Maharishi chose to use a subset of the mantras that are available,.presumably because his intuition said it was a sufficiently large subset to be useful.
Upcoming research on TM using advanced EEG analysis should help make it more clear what it means to be "useful." In the meantime, the TM organization is apparently embracing Alaric Arenander's idea that TM centers should start to do public demos of EEG coherence as part of introductory lectures on TM. Here's the main excerpt of the Maharishi Global Family Chat presentation he made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyITv-rIDzk&list=UU0iwNoV7Sptxi1qqWz_R9IA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyITv-rIDzk&list=UU0iwNoV7Sptxi1qqWz_R9IA The EEG shown in the video looks to be pretty darned unusual. Certainly, looking at the EEG described in papers published about other meditation practices, it is inescapable to conclude that the EEG found in long-term TMers and long-term practitioners of other techniques are as different as night and day with respect to what starts to show up the longer one has been practicing the various techniques. TM really IS different than other practices that have been studied, with respect to EEG. TM researchers aren't able to get guys like Dietrich Lehmann and Roberto Pascual-Marqui to participate (or so the rumor goes) in multiple EEG studies on advanced TMers because they're excessively charismatic or something. These guys are teh very tip-top in their field. If these guys decide to study something, it is because they think it is interesting and unusual, both. http://www.uzh.ch/keyinst/index/members/lehmann/cv11.htm http://www.uzh.ch/keyinst/index/members/lehmann/cv11.htm http://www.uzh.ch/keyinst/loreta.htm http://www.uzh.ch/keyinst/loreta.htm L ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <noozguru@...> wrote : Did I not say that beej mantras are commonly used in astrology not to mention ayurveda? But few westerners had penetrated that information back with MMY started TM. Funny thing it is not uncommon to find that people's names start with the sound associated with their birth star (nakshatra) even if they are westerners and their parents knew nothing about astrology. As Graffitiswami might say: Go figure. On 03/30/2014 07:44 AM, Michael Jackson wrote: The comments section is well worth reading, esp the long one from John: http://www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures/tm http://www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures/tm The origin of the TM Bija mantras (seed sounds) are to be found in the so called “Hoda Chakra” which is printed and reprinted in virtually all the published astrological almanachs in India. The Hoda Chakra lists 108 seed sounds, each one allotted to the 4 padas of the 27 star constellations (Nakshatras).All this is well known in India. Mostly it is used in the selection of Names,based on the Moon’s position in a particular Nakshatra Pada. In an advanced version of the TM, this astrological information (position of the Moon at birth) is used also for selecting the seed sounds.Actually, what is known and practiced as the TM is part of the a large and complex system. Perhaps less than 1% of this has filtered through the contemporary TM movement.
