Maharishi's Programmes
Transcendental Meditation
1. Life is always directed toward more and more—more success and
more fulfilment.
• It is the natural tendency of the mind to move toward greater
happiness.
• Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation is the technology for
everyone to become more creative, more energetic, and happier within
themselves.
• Transcendental Meditation is the technology to unfold the inner
Creative Intelligence of everyone.
2. In every structure and activity in Nature—from the growth of a
plant to the movement of the planets—we see intelligence
functioning, because we see a systematic, orderly progression and
evolution of life.
• Considering the natural tendency of life to grow and progress,
life should not be a struggle; yet we continue to see struggle and
dissatisfaction. This is because the knowledge of this fundamental
field of intelligence and order has been lacking.
3. Like any other science, Maharishi’s Vedic Science, the Science of
Consciousness, has both aspects—practical (to provide experience)
and theoretical (to provide understanding).
• Maharishi’s Vedic Science provides systematic knowledge of the
field of pure Creative Intelligence—the total potential of knowledge
and its infinite organizing power—the source of all knowledge,
power, and bliss—the total potential of Natural Law, which unfolds
the latent creative genius in everyone.
• The Transcendental Meditation Programme (the practical aspect of
Maharishi’s Vedic Science) provides direct experience of the field
of pure Creative Intelligence, and offers complete understanding of
its nature, development, range, and application.
4. All the intelligence we display in our life comes from our
thoughts, and thought comes from somewhere deep inside.
• We locate the centre of Creative Intelligence within each
individual at the source of thought, beyond the finest aspect of
thinking—pure consciousness—the reservoir of Creative Intelligence—a
reservoir of infinite intelligence, energy, and creativity.
• Leading quantum physicists have identified Transcendental
Consciousness as the home of all the Laws of Nature—the Unified
Field of Natural Law—which governs the orderly evolution of the
universe.
5. Successful action requires a technique to gain access to the
source of Creative Intelligence within ourselves in order to enrich
and support every impulse of thought and fulfil every action.
• Transcendental Meditation unfolds the creative genius of the
self-referral state of intelligence—the home of all the Laws of
Nature—and inspires the Laws of Nature to uphold all thought,
speech, and action. Support of Natural Law increases in daily life
with regular practice.
6. Minimize desires or maximize the ability to fulfil desires is the
decision that the busy modern man has to make.
• Desires are natural to life, and the fulfilment of desires leads
to satisfaction and further steps of progress.
• By contacting the source of thought, a state of silent
wakefulness, fully-awake awareness—the Unified Field of all the Laws
of Nature—Transcendental Meditation maximizes the ability to
perceive, evaluate, think, and act, and thereby fulfil desires.
7. Skill in action means action without stress and strain—least
action that brings maximum results.
• By enlivening the total potential of intelligence—pure Creative
Intelligence, Transcendental Consciousness—all action spontaneously
and naturally has the support of the infinite organizing power of
Natural Law.
• Skill in action means that the field of pure consciousness, pure
Creative Intelligence—the silent dynamism of Natural Law—is
naturally lively in our awareness, so that we are restful even in
dynamic activity. All our actions have the support of the infinite
organizing power of Natural Law.
• Being a systematic procedure to experience finer states of a
thought and systematically arrive at the source of thought, pure
consciousness, Transcendental Meditation is for skill in action.
8. For action to be powerful, thinking must be powerful. A strong
foundation is necessary for a strong structure.
• As a tree is strongest at its roots, so also a thought is most
powerful at its source. By contacting the source of thought through
Transcendental Meditation, thought becomes more powerful, resulting
in more rewarding action.
• Just as we water the root of a tree to nourish every aspect of the
tree—its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit—when we take deep
rest, it is the basis for dynamic, successful action in all areas of
life.
9. Transcendental Meditation is the technique to do less and
accomplish more.
• Like an arrow pulled back on the bow for maximum dynamism to hit
the target, Transcendental Meditation takes the awareness to the
source of thought, the field of pure Creative Intelligence, from
where every thought is most powerful and precise, and most capable
of achieving its desired goal.
10. Psychologists say that man generally uses only a small portion
of his mind—only 5–10%. This explains why life is not enjoyed in its
full potential.
• Transcendental Meditation develops full mental potential in a
natural manner.
11. A man is known by how his mind functions. The clarity of
awareness that develops through Transcendental Meditation is vital
to everyone, no matter what their interest or profession.
• Over 600 scientific research studies conducted at 215 universities
and research institutes in 30 countries throughout the world
document the development of mental potential, the growth of Creative
Intelligence, and an improved quality of life through the
twice-daily practice of Transcendental Meditation.
• Scientific research has also shown that those who practise
Transcendental Meditation have access to the ‘brain reserve’—the
total potential of Creative Intelligence, the holistic value of
brain functioning—which supports the partial values of activity of
specific parts of the brain during the processes of hearing,
touching, seeing, tasting, smelling, and their corresponding
actions.
• This means that as the practice advances, the individual mind is
increasingly in tune with the Cosmic Mind in a spontaneous manner,
and all thought, speech, and action have the support of the infinite
organizing power of Natural Law.
• This holistic value of brain functioning develops as we alternate
the deep rest of Transcendental Meditation with dynamic activity.
12. There are seven states of consciousness: waking state of
consciousness, dreaming state of consciousness, sleeping state of
consciousness, Transcendental Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness,
God Consciousness, and Unity Consciousness.
• Knowledge is different in different states of consciousness. By
experiencing the fourth state of consciousness, Transcendental
Consciousness, through Transcendental Meditation, higher states of
consciousness unfold until enlightenment—Unity Consciousness—the
full awakening of consciousness, dawns, in which one’s total
creative potential supports success in every aspect of life.
Meta-analysis is a procedure for drawing definitive conclusions from large bodies of research studies. A meta-analysis of 31 studies found that Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Programme produces over three times the degree of deep rest as does just sitting with eyes closed, as measured by basal skin resistance, respiration rate, and plasma lactate. Lower plasma lactate indicates profound relaxation, since high concentrations of lactate have been associated with high anxiety and high blood pressure. Increased basal skin resistance during Transcendental Meditation indicates a lowering of tension, while decreased respiration rate reflects greater relaxation. Reference: American Psychologist 42 (1987): 879–881.
EEG coherence increases during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation Technique. This indicates greater orderliness of brain functioning. EEG coherence has been found to be correlated with higher levels of creativity, intelligence, moral reasoning, neuromuscular efficiency, and with experiences of higher states of consciousness. References: Proceedings of the San Diego Biomedical Symposium 15 (1976): 237–247; Psychosomatic Medicine 46(3) (1984): 267–276; International Journal of Neuroscience 14 (1981): 147–151.
This study used the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking to measure figural and verbal creativity in a control group and in a group which subsequently learnt Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Technique. Students who learnt Transcendental Meditation showed increased creativity over a five-month period. Reference: The Journal of Creative Behavior 13(3) (1979): 169–180.
Students who were instructed in Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Technique showed significant improvements in clarity of perception and memory over a two-week period. Controls who sat with eyes closed twice daily, or who made no change in their routines, showed no change. Reference: Memory and Cognition 10(3) (1982): 207–215.
Table of Contents:
Introducing Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation Programme and Its Benefits
Seven Steps to Unfold the Full Value of Creative Intelligence
Transcendental Meditation—Fundamentally Unique
Developing the Full Potential of the Mind
Improving Individual and Collective Health
Growth of Ideal Social Behaviour
Establishing Permanent World Peace and a United Family of Nations
Where to Learn Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Technique