It's probably worth noting that the blurb Michael posted here is *NOT* from Sem himself, and the title of the book is *NOT* "The Maharishi Murderer." The blurb was written by a part-timer at the book PR agency Sem or the publisher hired to stir up interest in the book, SEND2PRESS.
On the other hand, "the Maharishi Murderer" *IS* exactly what he was. What makes such PR excess possible are the extravagant (and clearly untrue) claims made by MUM about what an "ideal society" it represents, and how violence and crime simply can't exist inside the awesome Field Of Woo generated by the domes. When you've made claims like that and then had them proved untrue, *of course* you pretend the event never happened in your campus newspapers. Many of the people on campus (and the TBs here) are still busy pretending it never happened in their own minds. ________________________________ From: salyavin808 <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2014 8:39 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: The Maharishi Murderer Sounds like an interesting book. Shame about the appalling title. I think the tagline should read: One Man's Escape from Insanity' is the story of Shuvender Sem, who, 10 years later, we are now going to pretend that on March 1, 2004 became known as 'The Maharishi Murderer' to sell more books. Maybe it covers this, but here is also an interesting story about how some people with latent psychosis are adversely affected by TM and the TMSP. I've known a couple myself. Maybe they do too much, maybe they would have had a breakdown anyway, but they say that about those people who are insane after a hit of LSD. Some things open unconscious wounds and we all know that TM is much more than just a relaxation technique. But it's impossible to say for sure. I think it's just hopelessly ineffective with deep psychological problems, a bit of seratonin goes a long way but it isn't a cure all. But I seem to remember some research claiming that TM lowers psychotic succeptability, didn't help a friend of mine and the people in the TMO had no way of dealing with it which I seem to remember was the main problem at MUM. Most interesting aspect of it for cult watchers was the news blackout, a murder on campus didn't even make the student newspaper! I'm all for global good news but that was sinister, our very own Bob Brigante commented that it's like living in North Korea. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <mjackson74@...> wrote : New Autobiography Gives Insight into Maharishi Murder Tue, 19 Feb 2013, 14:47:52 EDT Edited by Debra Tone LANCASTER, Pa., Feb. 19, 2013 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- It is a story that could only be written by one person. A compelling autobiography that not only pushes the boundaries of sanity, it takes readers on a frightening voyage to meet it face-to-face. "Murder and Misunderstanding; One Man's Escape from Insanity" (ISBN-13: 978-1479256969) is the story of Shuvender Sem, who on March 1, 2004 became known as "The Maharishi Murderer." The murder took place in Fairfield, Iowa, on the campus of a university that prided itself on non-violence. The Maharishi University of Management used a variety of techniques towards its non-violent goals including twice-daily use of Transcendental Meditation. It was to no small degree that this setting put the murder in the national spotlight. In one moment Sem was a college student. In the next he was "The Maharishi Murderer." Shuvender killed freshman Levi Butler without provocation on the campus by stabbing him four times in the chest with a paring knife. The murder took place following an incident earlier in the day when Sem stabbed a student with a pen. That previous incident led to the student getting seven stitches to his face. Deemed competent to stand trial, the judge ruled he was "not guilty by reason of insanity" at the request of both the defense and the prosecution. Against popular belief, NGRI is an extremely rare plea, used in less than one percent of criminal cases. A not guilty result is even more uncommon, occurring just one-quarter of one percent of the time. Now, after years of psychotropic medications and intense therapy, Shuvender is telling his story of schizophrenia in his autobiography, "Murder and Misunderstanding; One Man's Escape from Insanity." It is not only an extremely rare look into the mind of a killer from his own perspective, but it is also a deeply personal story that explores the darkest, most grim places of the mind. "Our mental health system is broken. We need to fix this before more crimes are committed," says Sem. In his book, Shuvender tells of his relationship with his father, and the events that led to that day on campus. He describes his struggle with, and eventual escape from this misunderstood illness. It is a story of recognition and realization. A story of redemption desired, and hope delivered. It is a book written to serve as a beacon for those with schizophrenia and their families, by a man who was held in its strongest grips, and managed to escape. Shuvender Sem, or Shubi as he is known, now speaks publicly about his experience with schizophrenia in the hopes of helping others. He is available for presentations and Q&A sessions for law enforcement, mental health groups, attorney associations, academic institutions and others who may feel they can benefit from his story. The self-told story of Shuvender Sem, "Murder and Misunderstanding; One Man's Escape from Insanity" is available at http://www.ShuvenderSem.com/ . The book is available in paperback; as well as Kindle, iPad and Nook digital editions.
