TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION IN ARIZONA SCHOOLS

Students, teachers, and administrators in Arizona schools discuss their experiences and successes through the Transcendental Meditation / Quiet Time program.

Music by Stephen Michael Hogan. StephenMHoganAudio@gmail.com

David Lynch Television

“Meditation” on Meditation

“If with closed ears and eyes I consult consciousness for a moment, immediately are all walls and barriers dissipated, earth rolls from under me, and I float . . . in the midst of an unknown and infinite sea… We become like a still lake of purest crystal and without an effort our depths are revealed to ourselves… Such clarity!”

--- Henry David Thoreau

(Thanks Bobby)

Why does it cost to learn Transcendental Meditation

What is TM—and why does TM cost money to learn?

As I wrote earlier, I will periodically use this blog site to answer frequently asked questions—or clarify frequently misunderstood points—about the Transcendental Meditation technique.

The facts about TM are simple and easily understandable and the benefits are medically established by hundreds of scientific studies.

The basics:

1. TM is a simple, natural technique, practiced for 20 minutes twice a day, which allows your active, thinking mind (e.g., the “I gotta do this and I gotta do that” thinking mind) to settle down to pure consciousness—a state of silent inner wakefulness that is an unlimited reservoir of energy, creativity, and intelligence.
2. As your mind settles down, effortlessly, your body gains a profound state of relaxation. Scientists call this a unique state of “restful alertness.” Research shows this twice daily experience eliminates deeply rooted stress, tension and fatigue; improves health; and decreases, anxiety, and insomnia
3. Research also shows TM develops the total brain, creating coherence between the different parts of the brain, which is the basis of the increased creativity and intelligence, and improved memory and decision making reported by meditators.
4. There is no concentration or control of the mind during the practice, no following your breath, no imaging or contemplation.
5. The technique is not a philosophy, religion, or lifestyle.
6. When you learn Transcendental Meditation you receive from your teacher a mantra (a specific sound with no meaning whose effects are known to be positive and life-supporting) and you receive from your teacher exact instructions how to use the mantra properly so that you dive all the way within to experience pure consciousness—your own inner Self.
7. Anyone can learn and practice the technique as well as anyone else—independent of your education, nationality, belief, etc.

Thus, the question of the day is:

If TM is so great—if it can create peace and reduce stress and all that—then why does it cost money? Or if it costs money, why does it cost so much that it could prevent some people who may need it the most, like the poor, from learning? Is that fair? Is TM a money-making organization?

The answer is: TM is not a money-making organization. It is a nonprofit, educational organization—and it has been that way for over 50 years. (All financial transactions are public knowledge.

And yes, it would be grossly unfair, cruel even, if someone really wanted to learn to meditate and could not do so because of money. But that is not the case. Scholarships, grants and loans are available to ensure that anyone who genuinely wants to learn to meditate can do so. Case-in-point: During the past four years, the David Lynch Foundation has provided full scholarships for over 100,000 people to learn to meditate who could not otherwise afford to start.

So money is not an obstacle for people to learn.

Then the next question is, why does it cost so much? (For now, let’s leave aside the point that the fee for learning TM and a lifetime of follow-up and mentoring is usually much less than enrolling in a college course, which will be over in 14 weeks, or buying many new computer programs which have an expiration date of a year of two.)

Transcendental Meditation is not “meditation lite”—it’s not some how-to thing you can learn from browsing through a Cosmo or People magazine article on meditation. Yes, TM is a simple technique, but it is also authentic, the real deal. Transcendental Meditation comes from the oldest continuous tradition of meditation in the world. Today, more than six million people of all cultures, religions, and walks of life have learned the technique during the past 50 years.

TM costs what it costs for four main reasons:

1. Your own meditation teacher You learn TM today the same way it has been taught for thousands of years—from a highly qualified, properly trained TM teacher, through personal, one-to-one instruction. Again, you don’t learn it out of a magazine or book or a CD or a DVD.  You are unique; you have your own questions and experiences, and your teacher is there to provide the necessary and correct guidance and information at each stage of the instruction, so you can have a clear experience of the transcending process.

2. Lifetime course When you learn TM, not only do you have seven steps of initial instruction (about 90 minutes a day) from your meditation teacher, but you also have access to a lifetime of mentoring and support from your teacher. And if you travel or move, there are highly qualified TM teachers all over the world to provide you with follow-up support—which is all included in your initial course fee.

3. Professional teachers As I said, the teachers are highly-trained professionals, many with families, homes, health insurance, etc. Teaching the technique is a full-time profession; it cannot be done through volunteers alone. To ensure the sustainability of the organization, teachers are paid an appropriate salary (like a high school teacher). Your course fee helps to cover their salaries and the expenses that come from running a local TM center (rent, utilities, phone, etc.).

4. Help those in need Any remaining funds from your tuition are used to provide scholarships for children, teens, and adults who cannot afford any tuition, such as inner-city school kids, American Indians on reservations, homeless men, etc.

The point is:

Money is not an obstacle to learning TM. Yes, money is needed to pay teachers and run the organization. But if you don’t have the funds, don’t let that stop you. Contact www.TM.org and work something out.

Thanks for listening,

Bobby

Bobby standing in front of the press room at the White House ....

http://insidedlf.wordpress.com

Hurdy Gurdy Man Donovan Takes Stage Again 2010

January 24^th World Wide Charity Concert On Line from Germany

Munich (Hollywood Today) 1-23-2010

By Ken Chawkin

Donovan On The Net

Donovan is inviting fans and the online community to watch his sold-out concert live on the Internet this Sunday. He will perform his hit songs and cult classics as well as showcasing songs from his new work RITUAL GROOVE as a run up to his forthcoming world tour 2010/2011. Special guest will be talented musician Claudia Koreck, one of the hottest newcomers in Germany.

The show will be streamed live Sunday, January 24, at 8:30 p.m. CET worldwide thanks to the professional live streaming technology and video production of TV1.EU, and a true broadband connection by BT, British Telecom. This World Wide Charity Concert is to benefit ‘Schools Without Stress’ (Germany). Also see the DLF, and the David Lynch Foundation.

The Link to the Live Stream will be on Donovan’s new Website http://www.donovan.ie/live/. News of the free live webcast concert is also on Donovan’s Facebook and Twitter page. His fans just love the idea of streaming the concert to their computers at home. While watching the concert Donovan’s Online Friends can share their experience on facebook or twitter”, says Monty C. M. Metzger, CEO of the Social Media Marketing Agency Ahead of Time.

This “Social Media for Social Activism” musical event will support the charity project “Schule ohne Stress” (Schools without Stress) and will increase awareness about the positive effects of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning and academic performance.

The legendary folk-rock pop troubadour Donovan began his career as an itinerant folk musician and created acoustic hits like Catch The Wind, Colours, Mellow Yellow, and Buffy Saint Marie’s Universal Soldier. Other megahits include Jennifer Juniper, Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Season of the Witch, There is a Mountain, Atlantis, and other beautiful songs, which appeared on later albums, like Sutras, produced by Rick Rubin.

Dr. Donovan Leitch is a Green-Activist and received a Doctor of Letters from the University of Hertfordshire, an honorary medal as “Officer of Arts & Letters” by the French government, and was named BMI Icon in 2009.

Donovan was one of the few artists to collaborate on songs with the Beatles, contributing lyrics and vocals to the song Yellow Submarine. Donovan influenced Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison in their guitar styles, and during his career played with folk music greats Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan, as well as rock musicians Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.

This is Donovan’s first global World Wide Web performance—a musical historic event. The concert is sold out! Viewers wishing to join Team DONOVAN and make a donation are invited to visit betterplace.org. Donations start from 1 Euro!

The Known Universe

Amazing and fascinating journey through the known universe .....

The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010.

Christianity, Transcendental Meditation and Religion, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Interviewer: Maharishi, I start with those main attacks which have been brought up against you and your Transcendental Meditation movement. In relation to the plan to establish an academy for Transcendental Meditation above the lake in Seelisberg - the Catholic inner part of Switzerland.

One attack I have already mentioned that you are against Christianity and also against the person of Jesus Christ.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Any TY ending is very close to me with infinity. So my message is that of Infinity and Christianity and Infinity both meet towards the end. So there is a meeting point in the goal towards the end - Christianity and Infinity and therefore if they are two parts they meet in the end. All is well that ends well. All is well that ends well.

There is no opposition to Christianity - I love Christ very much and he must be enjoying with all this growth of infinity in the individual life because "find the kingdom that lies within you" I think has been the main teaching of Christ. And therefore Transcendental Meditation which takes the awareness to that level which Christ wanted every Christian to have is only a friend of Christianity.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi brought Transcendental Meditation to the world more than 50 years ago and now it has been enjoyed by millions of people worldwide from all religious backgrounds.

Transcendental Meditation at a Washington school

Dr. George Rutherford, one of the most distinguished and beloved principals in the Washington, D.C. area, is credited as being the “Grandfather” of the TM/Quiet Time program in America. In 1993, Doc Rutherford introduced the program to his Fletcher Johnson Learning School in Washington and later expanded it to include the entire school—a first in U.S. education. He also serves as the National Co-Director of the U.S. Committee for Stress-Free Schools.

How did you get started with the TM program?

In 1993, teachers of the Transcendental Meditation program came to the Fletcher Johnson Learning School to give a presentation. I was standing at the back of the room joking with one of the teachers, saying, “I want to get the training.” She knew I was joking but she called my bluff and made an appointment for me. I was scared to death, but I learned the TM technique and loved it! Then I visited Maharishi School of The Age of Enlightenment in Iowa. When I saw how those children were happy and enjoying school I was inspired to give this to my students. I thought this program could really make a difference in their lives and in this community.

How did you introduce this program to the Ideal Academy Public Charter School?

Paulette Bell, the founder of the school, wrote a proposal for a stress management program and the Board of Education signed off on it. We didn’t have any money, but donors came forward and helped get my children where we are now. We shaved off 5 minutes from each class to make time for the children’s TM/Quiet Time program in the morning and afternoon. We knew that once we got rid of the stress, we would have less disruptions and the time would pay off. Now we are seeing the light. Quiet Time changed the whole climate of the school. It was just beautiful.

What have been the greatest benefits for the school?

All the students from 5th grade through 12th grade practice the TM/Quiet Time program. In the morning for those 15 minutes before class the whole school is quiet and the calm is carried throughout the day.

The greatest benefit is relieving the stress. We know that some of the kids would be more hyper without their meditation. Some of our kids have ADHD. A lot of kids are special needs kids. I always say a lot of kids are special needs who don’t have the papers on them. They have not been identified. With Quiet Time the academic achievement has gone up, and behavioral problems and absenteeism have gone down. I could never work in a school that doesn’t have the TM/Quiet Time program.

What is your vision for schools in America?

I would love to see that all students are able to learn in a stress-free environment. You can rest assured that in years to come the transformation in education will take place in schools with the TM/Quiet Time program. People are going to see that the Quiet Time program removes stress and everything else falls right in place. With Quiet Time, the potential of every student is unlimited.

www.tm.org

Using meditation as medication

A new study suggests that Transcendental Meditation could help to increase brain function and lower stress.

Fifty students took part in the trial at the American University in Washington DC, and after ten weeks of meditation they reported feeling more alert and said they coped better in difficult situations.

Research into the health claims made for meditation has limitations and few conclusions can be reached, but indications suggest that meditation may have a measurable impact on the brain.

Josh Goulding took part in the study at the American University and claims it has helped to get him off a cocktail of drugs he was taking to control Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

View the video at the BBC site: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Can Meditation Curb Heart Attacks? - NYTimes.com

By RONI CARYN RABIN

Richard Patterson for The New York Times
Recent research suggests transcendental meditation may be good for the heart.

When Julia Banks was almost 70, she took up transcendental meditation. She had clogged arteries, high blood pressure and too much weight around the middle, and she enrolled in a clinical trial testing the benefits of meditation.

Now Mrs. Banks, 79, of Milwaukee, meditates twice a day, every day, for 20 minutes each time, setting aside what she calls “a little time for myself.”

“You never think you’ve got that time to spare, but you take that time for yourself and you get the relaxation you need,” said Mrs. Banks, who survived a major heart attack and a lengthy hospitalization after coronary artery bypass surgery six years ago.

“You have things on your mind, but you just blot it out and do the meditation, and you find yourself being more graceful in your own life,” she said. “You find out problems you thought you had don’t exist — they were just things you focused on.”

Could the mental relaxation have real physiological benefits? For Mrs. Banks, the study suggests, it may have. She has gotten her blood pressure under control, though she still takes medication for it, and has lost about 75 pounds.

Findings from the study were presented this week at an American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Fla. They suggest that transcendental meditation may have real therapeutic value for high-risk people, like Mrs. Banks, with established coronary artery disease.

After following about 200 patients for an average of five years, researchers said, the high-risk patients who meditated cut their risk of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from all causes roughly in half compared with a group of similar patients who were given more conventional education about healthy diet and lifestyle.

Among the roughly 100 patients who meditated, there were 20 heart attacks, strokes and deaths; in the comparison group, there were 32. The meditators tended to remain disease-free longer and also reduced their systolic blood pressure by five millimeters of mercury, on average.

“We found reduced blood pressure that was significant – that was probably one important mediator,” said Dr. Robert Schneider, director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, a research institute based at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, who presented the findings. The study was conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, in collaboration with the institute.

An earlier study of high-risk Milwaukee residents, many of them overweight or obese, also found transcendental meditation, along with conventional medications, could help reduce blood pressure. Most of those in the study had only high-school educations or less, about 40 percent smoked and roughly half had incomes of less than $10,000 a year.

The participants found transcendental meditation easy to learn and practice, Dr. Schneider said.

“Fortunately, it does not require any particular education and doesn’t conflict with lifestyle philosophy or beliefs; it’s a straightforward technique for getting deep rest to the mind and body,” he said, adding that he believes the technique “helps to reset the body’s own self-repair and homeostatic mechanism.”

Dr. Schneider said other benefits of meditation might follow from stress reduction, which could cause changes in the brain that cut stress hormones like cortisol and dampen the inflammatory processes associated with atherosclerosis.

“What is it about stress that causes cardiovascular disease?” said Dr. Theodore Kotchen, associate dean for clinical research at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “Hormones, neural hormones, cortisol, catecholamines — all tend to be elevated in stress. Could they in some way be contributing to cardiovascular disease? Could a reduction in these hormones with meditation be contributing to reduction in disease? We can only speculate.”

Another recent study focusing on transcendental meditation, published in The American Journal of Hypertension, focused on a young healthy population. It found that stressed-out college students improved their mood through T.M., and those at risk for hypertension were able to reduce their blood pressure. Dr. Schneider was also involved in that study, which was carried out at American University in Washington and included 298 students randomly assigned to either a meditation group or a waiting list.

Students who were at risk of hypertension and practiced meditation reduced systolic blood pressure by 6.3 millimeters of mercury and their diastolic pressure by 4 millimeters of mercury on average.

Can Meditation Curb Heart Attacks? - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

Towards Collective Harmony

One percent of the population practicing the Transcendental Meditation would produce measurable improvements in the quality of life for the whole population.

Such was boldly predicted by Maharishi Yogi in 1960. However, this phenomenon was first noticed in 1974 and published in 1976. It was found that when 1% of the community practiced the Transcendental Meditation program, then the average crime rate came down by an average of 16%. This phenomenon was named the Maharishi Effect then. Later, the meaning of the term was extended to cover the influence generated by the group practice of the TM-Sidhi program. Now, the Maharishi Effect could be defined as the influence of coherence and positivity on the social and natural environment generated by the practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs.



The first statistical analysis of the effects of the TM-Sidhi program was published in 1987. They presented a decrease in violent crimes in Washington D.C., and total crimes in Metro Manila and Delhi by an average of 11%. Further research has confirmed the presence and the universality of the Maharishi Effect.

David Edwards Ph.D., Professor of Government, University of Texas at Austin, says, about the Maharishi Effect, “I think the claim can be plausibly made that the potential impact of this research exceeds that of any other ongoing social or psychological research program. It has survived a broader array of statistical tests than most research in the field of conflict resolution. This work and the theory that informs it deserve the most serious consideration by academics and policy makers alike.”

The basis of the Maharishi Effect is collective consciousness. This involves the sum total of the individual consciousness of the people in a specified group, be it a community or even a nation. Individual consciousness is said to be the basic unit of collective consciousness, influencing collective consciousness and being in turn influenced by it.

Maharishi states, “Just as the consciousness of an individual determines the quality of his thought and behavior, so also there exists another type of consciousness for society as a whole; a collective consciousness for each family, city, state, or nation, having its own reality and the possibility of growth. The quality of collective consciousness of a society is a direct and sensitive reflection of the level of consciousness of its individual members.”

Individual consciousness and collective consciousness hence bear a reciprocal relationship. As collective consciousness is created by the individuals within the group, when the individual consciousness grows, collective consciousness expands.

As a result of this reciprocal relationship between individual and collective consciousness, a group of people practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programme will be able to influence harmony to collective consciousness, thereby enabling the entire population to act more coherently and harmoniously and in one with Natural Law. On this basis, Maharishi has demonstrated the potential for every nation to create invincibility for itself and for all its citizens.

Realizing this power of thought, especially collective thought, Monish Dhawan has seeded the idea of “I Want a Positive Headline, a mass Movement, which aims at convincing the media to provide more positive headlines in an effort towards impacting greater well-being and happiness for each individual and the world.

The logic is simple. The media deeply influences collective thought through the way it portrays news, and affects billions simultaneously through its extensive reach. And this collective thought is what creates the reality we see around.

At present, there are more negative news headlines that cover the front pages of newspapers, and reports of mayhem and terrorism on news channels. All this leads to a collective negativity that manifests itself as ill health, depression and a loss of hope. This in turn creates the negative world that we have become familiar with.

However, the converse is also true. If the media were to portray more positive news, then it would generate positivity among the millions, helping to build a happier, healthier reality.

All it needs is for people to choose for this to happen. “I Want a Positive Headline” gives you that chance for being part of the millions that can come together and cohesively demand for a change in the way the media projects news, ask for more positive headlines with the view that this will bring about a positive change in people and the environment that their collective thoughts will create. It empowers you to change your reality, one thought at a time.