An Introduction to TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is for people who lead active lives. Most of us begin TM for practical reasons: we want better physical and mental health, increased energy, less anxiety and tension, more fulfilling relationships, greater clarity of thought, or more success and fulfillment.

 Many individuals today experience the benefits of this highly effective meditation technique. We hear a lot about famous movie stars, business leaders, athletes, musicians, scientists, fashion models, and talk show hosts who all do TM. But thousands more—homemakers, teachers, bank clerks, farmers, small business persons, students of all ages, veterans, and people from every imaginable walk of life—are quietly and effortlessly practicing the TM program, benefiting from the proven release of stress, lowering high blood pressure, and increasing their success and happiness at work and at home.

Preface Foreword Introduction What You'll Find in this Book What Is Transcendental Meditation? How does Transcendental Meditation work? Why is it called "Transcendental Meditation"? Why is this state called "pure consciousness"? What is the significance of this state of pure consciousness? Who is TM for? What benefits can I expect if I practice TM? What other research has been done on TM? Is TM the same as other meditations? I've tried other forms of meditation, and they didn't seem to work. Why? Can you talk about the various kinds of meditation and why TM is different? What does it mean to be mindful, and how does TM compare to the practices of Mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)? Is it possible to fail the TM course? Is TM a religious practice? Can you tell us more about Maharishi? How did Maharishi gain the knowledge of TM? Why does TM require personal instruction? What are the steps to learning TM? The Practice of Transcendental Meditation Is it natural for us to transcend? Can anyone transcend? What is a personal mantra? Does it take willpower or discipline to meditate? How often do we meditate and for how long? Can we meditate more than twice a day? Can we meditate just before bed? Can we meditate more when we feel we need it? Why do we have different kinds of experiences during different meditations? Are there any other techniques I can learn after TM? What do you mean by "higher states of consciousness"? Can my practice of TM affect those around me? The Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Health and Aging How does TM affect health? How does TM affect heart disease? What are the effects of TM on high blood pressure? Can TM reduce other risk factors that influence heart disease? What about diabetes? Can TM improve other areas of health? Can TM reduce medical costs? What about PTSD? How can one simple mental technique bring about all these changes? How does TM affect aging? Has there been TM research on aging? Long-Term Changes Associated with Regular Transcendental Meditation 47 What are some of the long-term changes that come with the practice of TM? What about long-term effects in terms of the states of higher consciousness you mentioned earlier? How many states are there? What are the other three higher states? Is there scientific research to document the development of these states? Can anyone achieve higher states of consciousness? What is the relationship between TM and "self-actualization"? The Effects of Transcendental Meditation in Education Is there research showing that TM is useful in education? Are there examples of how TM has improved an entire school? Who is David Lynch? What is his connection to TM? Why is TM so effective for students? What does education have to do with our physiology? Is there any research on the effects of TM on students at a university level? Are there any schools or universities founded by Maharishi? The Neurophysiology of Peace How can there be any connection between the practice of TM and peace? When did scientists first study the effects of TM on society? Has there been any research to prove that TM can create peace in the world? What is the collective consciousness of a society? Why hasn't this research been taken seriously? Is there any hope that this research will someday be recognized and used by governments? The Brain, Consciousness, and Enlightenment What does science say? How can we understand the nature of consciousness? What is enlightenment? Are there any records of enlightenment? Are there any accounts of individuals achieving enlightenment in the West? Besides philosophers and poets, have any modern scientists described experiences of transcending? How did this knowledge become lost? Why is this knowledge available to us now? How to Learn TM: The Seven Steps