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Also See
Contemplative Prayer
Although not meant to replace other kinds of prayer the basic idea behind Contemplative Prayer is to totally center one's mind on God - not by conscious thought, but by simply feeling God within - an indescribable union with Him. Unfortunately, in this world of 'warm fuzzies' people are obsessed with how they feel. Thus they assume that if they feel the presence of God, He must be there.
The problem is Contemplative Prayer is not only unsupported by Scripture, but the methods used by 'Christian' mystics to achieve a "higher realm of consciousness" is exactly the same as the methods used by Buddhist meditators, Hindus, New Agers, Shamans, etc.
However, since it is certain that, regardless of personal belief, something does transpire during mystical experiences, the question that springs to mind is what. Can we please not forget that evil spirits have been practicing the art of deception for thousands of years and willingly give whatever experiences they know people will fall for.
ON THIS PAGE
Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
Foreword
About Transcendental Meditation
Can TM be Separated From Its Hindu Roots?
The Maharishi and the Bhagavad-Gita
The Bhagavad Gita - A Brief Overview
Biblical Meditation
Maharishi’s Teachings Vs. The Teachings of the Bible
The Divinity of Man. Karma
Foreword:
Currently in the process of giving this site a total overhaul (should be done by the end of 2026) I was disinclined to include this article of Transcendental Meditation under the mistaken idea that it was no longer as popular as it used to be, and had virtually died out in this country. Was I ever wrong. According to a site called www.tm.org, Transcendental Meditation in not only alive and well but seems to be booming. The site lists the TM centers in each state. It lists close to thirty centers in the state of Florida alone, the same number in California, and near twelve in W. Washington where I live.
Largely touted as a scientific technique to lower stress the word meditation has become so much a part of our world today - so commonplace that few seem to realize that if they dig a little deeper they will find that its roots are deeply buried in Hinduism - carefully packaged and marketed for the West
With that in mind...
About Transcendental Meditation
Often linked to Eastern metaphysical philosophies, the New Age, and/or Eastern religions, Transcendental Meditation is reputed to be is a simple, easily learned, technique practiced for 20 minutes once or twice a day. TM is different from other meditation practices because it is said to be "effortless" involving no concentration, control over thoughts, or focus. The practitioner silently repeats a mantra (a sound, word, or phrase) or focus on a single point to calm the mind and enter a relaxed state of restful awareness that some have likened to trance like.
Transcendental Meditation was developed by Hindu monk Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (AKA Guru Dev) but in 1955 was introduced to the world by one of his disciples - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who presented it as a simple, natural, and effortless technique for reducing stress and achieving self-development.
According to TM.org
By 1958, Maharishi was traveling the world teaching the Transcendental Meditation technique. He oversaw the training of thousands of certified TM teachers and established a non-profit foundation to preserve the authenticity of the TM technique for generations to come...
Maharishi chose Dr. Tony Nader, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard-trained medical doctor and one of the world’s eminent Vedic scholars, as his successor. [01]
It didn’t take long before the Maharishi moved beyond US borders. In April of 1975, he
“... founded Maharishi European Research University (MERU) in Switzerland – a university promoting research into consciousness as a field of all possibilities. In 1984, MERU purchased a campus in a national forest near Vlodrop, the Netherlands. It was here where Maharishi spent the last 18 years of his life. [02]
However, TM became more popular in the 1960s and 1970s as the Maharishi shifted to a more secular presentation more about that below). This shift has been described by both those within and outside the movement as an attempt to appeal to the more secular West. The Maharishi and his meditation technique was practiced by celebrities, most prominently members of the Beatles and the Beach Boys. In 1967, The Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India, to study with Maharishi. Their endorsement made TM a cultural phenomenon which is now available in over 100 countries by certified TM teachers.
Mantras
In essence a mantra is a word, sound, or phrase (often in Sanskrit) repeated continually as you breathe in and out. It is considered to be sacred and is used in a wide variety of religious and spiritual traditions such as Hinduism and, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism - the idea being that its rhythmic repetition aids the relaxation effort. In meditation the mantra is . The best known mantra is "Om (also Spelled "aum")
The word mantra is derived from two Sanskrit words - manas (mind) and tra (tool). As such, mantras are considered to be “tools of thought,” used as a means of harnessing and focusing the mind. [03]
It is believed that mantras originated in India around 1000 BC. and that the word or sound has religious, magical or spiritual power. The Yoga Journal says mantras as "tools for the mind" were "designed to help practitioners access a higher power and their true natures". [04]
Can TM be Separated From Its Hindu Roots?
Not only did it originate in India, where it was taught by the guru (or maharishi) Mahesh Yogi based on his interpretation of Hindu Vedic traditions but it is manifestly evident that Transcendental Meditation is religious in nature because of the ideas upon which the technique is built. Its theological presuppositions are those of Hinduism.
An in-depth study of Transcendental Meditation reveals that not all of its story appears on the surface. TM's promoters claim that it is religiously neutral however, the practice of transcendental meditation has its roots in Hinduism. In fact,
The roots are so deeply buried in Hinduism that TM cannot not exist without the Vedic Scriptures - the foundational, sacred scriptures of Hinduism.
Additionally, the inclusion of the ritualistic initiation ceremony and the use of the secret mantra in TM are in keeping with the mystical practices of the cults of the East.. As said by the National Center For Science Education. (All Emphasis Added)
The origins of the practice were clearly in the monistic Hinduism of Shankara, wherein the goal of religion - of human existence itself - is to pass beyond the illusion (maya) of diversity and so to realize one's identity with Brahman, the impersonal absolute, conceived as the eternal essence preceding all existence.
This fact is nowhere more clearly seen than in the Maharishi's own commentary on the first six chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, the key text of Vedanta Hinduism. When the guru founded an organization to spread his faith in America, there was no doubt as to its religious nature. It was called the Spiritual Regeneration Movement Foundation. A certificate of incorporation, written in 1961, made no bones about the fact that "this corporation is a religious one" (article eleven).
During the years 1967 and 1968, Maharishi and his lieutenants reluctantly decided that their movement had met with little success. Few Americans had seen the light. So a change in tactics was deemed necessary. Given the American people's infatuation with science and the American government's disinclination to abet religious propaganda, the course of action seemed clear. Transcendental meditation would die as a religion and rise again (or be "reincarnated") as a science.
In actuality, no substantial change was envisioned. [05
(Note: The technique was very criticized for allegedly disguising religious claims in pseudo-scientific language. in fact, sociologists, religion scholars, and a New Jersey judge and court are among those who have expressed views on it being religious or non-religious. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld the federal ruling that TM was essentially "religious in nature" and therefore could not be taught in public schools. [Wikipedia]
The Maharishi and the Bhagavad-Gita
In the write up of the book entitled Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, Maharishi International University (which please note - is Fairfield, Iowa ) says (All Emphasis Added)
Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides "all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man.”... (It) presents a timeless formula for rising above the mundane problems of life to enjoy eternal freedom and fulfillment in higher states of consciousness. [06]
But in the final analysis neutrality can only be determined by the object or content of the exercise.
So how’s this for content?
One question asked on the web site of the Maharishi International University is "What happens when you meditate?" To which they reply
The Transcendental Meditation technique effortlessly allows your mind to settle inward to experience the source of thought — pure awareness, also known as transcendental consciousness. This is the most silent and peaceful level of consciousness — your innermost Self. At this level, your brain functions with significantly greater coherence, and your body gains deep rest. [07]
This is repeated on many TM sites. For example,
When you meditate, TM allows your mind to effortlessly settle inward, through quieter levels of thought, until you experience the most silent and peaceful level of your awareness — pure consciousness, your innermost self. [08]
Innermost self?
The innermost Self in Hinduism is the Atman, defined as the eternal, unchanging, and divine soul present within every being. As the true essence beyond the physical body and ego, the Atman is considered identical in essence to the universal spirit, Brahman. (In Hindu thought a clear distinction is not made between God and His creation).
Brahman?
Atman and Brahman are not two separate entities. Note: Brahman is not a "god" in the traditional sense (with human form or attributes) but rather the supreme, formless, and ultimate reality in Hinduism.
The core tenet of Vedanta philosophy is that the individual Self (Atman) is inherently one with the supreme universal consciousness (Brahman). As said by EBSCO, a leading provider of research databases
Brahman in Hinduism is regarded as the ultimate reality and the supreme divine force that underpins all existence. While often seen as a polytheistic religion, Hinduism actually centers around Brahman, who is expressed through various deities. The most significant of these deities form the Trimurti: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer, each representing different aspects of Brahman's nature. Hindus typically do not worship Brahman directly but instead honor these deities as manifestations of Brahman, reflecting the belief that each god embodies a distinct facet of this supreme entity.
differentiate between Christian meditation (filling the mind with God's word) and Eastern meditation (emptying the mind or moving beyond thought). Christian meditation is focused on God's revelation, not on self-centered relaxation. [09]
Meditation is emphasized in TM as the best means of "transcending" or experiencing unity with the all-pervading, impersonal god-force, the being called Brahman. In other words, TM is designed to bring the practitioner into a “higher form of consciousness” for the purpose of finding ‘God’ within himself.
The Bhagavad Gita - A Brief Overview
The Bhagavad Gita, often called the "Song of God" is a 700-verse Hindu scripture recorded in (chapters 23 to 40 of Book VI) the Mahabharata - one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and one of the world's longest. Composed perhaps in the 1st or 2nd century CE, it is commonly known as the Gita ("song")
"Set against the backdrop of a great battle in ancient India, the text presents a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and his charioteer, Krishna, who is also an avatar (incarnation) of the god Vishnu. At the core of the narrative is Arjuna's moral dilemma about fighting in a war that involves his own family, prompting a profound discussion on duty (dharma), righteousness, and the nature of existence". [10]
In the write up of the book entitled Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, Maharishi International University (which please note - is Fairfield, Iowa ) says (All Emphasis Added)
Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides "all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man.”... (It) presents a timeless formula for rising above the mundane problems of life to enjoy eternal freedom and fulfillment in higher states of consciousness. [11]
Note: Vedic Literature is the foundational, sacred scriptures of Hinduism, composed in ancient India (c. 1500–500 BCE) in Vedic Sanskrit
Purpose
:... the purpose of the Bhagavad Gita, above everything else, is to impart Brahma Vidya, the science of God-realization. [12]
The Path
In a chapter by chapter overview of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s commentary on the Bhagavad Gita meditation teacher and author Mary Swift writes (All Emphasis Added)
Verses 2-10. A difference of path is not significant so long as Divine Union is gained. What is important is to know that each path starts from the level of activity and ends in the eternal silence of absolute Being, which develops into God-consciousness. This process is divided into three stages: from the waking state to transcendental consciousness, from transcendental consciousness to cosmic consciousness, from cosmic consciousness to God-consciousness.
Verses 46, 47. The seeker is exhorted to set himself on the path of Transcendental Meditation, gain Union of the mind with the divine Self in transcendental consciousness, realize that Self as separate from activity in cosmic consciousness, rise to God through devotion, and finally attain complete Union with Him. [13]
Finally, those believers who understand that doctrine and practice cannot be separated will stay away from Transcendental meditation because of its theological moorings. See Theology and Doctrine
Biblical Meditation
But doesn’t the Bible endorse and encourage meditation?
Yes it does
However, as said earlier the primary goal of most Eastern meditation is to achieve mental stillness by reducing thoughts and cognitive activity. Transcendental Meditation on the other hand, promotes relaxed awareness, self-realization, self-development, and higher states of consciousness.
This is poles apart from Biblical Meditation which means a deep, focused, continuous and active thinking/reflecting /contemplating something about God - His character, laws, precepts, His glory and strength, His promises and blessings etc. The idea behind Biblical meditation is to take time away from the distractions of the world and focus on God and His word. It is focused on God's revelation not on self-centered relaxation
The word “meditate” is used some fifteen times in the Old Testament most often in the Psalms (it is not found in the New Testament).
I will meditate on all Your work, And on Your deeds with thanksgiving. (Psalms 77:12 NASB)
I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. (Psalms 119:15 NASB)
And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes. (Psalms 119:48 NASB)
My eyes anticipate the night watches, So that I may meditate on Your word. (Psalms 119:148 NASB)
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. (Psalms 145:5 NASB)
Note that in every instance the Psalmist was focused on/thinking about Scriptural passages, God's attributes, His works, or or His commandments which is exactly what the Father told Joshua to do.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success. (Joshua 1:8 NASB)
God was telling Joshua to think deeply and carefully about the ‘Book of the Law’ thus to be be so well acquainted with it that he would not deviate one iota from what it said.
As David Guzik writes in his commentary of the book of Joshua
Joshua must take great care to observe the law. God’s word and Joshua’s commitment to it would be the pillars supporting his success.
c. To all the law: Joshua did not only need to read God’s word. It had to be on his lips (shall not depart from your mouth), in his mind (meditate in it day and night), and he had to do it (observe to do according to all that is
written).
Maharishi’s Teachings Vs. The Teachings of the Bible
According to Maharishi, man's ignorance of the above facts is the sole source of all his problems. He is bound up in a world of illusion and ignorance. Thinking falsely that creation is real, he is unaware of identity with Being. His salvation comes with the knowledge of the illusion of life and of man's oneness with Being.
There are two issues in the above statement - man’s divinity and karma.
Man is “Divine”
According to TM, we are all connected and are one with the Universe. And as the Maharishi says man is capable of experiencing his own divinity - everyone is Divine.
The Bible begs to differ
The Bible denies that people are one essence with God or the universe because it declares that only God has eternality — for He "alone is immortal" (1 Timothy. 6:16) — and only He is an infinite being. Thus the one and only God (John 17:3) who existed from eternity (Ps. 90:2) created the entire material and spiritual universe, including humanity, from nothing.
God did not emanate something of Himself in the process of creation so that everything in creation partakes in the nature of God. To the contrary, as the following Scriptures declare, God created the universe merely by speaking it into existence: "
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1);
And God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind; and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21 NASB)
he universe was formed at God's command" (Hebrews 11:3);
"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made ... For he spoke, and it came to be" (Ps. 33:6, 9). [15]
In His Image
Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 NASB)
When the Bible says man was created in the image of God it does not mean we physically look like God nor are we ‘part of Him’ - which in any case, is impossible because He is Spirit (John 4:24).
It simply means that humans were created to reflect God's moral, spiritual, and intellectual attributes. Of all life on the planet we alone have the unique capacity to reason, exercise free will, show creativity, and were given stewardship over creation. This sets us apart from other creatures.
In other words, it is man's moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature which is how we bear likeness to God / are made in His image of God.
And as far as the Maharishi is concerned all I can say is he certainly thinks differently now.
Sorry but I have had it up to here with this Gobbledygook, the definition of which is "incomprehensible, wordy jargon or nonsense language often filled with overly complicated, pompous, or technical terms that obscure meaning"
Exactly!
End Notes
[01] https://www.tm.org/what-is-tm
[02] The Story of MERU. MERU Academy. https://meru.international/about/
[03] What Does Mantra Mean? https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/4950/mantra
[04] https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/
sanskrit/mantras-101-the-science-behind-finding-your-mantra-and-how-to-practice-it/
[05] https://ncse.ngo/scientific-creationism-and-science-creative-intelligence]
[06] Maharishi International University Press .
https://miupress.org/product/maharishi-mahesh-
yogi-on-the-bhagavad-gita-a-new-translation-and-commentary-chapters-1-6/
[07] Maharishi International University. https://www.miu.edu/about-miu/transcendental-meditation-technique
[08] Maharishi Foundation Australia and GMDO. The Unique features of Transcendental Meditation.
https://www.meditationmelbourne.org.au/unique-features-of-tm
[09] Brahman (Hinduism) EBSCO Information Services, Inc.
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/brahman-hinduism
[10] https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/bhagavad-gita-0
[11] Maharishi International University Press .
https://miupress.org/product/maharishi-mahesh-yogi-on-the-bhagavad-gita-a-new-translation-and-commentary-chapters-1-6/
[12] Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God. Commentary by Swami Mukundananda.
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/gu/
[13] Mary Swift. Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
https://meditationlifestyle.com/commentary-bhagavad-gita-maharishi-yogi/
[14] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4_FKeFzIL9Q
[15] John Weldon and John Ankerberg. Visualization: God-Given Power or New Age Danger?
https://www.equip.org/articles/visualization-part-two/
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