"The movement belongs to those who move. Those who were stuck on the idea that
the movement and the TMO were ONLY about the 7-step program were, well, stuck.
I think M and TM were always a moving target about gateways to consciousness
and purifying collective consciousness, via a lot of different avenues."
Exactly. I was initiated in late 75, then in 78 I worked for the Movement in
LManor, for $5 per month and an unheated cabin, just after it became a men's
only facility, working in the kitchen and the A of E press for a year. We were
hosting Guv training courses with the flying technique then too - lots of
whooping and hollering! The staff meditators went on residence courses one
weekend a month and normally had a 2x2 daily schedule, but the siddhis were
taught in blocks then, and I wasn't selected for the first block.
Came back to work for the Movement in mid 79 to mid 80, about 100 miles east of
Kansas City, MO, building a 30 room residence course and flying hall facility,
farming 14 acres of organic strawberries, and tending a 10 acre apple orchard
and pressing facility next door. Got the Siddhis as work/study, with a $25/mo.
stipend, living out of an unheated garage, and then a trailer. Didn't pay any
taxes that year either...:-)
Then one more time around 82, I went to work for the Missouri facility again,
decided I wanted to be a teacher, applied for TTC, then took a much closer look
at what the Movement was, and how different it was from where I wanted to be,
so I left, and that was that.
I continued to do the TM-Sid program for another 12 years, went on my last
course in the early 90's - that big DC one, then did TM until about March of
this year, when the practice just fell off and wasn't missed (though always
available).
-- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, tartbrain <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" <wayback71@> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" <dhamiltony2k5@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > So you keep talking about Maharishi in great analysis and detail to
> > > > keep from thinking about how Lenz fucked up your head and heart?
> > > >
> > > > That's what it looks like. Freddy was exceptionally gifted and
> > > > insecure. Probably suffering parental rejection, so he got together a
> > > > few of you and made sure HE was the boss, HE was the Guru. You kissed
> > > > HIS butt, but you get the picture- you lived it. Now instead of coming
> > > > to grips with it, you deflect everything about Lenz onto Maharishi.
> > > >
> > > > Free clue: Grow a pair and start living in the present and/or see a
> > > > therapist about the Lenz shit and clear yourself out. Its kind of
> > > > pathetic to see you in this state, all blind to it and misguidedly
> > > > throwing all of your pain on Maharishi. After all, Lenz was the
> > > > mentally ill one, the crazy one, the one you can't grow past even now.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, tartbrain <no_reply@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > This is not a counter rebuttal, simply another view, a point for
> > > > > further discussion and examination.
> > > > >
> > > > > The tipping point was when a portion (I think it was 11.73% but
> > > > > others may quibble on this)of the full time community -- and some
> > > > > ardent part-timers, kept clung to the notion that M. and his TMOs
> > > > > were all about, only about, the seven step program for teaching 20
> > > > > min 2x / day.
> > > > >
> > > > > A parallel is Apple and Steve Jobs. When he went more digital
> > > > > (i-tunes, i-phone) and creating superb customer experiences (Apple
> > > > > stores) etc, many of the faithful said, "Huh, what does this have to
> > > > > do with selling Macs" and "What possible effect can a company with 3%
> > > > > market share have on digital music". Steve's vision was that Apple
> > > > > was a "digital gateway company" (or something along those lines with
> > > > > a core emphasis on superb design.
> > > > >
> > > > > Apple would not be the company with the largest market capitalization
> > > > > in the world (subject to check) and Steve Jobs would not be revered
> > > > > as the CEO of the decade(s), if he limited his vision to selling
> > > > > Macs.
> > > > >
> > > > > M. and his TMOs, in my view, were / are about being a "Consciousness
> > > > > gateway org" -- not limited to 20 min 2x, but having 50 product lines
> > > > > that enable Consciousness to shine in all parts of a persons life.
> > > > > Yet many whined, "when will we get OUR old TMO back, 20 min 2x".
> > > > > "When will M come to his senses and do what he is supposed to do,
> > > > > teach TM".
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The sense of near-desperation with which some on this forum are
> > > > > > hoping
> > > > > > that Oprah is the "new Merv" and that TM is finally on the upswing
> > > > > > again
> > > > > > left me thinking about its past, and trying to pinpoint where it all
> > > > > > went wrong. Many have speculated on this forum about what that
> > > > > > "phase
> > > > > > transition moment" was, the point at which it all began to unravel
> > > > > > and
> > > > > > go downhill. For many (including luminaries like Charlie Lutes and
> > > > > > Jerry
> > > > > > Jarvis), that point was the introduction of the TM-Sidhi program.
> > > > > > Me, I
> > > > > > have a different theory, and I'm going to rap about it in a little
> > > > > > mini-essay today. Be warned...this may be a little long (although
> > > > > > not
> > > > > > the length of Robin's epics), and it may piss a few people off. But
> > > > > > it's
> > > > > > what I honestly believe.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I cannot pinpoint the exact day or month or year in which TMers went
> > > > > > officially bat shit crazy (some TM historian type here may be able
> > > > > > to do
> > > > > > that for us),
> > >
> > > The day? Organizationally? Turqb, it was in the Spring of '77 on a day
> > > when the whole TM teaching organization got overturned by Maharishi at
> > > the end of a huge governor (siddhis) training course in Switzerland. As
> > > the Maharishi was preparing to dis-band the course and have people (many
> > > of the active teaching organization at the time) go home, things changed
> > > from that point. Before this the organizational evaluation of how the
> > > movement was doing was in how the new initiations of new meditators were
> > > doing and also in the numbers of mediators coming to residence courses.
> > > In a meeting the whole hierarchical order of the teaching organization
> > > was sorted, turned out and replaced by 'teams' of teachers with Bevan,
> > > Neil and the Wilsons on top and everyone else spun off.
>
> You got the spring of 77 and dissolving of the old orgs right. But Neil and
> the wilsons? in charge? I guess I didn't get those secret marching orders. I
> know the name, but Neil had nothing to do with our activities as guv teams of
> 4 in the field teaching the prep courses. The Wilsons, not sure who they are,
> however they surely were not someone the teams of guvs had anything to do
> with. (Were they students at MIU in SB in 74 -- was Signe the wife?) Bevan
> floated around a bit in 78 as I recall, but the teams had no formal contact
> with him as I recall.
>
> Were you on a team of guvs, or is this urban legend you are reciting from
> hazy memory?
>
> > After this re-organization happened the evaluation shifted over to being in
> > the numbers of people going to group practice of the Siddhis.
>
> Well, maybe several years after that. The focus in the spring of 77 was to
> hold siddha prep courses. The only ones flying then were a few guvs in crazy
> basements and storage rooms.
>
> > From this it then became about the numbers in group practice of TM-siddhis.
> > The teaching organization and that program got lost from then. The
> > physics discussion around the Meissner Effect had preceded that time.
> > >
> > > I was there and got to witness this happen. It was a time.
> > >
> > > -Buck
> >
> > Doug, I do think you have it right. I remember that time - I had already
> > gone on an earlier 6 month course. Then this new group returned to the
> > center and basically took over - simply because they had been on the latest
> > siddhis course! Some were terrible at giving lectures, but most seemed to
> > be very full of themsleves. The focus on getting people to learn TM and
> > the focus on excellent residence courses just stopped.
>
> While I am sure there was some of that, my experience and view at the time is
> that in the summer of 77 and for at least a bit after that, there were some
> pretty awesome 6-week ?) prep courses going on around the country, and while
> not perhaps Regional Shank polished, were taught from the heart, from a
> relatively same level of the meditators on the courses (which was different
> from the old golden boy system of residence course leaders) and were
> generally competent and effective.
> You may have seen some courses I did not.
>
>
> > As a result, people who learned TM often did not stick with it for very
> > long. It was all about flying together. The old movement was gone,
>
> That's true. And the pre 77 period was nice, but in my view pretty
> superficial in some ways. I mean how profound were the courses around the
> Merv wave. More heart and soul in the 68-72 period as I recall. Then much
> more formality set it. And tons of new teachers very green and naive and some
> quite dysfunctional. Not the best days of the TMO IMO.
>
> >and the new one never took off.
>
> From my view, it appeared to take off for a while, 77-79. Large courses, lots
> of people becoming sidhas, much flatter organizations, guvs and sidhas being
> somewhat on the same playing field (or flying mat).
>
> It did seem to crumble after that from a variety of views (which for me, are
> limited, I surly only saw a small slice of things.)
>
> >I know several TM teachers who faded away from the TMO at that time and went
> >back to getting a real world job.
>
> As happened in 1969, 1971, 1974, 1976 .. over the years there were a steady
> flow of retirements and fresh new faces taking their places.
>
> > This change was definitely MMY's wish,
>
> The movement belongs to those who move. Those who were stuck on the idea that
> the movement and the TMO were ONLY about the 7-step program were, well,
> stuck. I think M and TM were always a moving target about gateways to
> consciousness and purifying collective consciousness, via a lot of different
> avenues. We think SIMS was the movement because we grew up and within that.
> Think how estranged and "the movement died then" the SRM folks felt when the
> SIMS wave rose. ("My god, they don't even talk about God!!")
>
> > and so many many people worked hard to make it happen, Bevan included. You
> > have to give him his due - he is a true devotee and I admire him for that.
> > I imagine he has no choice but to follow his master. Not everyone is built
> > that way.......
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > because I'd already left before it happened. But I can
> > > > > > pinpoint its nature, and what was said -- and believed -- that
> > > > > > caused
> > > > > > everything after that point to be a loony bin. It's the day that
> > > > > > Maharishi first tried to convince people that bouncing on their
> > > > > > butts on
> > > > > > slabs of foam in a big room full of other butt-bouncers could end
> > > > > > crime,
> > > > > > change the weather, and bring about world peace.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This pronouncement almost certainly predated the term "Maharishi
> > > > > > Effect," which was invented later to glorify his pronouncement, and
> > > > > > "scientific data" made up to make it seem true. But from my point of
> > > > > > view the fact that ANYONE believed this spiel for even an instant
> > > > > > signifies the "phase transition point" from relative sanity to total
> > > > > > madness.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Try it yourself by performing your own scientific experiment. Go out
> > > > > > onto the street and pick someone at random, and tell them several
> > > > > > things
> > > > > > that you believe. First, tell them what you heard when you first
> > > > > > learned
> > > > > > TM -- that it was good for you, and that the deep rest enabled you
> > > > > > to
> > > > > > function more efficiently and with less stress. You will probably
> > > > > > get a
> > > > > > general agreement with this. Then say that it is your belief, based
> > > > > > on
> > > > > > scriptures and reported historical instances and such, that some
> > > > > > humans
> > > > > > can develop special powers and abilities (the siddhis) that others
> > > > > > have
> > > > > > not, and possibly even levitate. No one's likely to call you crazy
> > > > > > for
> > > > > > this, because it is after all a matter of belief, and is no weirder
> > > > > > after all than believing in a heaven filled with angels playing
> > > > > > harps or
> > > > > > that Christ walked on water.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > But now tell them that you believe that a number of people as
> > > > > > special as
> > > > > > yourself generate so much Woo Woo by grunting and bouncing around on
> > > > > > their butts on slabs of foam that THEY CAN CREATE WORLD PEACE, all
> > > > > > by
> > > > > > themselves, with no further action needed. My bet is that the
> > > > > > strangers
> > > > > > you've selected for this experiment are going to start edging away
> > > > > > from
> > > > > > you nervously, if not actually running down the street away from
> > > > > > you.
> > > > > > The very idea is absurd, and based on a level of self-importance
> > > > > > that
> > > > > > most people on the planet associate only with full-blown insanity.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > As I've said, I'd left the TMO before Maharishi ever started talking
> > > > > > about this. If I'd still been there I would have laughed in his
> > > > > > face and
> > > > > > walked out of the room, never to return. So I find it difficult to
> > > > > > imagine people listening to it and being SO self-absorbed and
> > > > > > self-important that they actually bought it.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The TM-Sidhis were originally introduced as a means to an end, a
> > > > > > way to
> > > > > > speed up the enlightenment process. There was not a WORD about what
> > > > > > performing them might do for anyone else. That only came later,
> > > > > > after a
> > > > > > number of people had actually learned the siddhis and (surprise!)
> > > > > > neither siddhis nor enlightenment had appeared. The whole original
> > > > > > "selling point" of getting people to pay thousands of dollars to
> > > > > > learn
> > > > > > them had been revealed to be false. So Maharishi had to do
> > > > > > *something*
> > > > > > to try to get people to keep doing them, and to entice new people to
> > > > > > learn them.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Voila. The "group consciousness" thang. What began as mere
> > > > > > pragmatism
> > > > > > (finding a room somewhere and chipping in to get a discount on
> > > > > > slabs of
> > > > > > foam rather than each person buying some for their own home) was
> > > > > > turned
> > > > > > into an exercise in Woo Woo. "Doing program" in a group was
> > > > > > presented as
> > > > > > being Good In Itself. You were "off the program" if you *didn't* do
> > > > > > your
> > > > > > program in a group. Hierarchies were invented to make the
> > > > > > butt-bouncers
> > > > > > "higher" and more important than "mere meditators." Dogma was
> > > > > > invented
> > > > > > about how powerful the group Woo Woo was, and how its peace-causing
> > > > > > properties were even more important than individual enlightenment.
> > > > > > This
> > > > > > proved an easy sell to the gullible, because their own experience
> > > > > > had
> > > > > > already shown them that neither real flying nor enlightenment were
> > > > > > right
> > > > > > around the corner. They believed the insanity being told to them and
> > > > > > shifted their allegiance to altruism and "doing it for the world."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > That's my theory of The Day It All Changed. Maybe someone here was
> > > > > > around *on* that day, and can pinpoint when they first heard it.
> > > > > > Maybe a
> > > > > > few of you can try to explain why you chose to believe it. As I've
> > > > > > said,
> > > > > > I was long gone by that time, and was so distanced from the TMO and
> > > > > > its
> > > > > > craziness that I didn't even know this "dogma shift" had taken place
> > > > > > until I heard about it years later on groups like
> > > > > > alt.meditation.transcendental. People started talking about the
> > > > > > "Maharishi Effect" as if it were a real thing and as if everyone
> > > > > > should
> > > > > > know what they were talking about, and I had no clue. When they
> > > > > > explained it to me I remember laughing for about fifteen minutes at
> > > > > > what
> > > > > > I'd heard, and how bat shit crazy it was.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I honestly think that's the day everything shifted over into total
> > > > > > bat
> > > > > > shit craziness. MORE bat shit crazy followed, such as being
> > > > > > terrified to
> > > > > > enter a building from the wrong direction and people paying a
> > > > > > million
> > > > > > dollars to dress in robes and crowns and call themselves kings of an
> > > > > > imaginary country, but the "phase transition moment" for me was
> > > > > > that day
> > > > > > when Maharishi announced that bouncing on your butts on slabs of
> > > > > > foam
> > > > > > could bring about world peace. And people were so gullible, so
> > > > > > guru-whipped, and so in need of something to feel self important
> > > > > > about
> > > > > > that they believed it.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
