Transcendental Meditation Organization
The Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement is the organization founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (the Spiritual Regeneration Movement, 1958), teaching a standardized mantra-meditation technique that became the West’s most studied and most famous meditation program.
Overview
Maharishi, a disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath), began teaching TM in India (1955–57) and launched the international movement in 1958; the Beatles’ 1968 Rishikesh ashram visit made it globally famous; Maharishi International University (founded 1971, at Fairfield, Iowa from 1973) and the Global Country of World Peace carry the later institutions.
Core teachings
The TM technique: twice-daily 20-minute effortless mantra meditation, taught only through certified teachers with a standardized fee-based course; the theory of “transcending” to a fourth major state of consciousness; the TM-Sidhi program and Yogic Flying (from 1977) as advanced practice; Maharishi Vedic Science as its frame.
Practice and work
Centers worldwide; the research program (the American Heart Association’s and others’ reviews acknowledge blood-pressure findings among the better-supported outcomes — see the research kosha); schools (Consciousness-Based Education) and the peace-meditation projects.
Modern status
The movement continues under the Maharishi Foundation; TM remains among the most clinically researched meditation techniques; its organization is distinctive for standardization and teacher-certification.
Verification notes
- Founding dates, the university, and the research corpus are documented.
- Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).