I was just looking into more about Transcendental Meditation. So far I've found that you can only learn it from a certified TM teacher. I've also learned that the east 7 step teaching process (consisting of 6 to 10 hours) cost $1,500. Oh yeah, I've also learned that, according to the official TM website, it just can't be taught by a book or CD. Hmm!
Then I find this other site, which has some pretty interesting comments by an acclaimed ex-certified TM teacher. And while the official site claims that TM is not a religion, this dissenter does claim that it is spiritual teaching. He also claims that "TM the spiritual teaching" is an esoteric, dogmatic religious sect, controlled absolutely by its living prophet who proclaims doctrine with ex-cathedra infallibility." Well that certainly is a long winded claim, that sounds so complex that it's bound to generate suspicion.
So I'm kind of bummed, that learning TM is so rigid, and that it has such a popular critical opinion. There was one link in the Rabbit Hole site which lead to an explanation of what TM is, which contained the following disclaimer "TM "works" only if you are susceptible to the particular method of trance induction." The implication here, along with other parts of the ex-teacher's critical opinion, is that learning TM is sort of like brain washing. Now, I know that is an overly simplistic generalization, but putting these two pieces of a puzzle (the official site and the critical opinion) form a really negative picture.
I do want to practice more regular meditation, but I think that there were some "easier, cheaper, and more accessible techniques available on the "Andrew Weil & Kimba Arem - Self-Healing With Sound and Music" CDs. So I think, I'll start with those before moving on to something else. Practice is practice. The more I can control my mind, the better. I need to embrace whatever means that are immediately available to me.
Then I find this other site, which has some pretty interesting comments by an acclaimed ex-certified TM teacher. And while the official site claims that TM is not a religion, this dissenter does claim that it is spiritual teaching. He also claims that "TM the spiritual teaching" is an esoteric, dogmatic religious sect, controlled absolutely by its living prophet who proclaims doctrine with ex-cathedra infallibility." Well that certainly is a long winded claim, that sounds so complex that it's bound to generate suspicion.
So I'm kind of bummed, that learning TM is so rigid, and that it has such a popular critical opinion. There was one link in the Rabbit Hole site which lead to an explanation of what TM is, which contained the following disclaimer "TM "works" only if you are susceptible to the particular method of trance induction." The implication here, along with other parts of the ex-teacher's critical opinion, is that learning TM is sort of like brain washing. Now, I know that is an overly simplistic generalization, but putting these two pieces of a puzzle (the official site and the critical opinion) form a really negative picture.
I do want to practice more regular meditation, but I think that there were some "easier, cheaper, and more accessible techniques available on the "Andrew Weil & Kimba Arem - Self-Healing With Sound and Music" CDs. So I think, I'll start with those before moving on to something else. Practice is practice. The more I can control my mind, the better. I need to embrace whatever means that are immediately available to me.
