dangerous and lead to dellusions and that the only real technique is "meditating on silence"/"silent meditation". But then again, isn't TM (or the actual technique) the sole aim is to bring silence via the technique with which the mantra is used?

Edited September 3, 2018 by passerby

[PsiloPutty]

@passerby   You're thinking too much. It's Labor Day; give your doubting mind the day off.   

[Baby Zen]

@Leo Gura TM or Kirya???

I have done TM for 3 years and there is still a lot I can gain. I don’t feel that they are too cult-y from my experience. Whenever I see them, it’s all about how to improve the meditation experience. 

I brought your book list and got the Kriya Yoga book. I’m wondering if I should just drop TM and work on Kriya on my own or stick with TM and utilize the support offered by them.

Or maybe continue to grow with TM until I reach plateau and switch to Kriya (Are the benefits transferable? I notice similarities in the practices). 

I highly value your wisdom and hoping for some insight. Thanks.

[who chit]

Ime, TM as a stand alone spiritual practice is, for a lack of better words..weak. Kriya is the prana "power horse" that quiets the nervous system, and continuing with TM  after doing Kriya, takes one into deep states of silence and stillness (samadhi). The combined effect of the two, do some heavy purification on the subtle nervous system.
I agree that TM is pretty much a cult. What I learned and practiced,is similar to Chopra and/or AYP's version of TM. There's no difference in their method and TM, so there's no reason to spend loads of money for what you can basically get for free. It's the same technique, and for me, after having tried various methods of meditation for years ,I found it to be a rather effortless and effective technique. If I had to choose one over the other,It would be Kriya. But the combined effect of the two, plus self inquiry,it's a prime recipe for awakening. 

There's also a tendency for one to always look for the "best" method or technique, but it's really the level of intent and devotion that matters. With the right intent and devotion just about anything can work. Without that,it's highly unlikely that what is being sought after will happen regardless of the method or technique. It's devotion that will take you all the way.





 

[Baby Zen]

@who chit Thanks! That helps a lot