trancendental tuition

March 23, 2006 11:08 PM

I finally decided to make good on a long standing resolution to learn how to meditate. transcendental Meditation, I wa told, was among the best programs to learn from. I found a TM franchise nearby, and attended a free intro class. After a long boring lecture and no actual meditation, in which the lecturer showed study after study showing how TM cures everything including ingrown toe nials, she drops the karma bomb: $2500 "tuition" for the course. My questions: Is TM really superior? Has it really become the peaceful tonic of the upper classes? Is TM really superior to other forms of meditation? Does TM always have to be so expensive? Can it be learned from a book instead of avaristic new age meditation moguls?
posted by Fupped Duck to Health & Fitness (24 answers total)

I am strongly of the opinion that nothing a 'lecturer' can teach you about meditation practice can help you more than your own careful reading, diligent practice, and living awareness in the moment.

There are scam artists in every area, but the most egregious are the ones who try and bilk people out of their cash in ways like this intro class you attended.

No form of practice is 'better' than any other, but you may find one form is better for you. But whatever it is, it should cost you nothing more than the price of a mat, and your time.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:14 PM on March 23, 2006

AskMe generally regards TM to be a huge fraud. Try searching for it.
posted by fake at 11:14 PM on March 23, 2006

To summarize the content of my post in that first search result: Arguably the Advaita Vedanta meditation that TM is the best meditation technique both in terms of health and mental/"spiritual" effects. It's hardly unique to TM, but it's still much harder to find than, say, Vipassana. It's also relatively nuanced (not to say complicated) and unusually disposed to teaching rather than self-education. But they still very much don't deserve your money, whether or not you can find anywhere else to get it.
posted by abcde at 11:31 PM on March 23, 2006

Try this(mindfulness in plain english)only costs you time.
posted by hortense at 11:35 PM on March 23, 2006 [1 favorite]

Thirty years ago I was taught transcendental meditation by an anointed instructor directly from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. After 30 years, I can boil down what they taught me to this: "Here is a secret word you must repeat, it's called your 'mantra'." It's not a bad mantra. On occasion it helps me fall asleep at night. But, I feel I paid a fair price for it at the time:$0. Yep. It was free. I may have paid a small "suggested donation." But, the beauty of TM at that time was that they believed it should be free so that they could spread this amazing, spiritual gift. They did this because they believed that they needed to get the entire world meditating, as it would one day overwhelm all evil, and bring peace to the world. I guess they scrapped that program in favor of getting rich.
posted by generic230 at 12:03 AM on March 24, 2006

Also, note well that likely all or nearly all the studies she cited were sponsored by TM. There has been a good deal of research on it, much of it favorable, but the miraculous results they cite are largely invented.
posted by abcde at 12:25 AM on March 24, 2006

I started by simply shelling out a few quid for Meditation For Dummies. It's a great book and I saw the benefits very quickly. Meditation isn't something that needs be taught, rather it's about listening to yourself and simply being mindful. A good teacher can really help but noone should be charging you money for helping another human being in this way.
posted by brautigan at 12:39 AM on March 24, 2006

TM is Microsoft Meditation. Hortense has given you the link to a superior open-source alternative.
posted by flabdablet at 2:16 AM on March 24, 2006 [1 favorite]

Try finding a local sangha on BuddhaNet. Vipassana (the Theravadin method) is generally a straightforward, relaxing form of meditation, and if you find the right sangha you can get your meditation practice for free.

Mindfulness in Plain English (link above by hortense) is generally regarded as an excellent text for the layperson.
posted by graymouser at 3:42 AM on March 24, 2006

Hey, it's pretty simple. Sit in a chair. Stare at a spot on the wall. Think, "spot". When you find yourself looking at something else or thinking something else, go back to looking at the spot and thinking "spot".

Everything else is window dressing.
posted by ewkpates at 4:21 AM on March 24, 2006

$2500 is a shameful sum. The most you should ever pay is a nominal fee ($1-$10 per meeting) to support the maintance of an adequate space and whatever material supports (pillows, bells, etc.) a meditation group uses. If you cannot afford to pay, you should be given the opportunity to pay only what you can. Look for an ongoing, established group, preferrably one that is not-for-profit. You will know that you have found the right group when you are struck by the simplicty of the situation and the humility of the participants. Good luck.
posted by mrmojoflying at 6:21 AM on March 24, 2006

The first result in the search linked by fake fed my interest in meditation a while back, and one of the links in that thread is to the Vipassana Meditation Website. They run courses regularly, all over the world, on a strictly donation basis -- in fact, you're not even allowed to pay for the course until after you've completed it. And as far as I can tell, there's a lot less dogma and superstition attached. I'm signed up for a 10-day course this summer.

If I were you, even if I were really interested in TM, I'd probably try something like that first. What have you got to lose? If you find what you're looking for with Vipassana, you've saved $2500 (less whatever you decide to pay for the class when you're done with it, if anything). If not, you can still pay the $2500 for TM, and you haven't lost anything trying Vipassana.
posted by Acetylene at 6:42 AM on March 24, 2006

I only have one thing to add to the otherwise excellent answers you've gotten so far: Don't feel bad if you do want a teacher and a community in which to meditate.

Just because meditation is simple (and it is, as others have pointed out here) doesn't mean it is easy. In fact, meditating well is one of the more difficult things you can do — and when you're doing something difficult you can use all the moral and practical support you can get. Your teacher can't do the hard work for you, but he can hold your hand while you do it, and for some people that helps.

So yes, find a teacher if you want one. Find a sangha. Don't take the macho attitude that you need to go it alone.

Just don't shell out the $2500. There really are excellent teachers who teach for free, and many more who do it for cheap.
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:56 AM on March 24, 2006

My friend of 15+ years (and former roommate for a stretch there) has been meditating daily for about 12 years. I showed him this thread (he's not a mefite) and he said that he would be glad to talk to you about it... email, phone, whatever. If you're interested, send me an email and I'll will forward it to him.
posted by Witty at 7:31 AM on March 24, 2006

$2500 to learn to meditate sounds like nothing but scam to me. I see from your profile you're in NYC. I guarantee you could find dozens of Buddhist meditation groups that are free or very cheap.

I haven't searched the literature for evidence of some form of meditation having proven health benefits over another, but I'm pretty dubious that one variant of sitting quietly at mindfulness practice would quantitatively differ from another, after controlling other variables.

I count my breaths from 1-10 over and over. If someone else chooses focusing on his or her heartbeat, or a candle flame, or a mandala, or a mantra, or a spot on the wall, they all sound just fine to me.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 8:06 AM on March 24, 2006

Read the book The Relaxation Response by Herb Benson. It came out many years ago, and I'm sure is available in libraries and used book stores. Benson did research and distills the practical/biological aspects of meditation as a technique. Here's a nice little summary of one version of meditation.

If you want to meditate, it will help you. If you're looking to join a spiritual community, that's something different.
posted by jasper411 at 8:45 AM on March 24, 2006

Your local Zen centre is probably more helpful and if not free, then by donation.
posted by Kickstart70 at 9:06 AM on March 24, 2006

I did a Vipassana 10-day course. I think the immersion taught me what meditation is, much more than I had learned from books.

They just ask you to pay whatever you can at the end of the course, and I think I paid them $91, or whatever was their basic expenses (food, shower water) for participants, since I was really broke at the time. A friend of mine didn't pay and instead alternated "sitting" (participating) in one course and "serving" (cooking) at the next, so she stayed really involved at no real cost to herself.
posted by salvia at 10:07 AM on March 24, 2006

I tried TM several years ago when I was at a particularly low ebb. I thought it was better than sitting around doing nothing.
posted by TiredStarling at 10:31 AM on March 24, 2006

It's a great shame that TM has become so expensive. If it was under $500, or even $750, I'd still be recommending it to others, since I could imagine paying that much myself on such a gamble.
$2500 I couldn’t imagine paying, these days. But if you CAN imagine doing so, given enough encouragement or your current interest/circumstances, allow me to direct you to what I’ve already said in some detail about my experiences as (apparently) one of the very few posters here who has actually tried TM in this previous thread.

It boils down to this:
Instruction in TM was absolutely worth paying for, because what I learned was unique, based on reading and trying MANY other approaches to meditation; imo it’s extremely unlikely that you could learn what I learned from any book; as a community/organization TM can definitely be weird and it was a wash-out for me, but that hasn’t altered my opinion of the technique; and I’ve certainly gotten way more than $2500 worth of value from it... but many folks I know didn’t.

One final point: Have you tried asking the TM instructor for a discount? Might work...
posted by dpcoffin at 10:47 AM on March 24, 2006

audiodharma.org for intro to meditation audio. Donations accepted but not recquired.

Books: Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana and/or The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation by Joseph Goldstein.

Most reputable Buddhist centers work on a donations accepted but not required basis -- I'd start there if you have such resources where you live.

Good luck!
posted by nnk at 9:28 AM on March 25, 2006 [2 favorites]

I have a TM book I would be willing to mail you if you wanted to study it without the expense. My email is in my profile if you are interested.

I know it's been said, but having a teacher or group to share it with can be helpful, but not at the great expense that's been suggested. Further, meditation is simply one-pointed focus, be it on a light, a word, your breath or the question: Who am I?
posted by mic stand at 6:21 PM on March 25, 2006

The Zen master Daisetz Teitaro Suziki said once that trying to obtain enlightenment from reading and listening alone is like getting rid of an itch on your foot by scratching the sole of another's shoes. If there is a Zendo near you, go and sit by the front door. No charge to learn Zazen.


Sufi meditation dhikr is another path you may want to follow. The dificulty in both of these is the teachers want you to be ready to learn before you try. A Catch 22, that.
posted by sgtret at 1:46 PM on March 26, 2006

One is certainly fortunate to live in a place that has a zendo or other type of buddhist center. Not all of us are so lucky, but still we can practice.

One is even more fortunate to be fully present for all experiences, including reading.

Ultimately, one does not need a teacher. One needs to sit and pay attention. Follow your breath. And if you lose track, the beauty is you can always start again. Everybody has the ability to do this -- you can do it. I can do it.

. . . and as it has been said by many teachers of many persuasions -- all of life is an invitation to wake up. Whether you are washing the dishes or pushing a child in a stroller or feeling anger, joy, sadness, calm etc, or mulching a garden or waiting for a bus. These are all things that provide an opportunity to practice, to be fully present.
posted by nnk at 8:14 PM on March 26, 2006