Do you repeat a mantra given to you by instructor?
How did he come up with that?
Who else is using it (the instructor claims it’s unique, I know)?
Whom are you addressing with your mantra?
You see where am I going with this questions, right?
Over the 50 years since Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced the Transcendental Meditation program to the West, it has spread to over 150 countries worldwide and is practiced by millions of people. In the modern world of the Internet, every organization will attract some criticism, and it’s hard for the reader to sort out what is fact or fiction. I will be addressing the few inevitable criticisms from my scientific perspective (see About David Orme-Johnson ).
These issues include challenges to the research, questions about whether TM is a religion or cult, whether it has harmful effects, and about court cases, and on the Maharishi Effect and TM’s possible influence on society.
Do you repeat a mantra given to you by instructor? Yes, the mantra is repeated in your mind, not outwardly.
How did he come up with that? Instructors are trained on how to teach the practice of TM and give each person a mantra based on the person’s age, gender and comfort with the mantra. The mantra will not have specific meaning to you. I have seen mantras listed on the Internet.
Who else is using it (the instructor claims it’s unique, I know)? Actually its not really unique to just you. Others are certainly assigned the same mantra based on criteria above.
Whom are you addressing with your mantra? The mantra is not spoken outloud. You are not addressing any one. It is simply a nonverbal repetition that helps the mind to move away from concentrated thought for a short period of time. You can stop at any time.